Similarities Between The Other Wes Moore

The first environment that readers can analyze between the two Wes Moore’s is the lack of a father influence. Author Wes Moore grew up in Baltimore, Maryland with a family who seemed to have everything in place. Wes looked up to his father in many ways even as a young child. “I tried to copy his walk, his expressions. I was his main man. He was my protector” (Moore 11). Wes tells readers in the story that

Both Weses had several circumstances in common that happened early on in their lives. Moore narrates that he lost his father at a young age due to a medical misdiagnosis. The author says that with the loss of his father, his family had to move to the Bronx to live with his grandparents. The author Wes was the second of three children, and with the absence of his father, his mother Joy had to work multiple jobs to send him and his siblings to school. Moore adds that he was enrolled in a private school but skipped his classes often and was put on academic probation. On the other hand, the

Their mothers were very influential to how the Moore’s lives turned out. Wes’s mother was not around much and left Wes with his brother, Tony. Tony was often involved with drugs, dangerous situations, and not very good people. So Wes grew up around strong drug abuse, addiction, and crime because his mother was often gone. At a young age, he learned about these drugs that his

Parenting played a big role in shaping the two boys lives. Having a parental mentor is important because they assist and guide children to take the right decisions about their lives. The author had his two parents at the beginning of his life. Also, the author’s parents, especially his mother, tried to raise him in an effective way wanting him to know the right from wrong at an early age. “No mommy loves you, like I love you, she just wants you to do the right thing” (Moore 11). This quote was a live example of the author’s life with his parents. It reflected the different ways his parents used to teach him “the right thing.” Though his mother was upset from his action toward his sister, his father

These school were poorly funded and were ill-equipped to teach the students. Because of this, Many students ended up dropping out to make money for their family or themselves. This lead Wes toward his career in the drug trade. “He knew what game this was, the same game that had consumed Tony and put a bullet or two in him. The same game that Tony continually urged Wes to stay out of…. His disenchantment with school was beginning to wear on him. All he really wanted to do was either play football professionally or become a rapper. If he could earn some cash in the meantime” (58). This was a huge turning point in Wes Moore’s life. This part in the story is when Wes got into the drug trade and ultimately quit school. He made the choice to stop going to school because he wanted to get some money, he took the easy route. That was his choice, even though his mom and his brother tried to keep him in school, he ultimately is his own persona and makes his own choices.

Wes’s mother Joy had issues coping with her husband’s death, and shortly thereafter Wes and his family moved to the Bronx to live with his grandparents. There, young Wes finds his living situation to be stricter than what he previously encountered with his parents and found himself trying to escape. Author Wes was beginning to grow into his own in the Bronx and Wes’s Draper 2 mother decided that her son would attend a private school in Manhattan outside of the inner city. The author conflicted with his identity stated, “Even if you weren’t running with the coolest clique, you still got some percentage of your rep from your school, and the name Riverdale wasn’t going to impress anyone . . .

The difference lye within their characteristics; the author Wes’s mother was a strong, independent, educated woman that served her family relentlessly. “My mother slept in the living room to stand guard, she said. She didn’t want me and my sisters to be the first people a trespasser ran into if they entered the house. She was determined to protect us (Moore36).” Later she realized she was losing her grip and needed the assistance only her parents could provide, and they did.

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.

Wes #1 grew up without his father; his father died near the beginning of the story with a rare disease. Wes #1 did not understand the responsibility that he would have to uphold until he got older because he was only three years old. Wes #1 needed a father figure because he needed a manly structure in his life. Even though Wes already had a loving mother, willing to play both roles as a mother and father, a mother can only do but so much. Young men need fathers/father figures because they help out with the things mothers can not explain. This takes us back to the subject of environment and family, because Wes #1 had a environment that strived off of respect, he had a family that strived off of doing the right thing.

“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

    One central difference to think about when looking at the two individuals is the fact that Wes has a more supporting mother than Wes (2), in a person’s life a mother is so important and can be looked as a blessing. A mother is the one that supposed to be the person that takes great care of you and guides you,  and to teach what’s right from wrong. The author’s mother was much more supportive for her son, Wes acknowledges, “Every time I looked  around at the buildings and the trees and the view of the river, I was reminded of the sacrifices my mother was making to keep me there.” (Moore 52). Due to this quote, we can conclude that Wes’s mother, although struggling at the time, found a way to put her child in the best possible route in education. Wes presents it as kind of an understatement, however, from his mother doing this, it affects his life so much. By being put in a excellent school, it offers many more opportunities than that of the other Wes and he can gather a lot more help/exposure to guide him toward a bright future. On the other hand, we have Wes (2) that is lost and seems as if he just can’t find his way, “Young boys are more likely to believe in themselves if they know that there’s someone, somewhere, who shares that belief. To carry the

The author demonstrates many values of education throughout the story. Gary, the author, shows that school isn’t the only thing that makes people smart. He also shows the reader that family has to stick together. Blackwood also makes it clear to take pride in your family because they will always be there for you when the times get rough.

Every day we come in contact with people who have stories about places they’ve been and people they’ve seen. We may not realize it at that moment, but every single person affects us in some way. Wes’s mother, Joy had the biggest impact on his life, being a very positive role model for him. She worked consistently to make sure that the children had a life that was enjoyable. She also cared greatly about Wes’s success, especially in school. The effects of his mother’s care and love are shown in Wes and his success later in

During one of the Wes Moores many visits to the prison, he and the “other” Wes Moore began to discuss what shaped their future lives. As they continued into this topic the “other” Wes Moore believes that they are “products of our expectations?” “Others expectations of us or our expectations for ourselves.”’ (126). Both of the Wes Moores believed that this was true, but both of these men had many different expectations surrounding both of them. Wes Moore’s mother had gone to school as well as graduating and wanted Wes to do the same. After Wes hits his sister in the face trying to play, his mother snaps and sends him to military school. Trying to run away Wes is caught and is sent back to the school. Upon his return he is allowed to make one phone call. He calls his mother and begs her to let him come home, but “She cut [Wes]