Our Surroundings : The Guidelines Of Our Lives Essay

In the book, The Other Wes Moore, readers are introduced to two naive boys who share the same name and live an almost identical life at the beginning of their childhood. Author Wes Moore tells readers a chilling story about how he and “Other Wes” were raised in neighboring Baltimore neighborhoods and grew up living an almost identical life. The story is based on how the two men face many obstacles throughout their life that essentially depict their own futures. As the boys become more familiar with the idea of violence and drug related activity, the proposal of living the same life suddenly becomes extinct. The two Wes Moore’s eventually end up living two completely different ways of life and it can be argued how they ended up the way they did. The idea of environment, education, and even expectations are all themes readers are presented with in the story. Although all of these factors play a vital role in the development of Wes themselves, their environment is essentially what had the greatest impact on their futures and is what set the tone for the rest of their lives.

"The chilling truth is that his story could have been mine... It's unsettling to know how little separates each of us from another life altogether (Moore XI)." The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore is about two men who have the same name, Wes Moore. Both grew up in similar areas, each made choices that lead to one spending life in jail and the other spent his being in the military. The Wes Moore's grew up in the 1970's-1980's. They both were poor with single mothers who worked day in and day out, and still struggled to be able to be above the poverty line. For each man there was one moment that changed the future of their life. In the book,The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore, the author explains the idea of poverty to develop the theme poverty can affect an individual negatively, but each action and decision a person makes can control whether his or her life is positive or negative.

“The chilling truth is that his story could have been mine. The tragedy is that my story could have been his” (Moore, 2010, front cover). The Other Wes Moore is about two guys with the same name but end up going down totally different paths in life, hence the quote. In this paper it will discuss the novel, The Other Wes Moore, describe their social location, and describe the sociological perspectives used in sociology and analyze excerpts from the book using each of the three sociological perspectives.

The Other Wes Moore depicts the transformation of two boys who shared many of the same circumstances, and were born into fairly congruent life conditions. Both Wes’ share a name, a family situation, and an upbringing; both lacked fathers and grew up in very similar neighborhoods. After becoming fascinated by an inmate’s seemingly familiar story, the author - Wes Moore - writes a story that shows the juxtaposition of their lives. While many things were similar, throughout the novel we see the exploration of social and cultural influences at work. Through the stories of both Wes Moores, the author paints a powerful pictures concerning how the choices each man made affected his future.

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,

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

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

How do two boys with the same name who live within the same community end up with lives on two completely different paths? The author, Wes Moore, begins life in a tough Baltimore neighborhood and ends up a Rhodes Scholar, Wall Streeter, White House Fellow, etc. The other Wes Moore starts in the same place in Baltimore but ends up in prison FOR LIFE.

Have you ever wondered why people in the same environment sometimes end up going down different paths? Author Wes Moore explores this topic in his book The Other Wes Moore One Name, Two Fates. In this case the Author ends up being a renowned scholar while the other Wes Moore ends up being a convicted felon. The opening setting of the book starts off with the author and Wes living in somewhat of the same environment, no father, living with just their mom, they both have siblings, both grew up in baltimore, and both of them came from low income families. Living in a lower income community ridden by drug use and drug violence these two young men are put to the test by their surroundings. The way they respond is very important to their future.

Estefani Magana Professor Buchanan English 73X 14 November 2015 Decisions that Changed their Lives Forever Wes and the other Wes Moore both made poor decisions at a young age, but only one was able to change for the better. “The Other Wes Moore” is a book written by Wes Moore about two men with the same name living very different lives. Both Wes Moores have a lot in common, both didn’t have a father growing up, their mother’s worked multiple jobs to give their families a better life, and both grew up in bad neighborhoods. I believe that both live drastically different lives because the other Wes Moore made poor decisions and Wes didn’t.

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

Wes, currently in prison, had recently been arrested for charging at a kid with a knife over being punched during football. Wes decided to hide his arrest from his mom and have Tony pick him up. Then Wes Moore, the author, said that by the time the mom found out her son was arrested it was too late. This foreshadows how Wes, currently in prison, has started doing more illegal acts and has looked up to Tony even