The Illustrated Man

Besides the Prologue and Epilogue, “The Rocket Man” is the only story in The Illustrated Man told from a first-person perspective. It is narrated by its protagonist, Doug. Lilly, Doug’s mother, begs for his help in keeping her husband home. Doug doubts they can, and they spend a sleepless night waiting until they finally hear Dad’s rocket overhead. When Dad arrives, Doug sneaks into his parents’ room and takes his bag. He uses a centrifuge to extract celestial dust from his uniform as a keepsake, then returns it before his parents can notice.

At breakfast, Dad acts like he has not been gone for three months. He works with intense dedication in the garden, careful not to look up at the sky. That night, the family spends time together on the porch. Doug knows that Dad will eventually begin increasingly looking to the stars before finally leaving again; but for a few nights, he will be wholly present.

They go to the television carnival, where Doug asks Dad what space is like. Dad responds, “It’s the best thing in a lifetime of best things” (102) but then quickly downplays the experience. At home, Doug asks to see Dad in his uniform, though Mother hates it. When Dad is gone, Mother does not allow Doug to do household chores like mowing the grass—life is put on hold until he returns. She often seems distant with Dad, but “other days she would be there and he would be there for her, and they would hold hands […] Mom’s hair flying like a girl’s behind her” (104).

Dad abruptly buys them rocket tickets for California and Mexico. On the beach, he and Doug have a heart-to-heart conversation about mundane details of Doug’s life. Dad is deeply interested in his son and makes Doug promise to never be a rocket man: “[…] When you’re out there,” he says, “you want to be here, and when you’re here you want to be out there. Don’t start that. Don’t let it get a hold of you” (106).

Mother makes a full Thanksgiving dinner in August to try to lure Dad to stay. He seems tempted, but a passing helicopter makes him look outside, where he sees the night sky. He asks her to pass the peas instead. Mother runs out of the room, upset. That night, Dad is sitting outside on the porch. Doug asks him how many ways there are to die in space; Dad replies: “a million” (108).

Early the next morning, Dad leaves but promises this will be his last trip. Mother tells Doug that she often pretends Dad is dead to stave off her grief, so that the few times a year he is home feel like a pleasant dream. If Dad dies in space, she is worried they will never be able to look at the planet which caused it.

The next day, they learn Dad is dead—his ship fell into the sun. For a long time, Mother and Doug completely withdraw from the day, living only at night. For them, “there was no sun” (111).