The Other Wes Moore book analysis

The other Wes Moore is also considered to be deviant by his poor decision-making and careless choices. He dropped out of school, sold drugs, participated in a robbery of a jewelry store, and was a convicted murderer with a life sentence. There was many sociological factors that led to the other Wes Moore’s deviant behavior; the absence of his father being an important factor. Although both the author Wes Moore and the other Wes Moore grew up without a father, it affected the other Wes Moore a little more considering the fact that his father chose not to be in his life. Also, Tony had a big impact on the decision he made for himself. Throughout the story, Wes would remember what Tony told him about demanding respect. “Send a message,” And Wes would do as Tony said. The problem with the other Wes Moore was that he lacked positive influences in his life and he had no motivation to live a better life until it was too late.

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 officers then find them both but Wes “decided to take his case to trial. He insisted that he was not there the day of the murder” (Moore 155) and he was guilty. He was sentenced life in prison and “finally he could see his future” (Moore 157). On the other hand the author Wes Moore became very successful. He was accepted and received scholarship money to John Hopkins. He was able to go on his “first long-term trip abroad” (Moore 163) to South Africa. He was able to go around and notice the similarities between the people there and the people that he had grew up with. He is able to see challenges that people everyday face and sees hope for everyone to redeem themselves. For himself he can relate to that on a personal level because he’s “had the freedom to make those mistakes, and the freedom to seek redemption for them” (Moore 179). He has become a great man because of everything he was able to overcome. He knew he needed to be better and he knew determination would get him places. He had a mind set for hope and he could of had the other Wes Moore’s life but instead he was able to pursue all his struggles and “see the boundless possibilities of the wider world and the unexplored possibilities within [himself]” (Moore 179). People in life overcome lots of adversities and it’s great for those who can but for those who can’t it may be easier to see them as people who struggle to find how they want to be in the world. Some people are determined but some people don’t bother to change the person they shouldn’t

Bad Influences, Stressful Situations, and Abandonment led to the incarceration of the Other Wes Moore. The Other Wes Moore was a man that lived in the same neighborhood as the successful Wes Moore, but he had more negatives than positives in his life, which causes him to be influenced by all of the bad influences.

In the book, The Other Wes Moore it is difficult to believe the great similarities in the lives of the two Moores, who share a name and other aspects of life. The two were raised fatherless and were born in the late 1970’s in the neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. They also happen to have encountered similar experiences when growing up, but at one point one of them became a criminal and the other a scholar (the author of the book). The author of the book seems to be interested in the similarities of the two boys as opposed to their different experiences. The story is interesting and makes one imagine what would have become of the writer if he did not by any chance come across the people who guided him to become what

In the memoir, The Other Wes Moore, Wes Moore, Moore unfolds several events that happened in his own life, along with another man named Wes Moore. The two men were both born in Baltimore, and faced similar obstacles because of the circumstances they were raised in. With the use of flashbacks, imagery, description, and other literary devices, Moore explains the life of him as a person who grows up to achieve what he wants, while the other Wes Moore spends most of his life in prison as he came to be known as a murderer.

Although both Wes Moore’s had different outcomes in the end, they do have similarities growing up. For example, they both grew up without a father figure. Wes I’s father died at the age of three. He broadcasted radio news on WMAL, and later came home feeling ill. He woke up the next morning worse than ever, he went to the hospital and the doctors didn’t understand what was wrong with him. He later died from Acute Epiglottitis, a rare but treatable virus that causes the epiglottitis to swell and

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

“I sat back, allowing Wes's words to sink in. Then I responded, "I guess it's hard sometimes to distinguish between second chances and last chances"(Page 67). In "The Other Wes Moore" the environment of both Wes Moore's were completely different from each other. They both made some stupid decisions over time but who is perfect? It is expected of everyone to make some mistakes, in my opinion the main influence on their choices came from their environment. In their environment they had peers that would influence them to do things that they did not necessarily want to do. This caused them to get into trouble, but at the same token, their environment also gave them some opportunities to make it through some rough times. For Example: Wes #2

Wes Moore lived only miles away from a boy with the same name and incredibly similar upbringings. Although they both chose to do some very questionable things as kids, they both got second chances to make things right. While Wes Moore, the author was interviewing the other Wes Moore, he states “From everything you told me, both of us did some pretty wrong things when we were younger. And both of us had second chances. But if the situation or the context where you make the decisions don’t change, then second chances don’t mean too much, huh?” This just shows that anything can change things no matter how small the incident. The major moment that I believe to have changed Wes Moore’s life is that he didn’t have any positive adult role models in his life. Even though his mother often tried to help him stay out of the gang violence and the drugs, she was unable to get through to him. After flushing the drugs he had intended to sell she said, “Not only did you lie to me but you were selling drugs and keeping them in my house! Putting all of us in danger because of your stupidity. I don’t want to hear your sob story about how much money you owe. You will stop selling that stuff. I will be checking your room, and I don’t want to ever see it in here again.” So his mother continued to try but was unsuccessful and Wes’s brother, Tony, was no help either. “Tony, who was about to become a father – making Mary a

When most people hear the name Wes Moore, they think of the Wes Moore that is a decorated veteran and author, but when Wes Moore hears his name, he thinks about not himself, but the Wes Moore serving life in prison for first-degree felony murder. They both grew up in similar settings and both had trouble with the police, but there lives are the complete opposite now. Most people wonder how that could happen. Each Wes ended up on totally different paths as evidenced by actions and events that took place in each of their lives. Throughout the following paragraphs, how each Wes’s life slowly became different will become clear.

Public shame is never a pleasant occurrence, but every society has its own way of punishing others who have committed a crime. Humiliation is present in everyday life and in novels. The Scarlet Letter and The Other Wes Moore both deal with public degradation. The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore is the story of two men who live very different lives, but share the same name. Both faced similar difficulties in their youth, although they went down opposite paths in their adult lives. The other Wes Moore chose a path of drugs and violence, which led to him committing murder during a robbery. After his arrest, Moore’s mugshot was shown all over the news and he had a criminal trial. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester Prynne has committed a horrible sin in her Puritan community, she has committed adultery. Her punishment was being branded with a piece of scarlet cloth shaped like the letter A on her chest for the rest of her life. Hester must deal with the continuous judgement of the townspeople with her daughter Pearl. Hawthorne and Moore both described in their novels the effect humiliation has on an individual's life and how public shame is present in all societies, past and present, through the use of tone and descriptive imagery.

Author Wes had many role models presented to him that gave him a representation of what correct path he should take in life. As for the Other Wes, his role models wasn't as adequate for that task. Other Wes role model was his brother Tony who in which was the eldest. The other Wes moore didn’t have a father figure so he depended on his older brother to show him the ropes of manhood but Tony didn't live up to that role. Tony was a known drug dealer where he lived in Baltimore but he try to steer his younger brother Wes away from it. When Tony would give him advice on avoiding this lifestyle, Wes would completely ignore it cause he wanted so badly to be like his older brother Tony. Stated by Moore, “Tony was the closest thing Wes had to a role model. But the more he tried to be like his brother, the more his brother rejected him.The more

When they were both teenagers, they did not have the best surroundings. Wes Moore eventually let the conditions around him influence his actions. He began to have academic and disciplinary issues at his new school in the Bronx. This leads to him going on academic probation. Once his dean called his mom, listing all of the things he has done, she knew it was the last straw. She decided to send him to military school, which changed his future. He meant lots of new people that will soon become his best friends and role models. He also met Colonel Bratt, who taught him the true meaning of honor and courage. The other Wes Moore also started off in a terrifying environment, but he never got away from it. His bad behavior first started when he was a child. He grew to be taller than most of the kids in his grade, which made him think he was superior. He also got advice from his older brother, Tony, on how to be tough. One day this all backfired on him, “‘ Put down the knife.’ Wes didn’t hear him. Wes continued to move towards the boy. His grip on the knife handle tightened. His forearms flexed. Send a message” (Moore 34). He believed that he needed to be like his brother, dangerous and fearless, in order to succeed. Tony wanted his younger brother to do his best and go down the right path, but he couldn’t stop him. Wes, soon, followed his brother to pursue a life of crime. They would sell drugs and beat people up. Wes had so

In The Other Wes Moore, the author Wes Moore displays his life, along with other Wes Moore that compares. They both had similarities with their life, but what ultimately changed their destination was their friends. The author had both his street friends, as well as the support of his private school friends, that influenced his actions early in life. Eventually his peers at the military school also positively influenced Moore’s decisions later on in life. The other Wes, however, had his brother and friends with more negative influences, thus him making worse decisions. With his brother setting a poor example,