Character Analysis: The Other Wes Moore

Even at a very young age the other Wes Moore had plenty of problems that could’ve been dealt with properly, but the other Wes Moore’s decision making made it worse on him, especially in chapters six and seven. In chapter six, Wes was making cake, a lot of money, and it was the end of his “work day,” when a suspicious “cat” walked up to him asking him where he could get crack cocaine. Wes knew immediately that this was no ordinary crack head, he was a cop. However, Wes started to think about the money he could make off this deal, and he couldn’t resist the money. So, Wes walked back over to the man, and told him where he could get some crack, they made the exchange and Wes knew instantly that he was in trouble. Wes’s decision to sell this man the crack got him arrested for months. He lost his family, his money, and had nothing. In chapter seven, Wes finally made a good decision, and he turned his life around, Wes got a steady job, got out of the drug dealing game, and was clean. Sadly, at the end of the chapter Wes cracked, he started to walk down familiar streets known for the drug game, he decided that the steady job wasn’t enough for him, and that he needed to get back in the game. Wes’s constant decisions to get back into the drug game, put him down a path with no forgiveness and no remorse. He might not have known it, but that first decision to get into the drug game, his life was

The only thing that the other Wes Moore saw was a jail cell. He will be on in inside looking out onto what would be a loved one. Wes had no future but the jail cell. When you are all alone in life it is easy to loose hope. When he first started off in life Wes never tried to do anything to better himself. Selling drugs and stilling were the only things that he knew

The author reveals that he hung out with the wrong people which afforded him to be arrested by the police due to vandalism. Because of this incident, the author Wes was sent to Valley Forge, a military school in Philadelphia. The author claims that the author Wes had a difficult time at first and had tried to escape the school several times; but when he discovered that his mother and his grandparents sacrificed a lot just to send him there, he decided to stay and eventually became a platoon leader. However, Moore states that the other Wes got involved with the use and distribution of drugs, like his brother Tony. The author mentions that the other Wes got his girlfriend pregnant and adds that the news of early fatherhood made him frustrated. Moore states that the other Wes stopped attending school and expanded his drug selling business. The author states that the other Wes was arrested for selling drugs to a police

Throughout “The other Wes Moore”, The Wes’ were faced with surprisingly similar situations that were handled in very different ways. These situations were key turning points in each of their lives and shaped them into who they are. Even though each Wes had hardships in their environment and faced many trials and tribulations, ultimately, their choices during these times are what produced each Wes. Because of their series of different choices that each Wes Moore made during their lifetime and the outcome of their choices, we are not just products of our environments, but also products of the choices we make.

A person’s success or failure can be determined by their environment, education, choices; a number of different things. The autobiography The Other Wes Moore takes a look at two boys with the same name and eerily similar circumstances who end up in very different places in life. Wes Moore spoke at convocation about his book and what he hoped that people would get from it. In the book he says “The chilling truth is that his story could have been mine. The tragedy is that my story could have been his.” (Moore xi). These two men didn’t share the same fate because they each made a choice about what they wanted their life to become. The book truly demonstrates how the choices you make, make you. One Wes

In conclusion, both Wes Moore’s had critical moments and different standpoints throughout the entirety of their lives. Though they both had individual accountabilities it was the choices that they individually made that ultimately determined there fates. “Wes and I stared at each other for a moment, surrounded by the evidence that some kids were forced to become adults prematurely. These incarnated men, before they’d even reached a point of basic maturity, had flagrantly-and tragically-squandered the few opportunities they’d

In the book, The Other Wes Moore it is difficult to believe the great similarities in the lives of the two Moores, who share a name and other aspects of life. The two were raised fatherless and were born in the late 1970’s in the neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. They also happen to have encountered similar experiences when growing up, but at one point one of them became a criminal and the other a scholar (the author of the book). The author of the book seems to be interested in the similarities of the two boys as opposed to their different experiences. The story is interesting and makes one imagine what would have become of the writer if he did not by any chance come across the people who guided him to become what

The Other Wes Moore is a book about two young African-American lives that share the same name, Wes Moore. Both Wes Moores grew up with similarities, they both grew up in the same hometown. One of the Wes Moore is free and the other one is spending his life in jail. They both grew up without fathers. The author's father died in front of him when he was just three years old and the other Wes Moore barley knew his dad. The Author's father wasn’t there because he couldn’t be, and the other Wes Moore, father wasn’t there because he chose not to be. Both mothers were working hard towards setting their families and to support and care for their sons.

The reasoning as to why I believe the other Wes Moore could have went down a path to success is if the other Wes Moore had the same family support as the author Wes Moore and if his brother who had a big influence on Wes, was not involved in the drug game. While both Wes Moore’s are both fatherless, the author Wes Moore was a lot luckier than the other Wes Moore, because he had his grandparents to help raise him. With the support of his grandparents, Wes had someone to look after him and also help steer him in the right direction if needed. His grandparents gave Wes and his sisters a set of rules and chores to do every single day. Compared to the other Wes Moore, he did not have any sort of discipline or rules to go by in his house due to the fact his mother and brother were never really at home. Furthermore, with the other Wes Moore, he only had his mother and his brother Tony, who both were not a good influence on him at all. The other Wes Moore looked up to his brother and wanted to be exactly like Tony. For example, when Wes got into a small

“I sat back, allowing Wes's words to sink in. Then I responded, "I guess it's hard sometimes to distinguish between second chances and last chances"(Page 67). In "The Other Wes Moore" the environment of both Wes Moore's were completely different from each other. They both made some stupid decisions over time but who is perfect? It is expected of everyone to make some mistakes, in my opinion the main influence on their choices came from their environment. In their environment they had peers that would influence them to do things that they did not necessarily want to do. This caused them to get into trouble, but at the same token, their environment also gave them some opportunities to make it through some rough times. For Example: Wes #2

Bad Influences, Stressful Situations, and Abandonment led to the incarceration of the Other Wes Moore. The Other Wes Moore was a man that lived in the same neighborhood as the successful Wes Moore, but he had more negatives than positives in his life, which causes him to be influenced by all of the bad influences.

The other Wes Moore is also considered to be deviant by his poor decision-making and careless choices. He dropped out of school, sold drugs, participated in a robbery of a jewelry store, and was a convicted murderer with a life sentence. There was many sociological factors that led to the other Wes Moore’s deviant behavior; the absence of his father being an important factor. Although both the author Wes Moore and the other Wes Moore grew up without a father, it affected the other Wes Moore a little more considering the fact that his father chose not to be in his life. Also, Tony had a big impact on the decision he made for himself. Throughout the story, Wes would remember what Tony told him about demanding respect. “Send a message,” And Wes would do as Tony said. The problem with the other Wes Moore was that he lacked positive influences in his life and he had no motivation to live a better life until it was too late.

While Wes Moore was able to change his situation and begin to make better decisions, the other Wes Moore was never able to accomplish such task. During one of their conversations, the incarcerated Wes said, "From everything you told me, both of us did some pretty wrong stuff when we were younger. And both of us had second chances. But if the situation or the context where you make the decisions don't change, then second chances don't mean much, huh?" (66). In the same conversation, about ¼ of the way into the book Moore realized an important aspect in life, "I sat back, allowing Wes's words to sink in. Then I responded, 'I guess it's hard sometimes to distinguish between second chances and last chances.'" (Moore 67).

In The Other Wes Moore, the author Wes Moore used direct and indirect characterization to get his point across that every action has a consequence. Whether it is going to military school, selling drugs, or skipping class, every action has a consequence.The “other” Wes Moore got involved in the drug game at a young age. He started out in the business by telling his boss (the drug dealers) if there were policemen nearby the street corners where they would sell. Wes couldn't think of a reason why not to get involved, “Wes was sold. It seemed like a sweet setup, simply wear a headset, hang out with new friends, notify people when you see police coming, and get paid at the end of the day.” ( Moore 58) (direct characterization.) besides the possibility of him getting incarcerated as a teenager. Within a few years, Wes moved up in ranking within the drug trade business, and was actually dealing. One day he accidentally sold to an undercover police officer, and got arrested for it. If Wes had never started in the drug business, he would not have gotten incarcerated at such a young age. Not all consequences are something bad, though, after the author of the book, Wes Moore, was caught skipping school frequently, his mother sent him away to military school.It wasn’t that big of a surprise to him, but he was not happy when she

He then decides to join the school of military and then be enlisted in the armed forces. At the beginning, it seemed as if he was not cut out for the armed forces, but he found acceptance was with time. After being involved in war, he toughened up (CW, 2010). After he served his time in the war, Wes left the military as a veteran and got into business while pursuing all the opportunities that he could get.