October Sky character profiles

Name	Personality/Attribute	Evidence
Homer	-Determined/doesn’t give up -Intelligent -Wants to leave Coalwood -Friendly, kind -Disagreed w/father – different ideas -Responsible	-Rocket building – taught himself the maths/science he needed -Able to learn quickly -Trying out for football team in order to work towards scholarship -Not too concerned about sitting w/Quentin -Future of the town/importance of mining -Goes to the mine after his father’s injury
Quentin	-Intelligent -Confident/self-assured about academics (not girls) -Friendly -Poor family	-Broad vocab, knowledge demonstrated in class -able to speak to adults confidently, won’t let Homer copy his work -Makes friends w/Rocket Boys -Small house, poor area in town, shares room w/young siblings
Roy Lee	-Cool and confident (ladies man) -Abusive step-father (real father died) -Resilient -Not ‘book-smart’	-Tries to teach Homer to pick up girls -Step-father beating him after the forest fire arrest -Keeps going despite very tough home life -“Prodiginous” instead of ‘prodigious’
Sherman O’Dell	-Quiet -Father died	-Doesn’t blurt out stuff like Roy Lee, thinks before he speaks -Fight in forest – “…piece of slate took his head clean off.”
Miss Riley	-Strong-willed -Believed in Homer and the boys -Proud of Homer’s achievements	-Standing up to the principal on many occasions -Ordering Homer the book or rocket and missile design -Only one instance where she wasn’t proud – walking away when he dropped out to go to the mine
John Hickham (Homer’s dad) Stoic – reserved in demonstrating emotion	-Strict -Heroic/brave -Family-oriented -Stubborn -Strong moral compass -Very similar to Homer	-Limiting Homer’s rocket-building – threw equipment in the bin -Saves lives of miners on 2 separate occasions – injured badly 2nd time -Wants the best for his sons      - Jim’s scholarship      - Homer mining – thinks is best -Won’t give up on the town/mine -Protects Roy Lee from abusive step-father
Elsie Hickham (Homer’s Mother)	-Kind -Not as strict as John -Reserved emotionally -Reluctance to have conflict w/John -Painting a mural of Myrtle Beach	-Wanted to help Homer w/rockets – support -“Don’t blow yourself up.” -reaction to mining accident and shots at house -Doesn’t fight for Homer’s rocket dreams – lets equipment be thrown out (this does change – threatens to leave John if he doesn’t help -Myrtle Beach is special to the couple – demonstrates her own, hidden desire to get out of Coalwood