October Sky and Hte Greyhound Tragedy

Homer vs. The Woman

When you think about a dream, have you ever thought that would come true or is it something that you wish for? Are there certain people or obstacles that would keep you from achieving that dream? Even though the woman in the story " The Greyhound Tragedy" by Richard Brautigan was not successful in accomplishing her dream, Homer in October Sky did, these characters share a connection. Both of these individuals had different situations and therefore attained different ends.

One of the very first situations that Homer and the woman had in common was that their families always wanted what was best for them. Homers' parents imagined him growing up and working in the coal-mines for the rest of his life, while his brother went off to college and played football. The parents of the woman in "The Grey Hound Tragedy" wanted her to stay close to town and marry a man who was a Ford salesman. Her mother was oblivious to her daughter and her dream. Both of these families had ideas on how their children should live their lives but little did they know that Homer and the woman had dreams of their own. Unfortunately their dreams seemed so unreachable and the easiest way out was to listen to what their parents wanted. At first Homers' friends thought he was crazy to think that he could build a rocket. Giving in, his friends listened to the passion that Homer had and were interested in helping him build it. The woman never shared her dream with any and therefore she lacked ambition and drive. Her friends were never there to support her. She would spend most of her days at home, sitting on the couch, wasting her life away.

Both Homer and the young woman attended school but one made more use of their schooling that the other. All the woman knew of Hollywood was from movie magazines and books. She had no experience in acting or even being on stage. Homers' dream seemed so far away, but he was so interested in rockets that he learned as much as he could about the calculations and measurements that went into creating it. Staying up all night, he would cram all the information about rockets so he could start on the construction of the rocket. Finishing high school is one thing, but furthering his education after high school was more important, because that decided what he would do for the rest of his life.

Homer, put down many times by his father, still worked