Who is The Rocket Man (Father) from The Illustrated Man and what is their importance?

The Rocket Man is a character in the story, The Rocket Man. He is a family man with an intense desire to travel into space, and although he loves his family..... his desire for adventure leads him to take the trip anyway. While gone, Rocket man misses his family beyond belief...... unfortunately, he misses space just as much while on Earth. The Rocket Man is a tragic figure in that he can never be truly happy in either circunstance.