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Why was there tension in the Hickham Family in the book October Sky?

In the book October Sky, one of the main reasons for tension in the Hickham family was that they, along with other families in their coal mining town, were very dependent on the coal mines for their livelihoods.


The coal mines were the major employer for their community. If the coal mines weren't doing well, and maybe in danger of closing, then their employees and families weren't surviving well, either.


Added to the stress of their income being dependent on the coal mines, there was the ever-present danger of accidents in the mines. These types of accidents were always prevalent in the mines. It was common for men to suffer accidents and either be killed or else be injured so badly that they couldn't work. 


All of these factors come back to the fact that the employees of mines and their families experienced much stress. The Hickham family was no exception.

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