Tiwari 1 Neelank Tiwari Junior AP English July 10th 2012 The Flight Stuff

The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe is a masterpiece that tells the story of fearless American astronauts and test pilots who went above and beyond, conquering the sound barrier and space. Although the novel is based on factual information and real events Tom Wolfe stretches the envelope with his enchanting style and takes the reader on an extraordinary journey through our nations history and accomplishments. Wolfe masterfully uses a shifting 3rd person point of view and applies numerous styles and techniques to add personality and interest to his writing in his novel The Right Stuff. The novel primarily takes place in the desert location of Muroc field later named Edwards Air Force Base, and NASAs base in Cape Canaveral as well as their base in Houston from the late 1940s to the mid-1960s. Air force and Navy airfields were usually on barren or marginal stretches of land and would have looked especially bleak and Low Rent to an ordinary individual yet Wolfe is able to elaborately and successfully depict the bases and their surroundings in vivid and precise detail which captivate the reader (Wolfe 28). Tensions with other countries are at an all-time high due to the Cold War, Cuban missile crisis, and the Vietnam War which gives the novel a fast pace as the whole world seems to be participating in the infamous fast pace space race.

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Although there are numerous characters, such as the Mercury 7 astronauts, that are important to the understanding and story of the novel and could be considered protagonists, Wolfe makes four men stand out especially. Chuck Yeager is one of those men. He is ambitious, respectful, competitive, wise, and incredibly humble in comparison to the other test pilots of his time. John Glenn is another character that receives a lot of attention throughout the novel. John is a leader, Marine, and although he is cocky and competitive he is the most sensible and famous man out of the Mercury 7 astronauts. Gordon Cooper and Pete Conrad are two men that are like any pilot, cocky, arrogant, ambitious, and most importantly persistent and dedicated. Wolfe brings up the question What is it, that makes a man willing to sit up on top of an enormous Roman Candle such as Redstone, Atlas, Titan, or Saturn Rocket, and wait for someone to light the fuse? (Wolfe xi). The answer to that is a tremendous amount of bravery, courage, and the right stuff, qualities and attributes that all of these men share. The story that Wolfe brilliantly tells is about the space race and Project Mercury, which from the 1940 to 1960s were national obsessions. The novel depicts the lives of the military, marine, astronauts, NASA employees, as well as their wives and exploits the lesser known dangers, fame, goodies, that come with their roles and jobs that require the right stuff. The books main focus shifts between the Mercury 7 astronauts who go on suborbital and orbital missions and test pilots such as Chuck Yeager, who regularly set new air speed and altitude records flying test planes. This is a story is breathtaking and timeless in so many ways. Wolfe is able to elegantly incorporate themes which set this story of space exploration apart, making it timeless and fascinating. The major theme of the novel that is indirectly conveyed to the reader is what it takes to be a pilot or astronaut, the right stuff. The right stuff is a not something we all possess but it is something that we are capable of acquiring with

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perseverance and guts. Although it is never said what the right stuff actually is it is apparent and inferred throughout the novel and constantly develops as the story progresses. Life and death is another theme that comes to light in The Right Stuff. The significance of life and death and the sacrifice that comes with the two is something that is also indirectly, but constantly conveyed as the pilots are always putting their lives on the line and voluntarily expose themselves to grave dangers. Wolfes style and technique is what really makes the story so brilliant. He is able to amazingly give the reader an aura of authority and power by supplying inside knowledge, information, and incite throughout the novel while also telling the story. Wolfe takes omniscient narrator to a new level by shifting the point of view, dropping in and out of the heads of numerous characters, allowing the reader to know what they are thinking and intensifying the understanding and intimacy for the characters. Wolfe does a phenomenal job of telling a story of nonfiction with structure, detail, and observation in third person that it reads like a fictional story, something that wont bore the reader and the reader wont be able to put down. The novel transfers Wolfes vast knowledge of pilots, their lives, and their jobs in such a way that it changes the way one looks at the sky and the bravery it takes to voyage through it, forever. The Right Stuffs literary elements, style, and story make it a read recommendable to any reader regardless of age, gender, or interest. Its safe to say Tom Wolfe is the most righteous of all the possessors of the right stuff with his thorough understanding and use of it (Wolfe 35). This is a novel that truly does go above and beyond and seduces the reader unexpectedly, entertaining and informing the reader with an impressive story of space, the sky, and their explorers.

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Works Cited Wolfe, Tom. The Right Stuff. New York: Picador, 2008. Print.