What's craziest about this story is that, despite some of its seemingly improbable symbolism and stunningly fortunate outcomes, it really happened. This coal miner's son is tasked to discover a better fate than his father did. This author is Homer Hickam, an important historical figure in the life of American aeronautics. Timely as ever, Homer learns from Russian scientists, accidentally setting himself up for a life in space exploration. Against that real historical backdrop, we see a young Homer Jr, unable to see the full scope of his life, frustrated as anyone, desperate to know if anything will come from his passion.
The short answer is yes, something obviously came from his passion. He was able to escape the gravitational pull of coal mining in a town literally named "Coalwood," where everyone tells him he should mine. His father even goes so far as to imply that without coal mining, Sonny's life will be a disappointment, because he will have failed his duty to family. This honor-based approach has elements of truth in it, but Sonny knows better.
Sonny knows that by following the instruction of well-meaning adults in town who also see the world the way he sees it, that he can attain something different in his fate. He chooses to sacrifice more time than most kids sacrifice for anything, to learn rocketeering, which is quite literally "rocket science," as the saying goes. By committing himself to his passion for learning, he sees a plot unfold in his life that rings of mythic adventure, and after all: His father is proud once he understands the full scope of his son's abilities.
