Each day of our lives, we are faced with decisions that have the ability to impact us greatly. Many of us choose the right paths leading ourselves to become something better while others make enough poor choices to leave them with a negative impact on others and themselves. In the introduction to his memoir, Wes Moore reflects, “the chilling truth is that [Wes’s] story could have been mine. The tragedy is that my story could have been his” (xi). Throughout the novel, Wes tells his story and the other Wes Moore’s; comparing the factors that led them to living completely different lifestyles. Apart from the few similarities in which both young boys shared, there were numerous differences as well. These differences in behavior, choices, and
“The chilling truth is that his story could’ve been mine. The tragedy is that my story could’ve been his,” (Wes Moore) is the main thought throughout the book, The Other Wes Moore. This book is about the difference of decision making. Constantly throughout The Other Wes Moore the two main characters, both named Wes Moore, are faced and challenged with hard decisions that could drastically turn their lives around. The author, Wes Moore, is a famous author with two books on the New York Times Bestsellers list, and is a decorated U.S. Army officer. While the other Wes Moore, is now in jail for life for killing a police officer during a failed bank robbery. Their decisions that they made throughout lives shaped the outcome of their lives today.
Many know of the tune “It’s a Small World” played at the Disney Parks. It’s lyrics repeat, “It’s a small world after all,” over and over until you have it cemented in your brain for eternity (but that’s beside the point). These lyrics connect with the book, The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore, because of how closely connected two men living in Baltimore were. Both men named Wes Moore with a father out of the picture made it an oddly “small world.” But although they had very similar upbringings, their lives took extremely different paths. Three key differences that make them different are: why their fathers weren’t apart of their lives, what they grew up around, and how their mother’s dealt with troubled kids.
“One name, two fates,” that what the author of the Other Wes Moore stated on the cover of his book. Two boys that were born in the same neighborhood in Baltimore, and had a difficult childhood since they both grew up fatherless. The coincidence was that the two boys were called Wes. They both shared a lot of similarities from living in a poor neighborhood and growing up in Baltimore street corners with their squads. However, their futures were completely different as one achieved the impossible and the other was a convicted murderer serving a life sentence. People may think that how could this happen since they both were living the same circumstances. However, in the book Wes Moore, the boys did not have equal opportunities in terms of parenting, education, and environment.
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
“The Other Wes Moore” is a story that follows two boys with the exact same name who start off living very similar lives in Baltimore, Maryland. One of the boys live on to be an extremely successful man and the other one is living the rest of his life behind bars. The two men wondered how their strikingly similar path diverged into two completely different fates and then an argument formed. Are people products of their choices or their environment and expectations thrown upon them? The book proves that people are products of their choices. Both Wes Moores were raised by a single mom in the tough streets of Baltimore and they both were rebellious children who got arrested at a young age. Their similarities lessened as their choices and their mom’s choices contrasted. The more fortunate Wes was sent to Military school and he chose to make the most of it and become the best version of himself. His determination and hard work trumped his previous hooligan mindset, therefore his future was bright and fulfilling. The other Wes chose to follow his brother,
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
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.
Wes Moore, the author of “The Other Wes Moore” had many accomplishments in his life. He however gained notoriety with this book it was a New York Times best seller. In Chapter 7, the main idea is that two people living in the same environment had different outcomes in their lives by making entirely different decisions on how to deal with the adversities they faced in their lives. These decisions led to the lives that they ultimately lived. The tone was intense and high energy to begin with but then seemed to turn neutral in both men’s stories. The purpose is to inform the reader how the same environment can take two people and based on their decisions lead to very different out comes in life. The author takes each man’s thoughts and show how
“This is a story of two boys living in Baltimore with similar histories and an identical name: Wes Moore. One of us is free… The other will spend every day until his death behind bars...” (Moore, XI) In The Other Wes Moore, the author, Wes Moore, and the other Wes Moore both grew up in similar, yet different, circumstances and had completely different outcomes. This captivating narrative demonstrates how the choices you make, make you. In the introduction, the author Wes Moore validates this statement by saying, “The chilling truth is that his story could have been mine. The tragedy is that my story could have been his.” (Moore XI) The author, Wes Moore, shows the readers that a person’s environment, circumstances, education (or lack
The author Wes Moore’s family greatly influenced him and definitely helped him become a successful person today. As a kid, Wes often struggled in school. His mother made many sacrifices, worked many jobs so her son could go to school out of the neighborhood.went to school out of the neighborhood because his mother wanted him to stay on positive path. His mom made many sacrficies for her son because she wanted him to get the education he needed to become successful. When Riverdale wasn’t helping him to get the education he needed, his mother sent him away to military school.In order to do this, his mother made more sacrifices. His mother worked several jobs so she could pay off military school. Also, his grandparents gave his mother the money
Humans have come to a conclusion that all lives are different, but all go through many hardships and tragedies. The impact from a slight difference can vary to be very vast to very small, such a slight difference, however, can change a person’s life as a whole. In the book, The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates by Wes Moore there is a difference that can be identified between the author’s life and that of the other Wes. This difference, though can be very critical and is ultimately able to lead to a path of triumph or failure for an individual. The lack of involvement a mother has for their child can fundamentally deprive them from succeeding, and parent involvement has the opportunity to
One’s childhood has a lasting impact on their entire life. Moore’s upbringing and the loving family he was born into, no matter how trivial it may seem, greatly contributed to his success. Wes seemingly grew up the same as any other kid in the Bronx – in a single-parent household, surrounded by bad influences… what separated him from the crowd? His support system: his family, and their ultimate support and sacrifices made all the difference. As a teenager, Wes seemed to be going down the wrong path. He constantly skipped school, his academic failures were overwhelming, and he was even arrested for vandalism. In the case of the other Wes, his family simply let these actions slide, and decision after decision ultimately landed him with a life sentence in prison. The author Wes’s mother, however, refused to allow this behavior to continue. As a method of intervention, she forced Moore to attend Valley Forge, and in doing so, probably saved his career. The extent of his family’s sacrifice was evident on page 95 when Wes realized that “my grandparents took the money they had in the home in the Bronx, decades of savings and mortgage payments, and gave it to my mother
In a world that cares little for the wellbeing of each individual, it is impossible to survive out in the open. Wealth protect some from society’s demands while others seek refuge in family bonds. The main difference between the Author and the Other Wes Moore is the bubble that they matured in. For the Author, his mother’s love and hard work afforded him an expensive bubble of physical isolation and a regimented lifestyle. For the Other Wes, the sanctuary was of his own making; one of honor bound by ties of drug money and blood.The defining moments for each Wes Moore are when their bubbles are created and when they become a prison.
In this quote, Wes Moore, the author, talks about how his high school teachers, Lieutenant Colonel Murnane, has uplifted him to devote his life to public service. The commandant of cadets, Colonel Billy Murphy, instructs Wes to make his time on earth “matter.” In the past, Wes observed the knowledge of life’s “transience” causing kids in the Bronx to behave with recklessness and indifference. This same knowledge now makes Wes see life as “precious.” Wes decides to go to the Valley Forge junior college, earn his associate’s degree, and be a second lieutenant in the Army. Wes has been chosen as the regimental commander for the 70th Corps of Cadets, the highest position in a group of 700. Wes is now responsible for the protection, well-being,