The Other Wes Moore

Over time, Moore became a product of the system by being raised in a single-parent household while “he had never met his father” (Moore 16) and his mother “was left with two alcoholic, abusive men who shared the DNA of her two children but no husband or dad for her boys” (Moore 17). Moore was raised in the best way possible that his mother knew how to raise him, however it didn’t cut it. Mary, Moore’s mother, was an extremely hard worker and was working long hours to support her family but that meant she was not around to parent Wes as much as she should’ve. With Moore’s lack of a father figure, his brother Tony steps in to help guide him because “he felt his brother’s life could be saved” (Moore 27) and Tony wanted Wes to try and escape the cycle of systematic oppression within their environment. The domestic aspect of Moore’s environment strongly influenced the decisions he made on a day to day basis because his home life was non-existent and there was a severe lack of parenting. In the end, Moore became a product of how he was raised and the troubles that existed within his household because of Tony’s confusing messages of staying out of trouble and doing the right thing while he goes and sells drugs, his mother’s lack of attention to Wes, and the lack of a father figure that would guide him in a better direction. These aspects of his home environment add up to the end result of Moore’s life and the tragedy that Tony pushed for him to stay away

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.

The author Wes Moore went off to military school where negative environmental influences were cut off and he was able to receive an education, which he himself considers a turning point in his life. His entire atmosphere and the dynamics of the schools he was accustomed to were altered. Although he attempted to run away several times, there was a point after speaking with his mother that he made the decision to stop running and embrace the experience and it helped make him the person he is today. The imprisoned Moore dropped out of school and like the overwhelming majority of African American male drop outs, ended up in the system. While the imprisoned Wes may have not had access to private or military schools, he could have finished school and decided to make an honest living. Later in his life he did decided to earn a GED and learn a trade, but he didn’t make the decision to dedicate himself to turning his life around and as soon as things got difficult turned back to what he knew instead of taking path toward something more positive. He gained mentors working under Mayor Kurt Schmoke of Baltimore, and a friend in his former Captain, Ty Hill at the military school. His decision to pursue a life full of criminal activity was his alone.

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

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

“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 book, “ The Other Wes Moore” by Wes Moore is about two young boys who were brought up in Baltimore with the same name and alike struggles. Throughout the book, the author is trying to get the readers to find an understanding of why him and the other Wes outcomes were so different of him being an accomplished author ,and the other Wes having life in jail. The author is trying to argue that the Wes Moores have similar lives, but in my opinion they are completely different. The Wes moores had different aspects such as roles models, resources and motivation that prevented them from having similar histories.

    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

Wes went to talk to him and his friend worked on getting Wes into programs that would help Wes better himself. Wes was doing good working job to job however the jobs were not paying him enough to provide for his family. Wes decided that the only other options were selling drugs, so that is what he did. Overall, Wes Moore and the other Wes Moore both made bad choices and were

"The Other Wes Moore: One Story, Two Fates," by Wes Moore himself is a story about two men who grew up with no knowledge that the other Wes Moore even existed. They each lived their lives to the best of their abilities while the tragic events in each pushed them in drastically different directions. Both Wes Moore, the author, and the other Wes Moore are similar and different in several ways. Wes Moore, the author, and the other Wes Moore have quite a lot in common. To begin with, these boys obviously share the same name.

The other Wes Moore definitely is the most powerful, influential, and life­changing stories that is worth reading. The Other Wes moore, is a story of two children with, same name, very similar lifestyle, and growing environment, but later those two children end up having completely different life. Wes Moore, the author himself tells about facing poverty and how eager was his ambition to receive a proper education. The other Wes Moore, who later got convicted to murder in the first degree and sentenced to a life in jail. The most important fact is that the story of the two Wes Moore can apply to anyone’s life.

Wes Moore the author and other Wes Moore both experienced difficult childhoods. For the most part, their difficulties seemed to stem from choices that they made or choices other people made that affected them. As the book presented the situations, a lot of their problems seemed to be a result of choices rather than something like systemic racism, which is the opposite of what the video of the professor claimed. (WIVB) School seemed to be the only thing that could be considered a structural issue, yet they both skipped very regularly from a young age and never even gave it a real chance. They both lived in neighborhoods that were not the greatest, and even when their mothers moved them to different neighborhoods, they still found their way back to the “bad” parts of the city.

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

This VS. That Same name. Same neighborhood. Opposite endings. In The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore, two people with the same name, and same neighborhood, who grew up at the same time lived two completely different lives.

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]