Table of ContentsIntroductionSummaryReviewIntroductionWritten by Tom Wolfe, The Right Stuff is one of the best non-fiction books ever written using the new writing method known as "new journalism" which was invented. by Tom Wolfe himself. Published in 1979, The Right Stuff enjoyed great success as it became a bestseller and won numerous awards. Tom Wolfe was born in Richmond, Virginia on March 2, 1930. He attended Washington and Lee University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in English in 1951. After that, Wolfe continued his academic career by attending Yale University and graduated from it. doctorate in American studies in 1957. Wolfe then began his career working for several famous newspapers such as the Washington Post and the New York Herald-Tribune. Shortly after working for newspapers, Tom Wolfe moved to New York in the early 1960s and worked for some magazines such as Esquire and Harper's. After this, Wolfe became interested in writing non-fiction books. Wolfe has published some of the best-selling nonfiction books, including The Bonfire of the Vanities, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, and many others. The "new journalism" writing technique used by Wolfe in many of his works made him a promising novelist and journalist. In The Right Stuff, Tom Wolfe tells the story of Project Mercury and the space race in a different way. He uses slang and typical everyday language spoken between people and he uses the first person point of view of the characters in his writing to create the most accurate simulation of the characters' lives and to put the reader in the atmosphere. the position of the characters and make them see what the real character sees and feel what the real character feels. Wolfe expresses the whole story in great detail showing how Project Mercury and the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union as well as the growing tension between the two to dominate the space project were the result of the cold war. It also perfectly depicts the lives of test pilots and astronauts by simulating the tensions within families in their homes. And the difficulties that pilots and astronauts encountered during their training and testing, and their achievements, and their courage and effort to achieve them, and the effects of technological progress, and fame, and money, and “the good things” that resulted. these pilots and astronauts had to reach the sky. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essaySummaryGood things begin by describing the distinctive and unique lives of military pilots, as well as the dangerous and unstable lives these pilots and their families must lead. treat daily. Wolfe calls the wives of military pilots "angels of death" because they face the same stress and strain every day because their husbands might come home "burned beyond recognition." . The job of a military pilot consisted of more tests, more crashes, and more burials. Wolfe then describes "the right things" as the required combination of skill and courage that a military pilot must possess to become a member of the elite military pilots and avoid being "washed away and left behind." Wolfe also perfectly describes the training and tradition these pilots went through. Wolfe describes the training process as an "infinite series of tests" that models the "ancient Babylonian pyramids" and those at the top.top are considered elite. The elites are the ones who can accomplish the most difficult tasks, like landing on "the deck of an aircraft carrier" or piloting the stuffy T-33. One of these elites is Chuck Yeager, whom Wolfe describes as "the most virtuous of them all." the possessors of good things.” Yeager was a World War II ace, and Wolfe describes him as "the ace of all aces" when he became the first pilot and human being to fly faster than the speed of sound. Wolfe devotes great effort to Yeager in his work because he changed history with his outstanding achievements. For Wolfe, Chuck Yeager “was at the top of the pyramid.” However, soon after Yeager's astonishing flight, everything began to go downhill for the Americans and their expectations and hopes began to deteriorate after the Soviet Union launched its first artificial satellite, Sputnik I, on October 4. 1957. This lit a spark between the United States and the Soviet Union and started the war and the space race between them as the United States created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in response . The United States is currently working on building a spacecraft with fears of a possible future war similar to the Cold War or the possibility of the Soviets engaging in nuclear regression. Without a doubt, power and domination will be in the hands of the one who has the ability to “control the heights”. The United States is now embarking on a “race for survival”. It was the birth of the space age. The United States launches Project Mercury, the objective of which is to send a human into space in an unpiloted capsule. Wolfe describes the entire process from the selection and training of astronauts to the astronauts' acquisition of fame and celebrity. The selection process involved selecting seven military pilots who could pass all the medical and psychological exams to be qualified to become an astronaut. The seven qualifiers were called the "Mercury Seven". Wolfe describes how unique and humiliating the entire training and examination process was given the status these military pilots hold in society. In essence, military pilots were no different from "lab rats." They were certainly “lab rats”. Wolfe points out that "anyone in Project Mercury was more of a test subject than a pilot." Shortly after the training and examination process was completed, the seven astronauts were made public and instantly became national celebrities. Wolfe describes how the entire American society adored the seven astronauts for their patriotism and heroism, but also for sacrificing their lives to achieve the "American dream." For all the fame and "good things" the astronauts possessed, nothing kept them, or the military pilots, from the typical traditional life and the "military tradition of Flying & Drinking and Drinking & Driving." Once again, the Americans are lagging behind. the race to space as the Soviets succeed in sending the first human, Yuri Gagarin, into space on April 12, 1961. Things also deteriorate for American astronauts as their adoration turns to adversity when NASA announces that "a monkey is going to make the first flight." A "college-trained chimpanzee" is going to make the first flight, "which was like a Slayton outing in sarcasm and hyperbole." Wolfe shows how the idea sending a chimpanzee into space raised tension between the test pilots and the astronauts. From the start of the project, the test pilots thought that the.The astronauts were only test subjects since they had no control or means of piloting the capsule. Now that a chimpanzee is performing the flight, the test pilots were more than convinced that the whole project was sarcasm and that if a chimpanzee could perform the flight; anyone can do it too. For the test pilots, this mission was below their standards! Shortly after the chimpanzee successfully completed his spaceflight mission, Alan Shepard became the first American to enter space. Wolfe describes that Shepard's "launch was an entirely new event in American history." Shortly after the Shepard Flight, John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth in a "piloted flight." Glenn's escape once again reshaped American history; Glenn was now, as Wolfe describes it, “at the top of the pyramid.” Now an astronaut is a real hero, the Mercury Seven have captivated people's emotions and hearts. For Wolfe, it is the power of "the right thing, the same vital force of manhood that had made millions vibrate and resonate thirty-five years before Lindbergh", it is the only event comparable to the flight of Lindbergh in American history since World War II. . This is the whole meaning of Tom Wolfe's work, the meaning of the "American dream".ReviewTom Wolfe's new writing method using the techniques of "New Journalism" has changed the rules of the game in terms of writing . “New journalism,” as Wolfe defines it, is a method of writing that is anchored on four pillars that are primarily used in fiction writing. The four pillars are: “setting, dialogue, status detail and point of view”. .” Wolfe's term "New Journalism" arose from the recruitment of these four pillars in nonfiction works. What Wolfe did by basing his work on these four pillars was bring history to life. Wolfe makes the reader learn something about other people; it lets the reader know what is inside a person from their beliefs, feelings, and values. Wolfe's method of writing contradicted the older method of historical writing adopted by most newspapers. Its main goal was to deliver the "truth" and not just the "facts", as most newspapers did. Tom Wolfe emphasized that “the only way to tell a great story is to report it.” Furthermore, by relying on these four pillars, Tom Wolfe succeeds in conveying his message to the audience in an exciting, engaging and truthful way. Additionally, Wolfe also uses improbable words in his works to create effect and to further clarify the situation. In The Right Stuff, it is clear how Wolfe focuses the scope on the very small details to take the reader through the whole experience. situation experienced by the characters in the story. Wolfe's work essentially functions as a projector by projecting people's stories, feelings, experiences, emotions, and the like into readers' minds. In The Right Stuff, Wolfe makes sure to describe the entire setting in detail, even if it doesn't directly relate to Project Mercury and the main point of the story. Wolfe begins by opening the book with an introduction to Pete Conrad and his family and describing the situation of their lives and where they live. Wolfe writes: “Here in Florida…the sun shines through the pines outside, and the very air takes on air. on the brilliance of the ocean. The ocean and a stunning mica-white beach are less than 1 mile away. Everyone who passes by will see Jane's little house glowing like a dream house in the pines. It's a brick house, but.