Rocket Boys: Chapter 19 Summary & Analysis

Ever since witnessing Mr. Bykovski’s death, Homer becomes sullen and lonely. He talks to his parents as little as possible. He wonders if he’s finally become a “good” West Virginian—stoic, stolid, and silent. Yet the fact that he can’t feel anything—no pain—terrifies Homer. He thinks of Jesus Christ, enduring pain for the good of the human race, and hates himself for feeling no pain of his own.

One day, Mr. Ferro asks Homer if he’ll be launching a new rocket soon, and Homer replies that he’s not making any more rockets. Homer decides to go to Jake, who’s usually good at cheering people up. At the Club House, Jake’s usual spot, Homer learns that Jake has gone to Ohio. Leaving the building, he runs into Mr. Dubonnet. Dubonnet tries to tell Homer that he can’t hold himself responsible for Mr. Bykovski’s death, but Homer ignores him.

At school, Homer ignores his friends, gets poor grades, and avoids all contact with Valentine, who seems to be spending more and more time with Buck. He even ignores Dorothy when she tries to comfort him. As he walks away from her, Homer hears Jim say, “what a dope.” Miss Riley asks Homer why he’s not working on rockets anymore, and Homer replies that there’s no point. Miss Riley refuses to give up on Homer, however—she tells him that if he gives up rockets and continues reveling in his anger and guilt, he’ll regret it for the rest of his life.

A few days later, Sherman calls Homer, and tells him to come to the Little Shore bus stop. When Homer demands an explanation, Sherman gives one to him—and though Homer doesn’t tell us what this explanation is, he rushes to the bus stop immediately. There, he finds Mrs. Bykovski: she’s leaving Coalwood to live with her relatives. Homer tells her that he’s responsible for Mr. Bykovski’s death—if it hadn’t been for him, Bykovski would never have been moved to the mines. Mrs. Bykovski smiles sadly and tells Homer the truth: Bykovski could have gone back to the machine shop at any time. She makes Homer promise never to forget Mr. Bykovski, and as she gets on her bus, Mrs. Bykovski yells that her husband would have loved nothing more than seeing Homer launch more rockets.

Three weeks after Mr. Bykovski’s death, Homer organizes another rocket launching—he’s taken Mrs. Bykovski’s advice to heart. Nevertheless, he looks at his life in Coalwood coldly. Jim will be going to college on a sports scholarship. Homer himself plans on going to college through the army or the air force—Jim has often told him that he’d do well there. Homer doesn’t want to ask his parents for any money to pay for his education.

Mr. Caton delivers Homer the seamless steel tubing he’d asked for. Homer—who has made up with his friends, quickly and painlessly—works with Quentin to perfect the De Laval equations and build a satisfactory nozzle for the rocket.

The narrative cuts ahead to the launch of Auk XXI. There are at least three dozen Coalwoodians present for the launch, including Mr. Dubonnet and Basil. Even before the rocket fires, Homer knows that it will be a huge success, and it is. Auk XXI attains a height of more than 4,000 feet, a record for the BCMA.

Always thinking ahead, Homer tells the BCMA that next time the group must use a combination of zinc dust and sulfur. Roy Lee and Sherman are confused by this news. Homer angrily insists that he’s going for maximum altitude, so that “I—we” win the county science fair next year. Roy Lee accuses Homer of electing himself leader of the BCMA, and Homer lashes out at him, saying that he doesn’t care what anyone else thinks. Roy Lee punches Homer in the chest. He angrily explains that Homer must be a fool if he thinks the other members of the BCMA are worthless. Then he immediately apologizes for hitting Homer. Homer, ashamed of his own arrogance, says that he’s not sorry Roy Lee hit him.