Communities, families, and friends all drastically affect the young men and women into which every child eventually matures. Their lifestyles, choices, and even fates can be determined by these elements in their lives. Two boys with the same name, each born and raised in Baltimore in the presence of a loving family, somehow managed to end up on two completely different life paths. While one is forced to endure a life sentence in prison, the other has accomplished many notable achievements, including writing a New York Times bestselling novel titled The Other Wes Moore. Growing up without a father is tough for any individual. Unfortunately, both main characters were forced to struggle through this endeavor their entire lives. Luckily,
Many people would say we are all just products of our environment. For two young boys from Baltimore, this could not be truer. In “The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates,” written by Wes Moore, two fatherless, young boys growing up in the same neighborhood with the same name, end up on two entirely different paths of life. The author becomes a Rhodes Scholar, college graduate, veteran, and much more, while the “other” Wes gets deeply involved with the drug game and spends most of his life in trouble with the law. When these boys come from such similar backgrounds, how is it that they take such different journeys in life? The reason why one Wes Moore became mixed up with drugs and the law, and
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.
“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
Fatherless, a ten lettered word that has had the capability to transform me into the person I am today. The word which reminds me of the cold bars that separated my father and me.
What happens when a little girl is raised without her father? When little girls are raised without their fathers it causes them to lose self-respect, feel undeserving, lose hope, and leads them into a state of depression. Iyanla Vanzant participated in a show for Oprah’s Lifeclass. During the show she speaks on what happens when girls are raised without their fathers and she calls these type of girls “daddyless daughters.” According to Iyanla, “the role of a father is to teach his daughter how to be in a nonsexual, intimate relationship with a man.” With this being said a girl first relationship should be with her father because he becomes her first love and sets the standards for a man. She should be his princess and he should be her prince. He should teach and show her how she should be treated as a woman as she grows older. A mother can only tell a young girl the right way she should be treated as a woman but cannot show her unlike a father could. What will happen if daddy leaves? According to Iyanla in an explanation says that “the daughter will lack the healthy model and seeks to fill that void in many ways.” The void for young girls is a way for them to escape reality of something they have been dealing with their whole lives and that’s not having a father to guide them. One of these voids leads them to settle for anything less of what they deserve when searching for a partner. They tend to allow things in a relationship like cheating and disrespect constantly because they don’t know that a man who loves you and values you wouldn’t deceive you in any type of way. Not only do they allow cheating and lying but they go back to the same person over and over again or they find the same qualities in a different guy. Iyanla states. “If you want so much to be with the wrong one, imagine how good it will feel when the right one shows up.” Not only does growing up without a father affect young girls but young males as well. Dr. Steve Perry had a voice in Oprah’s “Lifeclass Discussion” on the fatherless son’s issue. Dr. Steve Perry agreed with the idea that it’s very important for daughters to have a strong father figure. He believes that a father sets the
Getting pregnant at fifteen has brought my life so much purpose and responsibility. My greatest priority is raising my son to be a respectful, well rounded, and successful man. My greatest obstacle has also been raising a fatherless son. As a single mother, I am the primary provider, the disciplinarian, and the role model. I am solely responsible for my child’s education, health, and happiness. Like other single mothers, I make a valorous effort to succeed at all these roles and more. I’ve been far from perfect at my motherly duties but I’ve learned many life lessons from each one of our situations, which are all priceless.
I’ve contemplated significantly on fatherhood this past week. Newborns have always made me smile. Holding them was always a spiritual experience. However, having my own son is completely different. I want to teach him, nurture him, lead him, and serve him.
“I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection.” --Sigmund Freud, Standard Edition, 1956
Fathers are essential to children’s development, but for different reasons in males and females. In females “daughters whose fathers have been actively engaged
The purpose of this is to provide an overview of the research on who becomes a father, the many problems fathers experience before and after they father a child. As well as, how they respond to their duties as fathers, their multifaceted service needs, societal treatment of being a father, and the difficult challenges associated with recruiting fathers and retaining them in-service programs. The experience of fatherhood will be explored through asking, what being a father meant to them. Major themes include the perception of fatherhood, “being there” and responsibility, the importance of fathers, self-image as fathers, and obstacles to fathers’ involvement. Harmful stereotypes such as young males who got their female partner pregnant, and then
I grew up without my dad around. My dad lived here in Southern California. Since I can remember my dad had been living here in the United States working. He would go back to visit us once or twice a year. I didn’t care much about him to be honest. He was never there when I needed a male role model. I was a lot closer to my grandpa and uncles than I was with him. After years and years of going back and forth my dad wanted us all to move to California with him, myself my mom, my brother Oscar and my sister Ana. He was tired of going back and forth and plus he didn’t get along too well with my moms side of the family. I loved my life back home. I wasn’t ready to leave everything behind to go to a different country with a man that I only would
Growing up with one parent can be extremely difficult for that child. They feel as if it is them against the world. Trying to adjust to a new environment can be very challenging, especially when you only live with your mother or father instead of both. This child may face some difficult situations getting used to only living with one. Growing up with one parent may cause that child to have emotional distress, lack of discipline, and lastly feeling left out.
The role of fathers is a complex one. Even though at some point in history fathers became uninvolved in theirs children’s lives, modern-day fathers are seeking to be present for their children, and today there are still some stigmas from the past that fathers have to deal with. Colonial father were more involved than industrialized fathers did; however, there pattern changed and nowadays there are diverse types of fatherhood.
Fatherhood is an area I will never comprehend but when fathers receive recognition my father was worthy. His birthplace is not fully known and neither is the name of his father. His mother is said to be someone I am completely uncertain of. However, I had the pleasure of enjoying his adoptive mother and her husband. Much of what I thought I knew I did not know and he did a great job of keeping this information from me for likely good and personal reasons. Towards the end of his life matters began to unravel.
What was the purpose of this study? This study had three purposes. The first purpose of this study was to better understand the effects of fathers’ antisocial behaviors have on their children while differentiating between those fathers who have very antisocial behavior with those that have very little. The second purpose was the find out if the effects of a father’s being in his child’s life was the same in every family. The third purpose in this study was to find out whether the children of antisocial fathers were going to develop behavioral problems from both genetic and environmental risks.