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The nature of fireworks is a symbolic nod to the nature of fame, especially fame sought through being a celebrity. Fireworks are short-lived entities; they are unimpressive before they are lit, and though dazzling while in action, they go up, explode, and are gone within a matter of seconds. They are a fleeting means of entertainment that does not leave any lasting contribution. This is reflective of public life in high society and the pursuit of status and fame; an individual may invest their entire life into the pursuit of fame, but even if they’re successful in gaining recognition, it is over within moments and they are spent, left with nothing. The Rocket, in his obsession with making a great impression, never seems to grasp that the price of being set off, making his grand entrance into high society, is to be spent and no longer exist.
Fireworks Quotes in The Remarkable Rocket
The The Remarkable Rocket quotes below all refer to the symbol of Fireworks. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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The Remarkable Rocket Quotes
“She was like a white rose before,” said a young Page to his neighbour, “but she is like a red rose now;” and the whole Court was delighted.
For the next three days everybody went about saying, “White rose, Red rose, Red rose, White rose;” and the King gave orders that the Page's salary was to be doubled. As he received no salary at all this was not of much use to him, but it was considered a great honour, and was duly published in the Court Gazette.
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The Page makes this quip as the Princess blushes after the Prince tells her she is beautiful during their first meeting. The King’s empty declaration and the Court’s ensuing delight is the first instance that suggests that the King and the Court are quite frivolous, setting the tone for the continued depiction of the Court and even the fireworks throughout the rest of the story. The King’s hollow gesture is a strong parallel to the hollowness of high society. Courtiers put great effort into their public image and posturing, making great shows of sincerity and gravity despite the fact that Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores su
As soon as there was perfect silence, the Rocket coughed a third time and began. He spoke with a very slow, distinct voice, as if he was dictating his memoirs, and always looked over the shoulder of the person to whom he was talking. In fact, he had a most distinguished manner.
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The fireworks have been conversing and mostly bickering amongst themselves, each trying to prove themselves more sophisticated and cultured than their peers. The Rocket introduces himself, as he always does, by faking a cough to draw people’s attention to him. The Rocket’s use of a memoir-dictation voice is particularly ironic. Memoirs tend to be written by people who have lived full lives, accomplished great things, or learned something important. The Rocket has done none of the three. Since he has only one use, to fly up into the air and explode—marking his entrance into public life—there is nothing he has Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaeca
[…] and the Bengal Light felt so crushed that he began at once to bully the little squibs, in order to show that he was still a person of some importance.
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The Rocket, speaking about his “remarkable parents,” has misspoken, saying “pylotechnic” rather than “pyrotechnic.” When the Bengal Light corrects the Rocket, with evidence that he (the Bengal Light) is right, the Rocket angrily defies him. The Bengal Light’s need to bully the other fireworks to prove his own importance and make himself feel better highlights the central role that hierarchy plays in high society, especially in Victorian England’s aristocracy. One of the most important facets of one’s public image within high society is their level of authority, their position within the power structure. Once again, high society is depicted by Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptat
“I am laughing because I am happy,” replied the Cracker.
“That is a very selfish reason,” said the Rocket angrily. “What right have you to be happy? You should be thinking about others. In fact, you should be thinking about me. I am always thinking about myself, and I expect everybody else to do the same. That is what is called sympathy. It is a beautiful virtue, and I possess it in a high degree.”
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When the Roman Candle and the Cracker share a private joke at the Rocket’s expense, the Rocket demands to know what the Cracker is laughing about. The Cracker lies. Poignantly, the Rocket does not question the Cracker’s truthfulness, but instead is irate that the Cracker is happy at all while the Rocket is not. This action denotes a far more intense cynicism and narcissism than if the Rocket had merely gotten angry at the Cracker for making fun of him. This intense narcissism is only amplified by the Rocket’s understanding of sympathy as a virtue, being that it means that Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperi
Every one was a great success except the Remarkable Rocket. He was so damp with crying that he could not go off at all. The best thing in him was the gunpowder, and that was so wet with tears that it was of no use. All his poor relations, to whom he would never speak, except with a sneer, shot up into the sky like wonderful golden flowers with blossoms of fire.
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The Rocket, having ignored the wise advice not to cry, has soaked himself and failed to ignite. He is left watching all of the other fireworks perform their function in celebration of the royal wedding. The Rocket, who so brazenly and obnoxiously declared himself to be the finest thing to ever live, certainly the greatest firework, has failed in his singular task. This is the first instance in the story where reality directly contradicts the Rocket’s beliefs about himself. Any sane person would take that as a hint that their fundamental ideas need to be re-evaluated, but the Rocket, so Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provid
“Now I am going to explode,” he cried. “I shall set the whole world on fire, and make such a noise, that nobody will talk about anything else for a whole year.” And he certainly did explode. Bang! Bang! Bang! went the gunpowder. There was no doubt about it.
But nobody heard him, not even the two little boys, for they were sound asleep.
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The boys, having mistaken the Rocket for an oddly-shaped stick, have tossed him into their cooking fire and fallen asleep. The Rocket, still damp, takes a while to dry by the flame until he finally lights, soaring into air. The Rocket’s quest for fame and recognition has brought him to this: exploding alone, unseen and unheard above a swamp. Rather than going off in front of the courtiers and the royal wedding, to be admired and appreciated even, if only for a moment—the Rocket certainly never would have experienced the legendary fame that he supposed he would—the Rocket dies in Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Comm
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Fireworks Symbol Timeline in The Remarkable Rocket
The timeline below shows where the symbol Fireworks appears in The Remarkable Rocket. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
The Remarkable Rocket
Since the Princess has never seen fireworks before, the King orders that a fireworks display be prepared as the last feature of...
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...that their days should so coincide. The Squib contradicts him, arguing that all of the fireworks are to be set off in honor of the Prince and not the other way...
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The Rocket defies him, explaining that while the rest of the fireworks may have been set up in honor of the royal wedding, the royal wedding is...
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...it that way. The Bengal Light is so embarrassed that he begins bullying the smaller fireworks to prove that he is still someone of status.
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...can appreciate his highly emotional nature and great sensitivity. He is angry at the other fireworks for laughing and enjoying themselves “just as if the Prince and Princess had not just...
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...and “red poppies” watch on. The night progresses until, at midnight, the King orders the fireworks show to begin.
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The Royal Pyrotechnist and his crew light the fireworks, which set off in an excellent display. Each of the fireworks fly into the air...
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...with tears that his gunpowder is too damp to ignite. Meanwhile, all of the other fireworks are having a wonderful time soaring through the air. The little Princess is also having...
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