Consequences Decide Fate
Everyone makes mistakes or laments an action they executed in the past. However, what if all of these actions could have been a result of how people were raised? In the novels The Scarlet Letter, and The Other Wes Moore readers are shown how one action can decide your fate and how not often is it one person's fault. The “sins” of the other Wes Moore, and Dimmesdale in both novels proclaim the two different ways of grieving and moving through life, after conspicuous events. Consequences for your actions illustrate your whole future of one event and is portrayed through symbolism and direct characterizations by Nathaniel Hawthorne and the author Wes Moore. The other Wes surrounded himself with inferior people, which reflected on his choices throughout his whole life. Both Tony and Mary were caught with drugs, as Tony was in the drug game to earn money easy and fast. Wes Moore reports that Tony “no longer lived there, but had a little operation there-he would bring drugs into the country because he could sell them for a higher premium than in the city” (Moore 112). This bad behavior all came about from Wes’s lack of any father role to show him what to do and not to do. The one time he met his dad, his father did not even know who Wes was. This event leads Wes to look up to his older brother Tony, who dug himself a hole into the drug game in Baltimore. In the end, readers can gather that with the lack of any good role model can lead down a bumpy
The other Wes Moore faced a completely different life experience. Other Wes also struggled through school and never had a strong sense of ambition or aspiration to succeed in life. He later gave into drug dealing pressures at a young age and seemed to have lost all control of his life and his actions. Though his brother Tony had a drastic influence on his decisions, he blamed others for his faults and never took responsibility for his accountabilities. He denied any control over his fate and considered himself a victim due to his occurrences. He lacked any true power and outlook over who he will become and what his future will hold. When it comes to the concept of a vice, Wes Moore made two major mistakes that will follow him for the rest
The story is about two people who are almost alike but live a totally different life. They grew up in the environment and both faced multiple battles. Each of them made stupid decisions that ended up altering their lives. The two Wes Moores were truly impacted by their environment, which lead them to different struggles.
The people and environment that you incorporate into your life affects who you become and the direction in which you develop. An example of this, is seen in the value of education in different areas. In inner city communities, young children are exposed to the high rates of crime and drug activity as well as increased high school dropout rates. Since their primary role models sustain themselves by engaging in illegal activity, the children have nothing else to look up to. This is contrary to the environment on the other side of the city. Since Forest Hills School District is a highly ranked school district in Ohio, students are in a daily environment where graduation rates are high, and teachers are qualified and dedicated to giving students all their academic supplies in order to succeed. This directly correlates to students success in the real world outside of academia due to the positive influences they are surrounded by. The shaping of individuals through their direct environment, is seen in the novels The Other Wes Moore and The Scarlet Letter. The Other Wes Moore follows the differing stories of two men with the same name, but very different fates. The Scarlet Letter follows Hester Prynne, an outcast in the Puritan society of Boston, and her struggle with her sin of adultery. Each of the main characters were affected by the environment and it slowly shaped their identity. The theme of how the environment defines who you become, is displayed throughout The Other Wes
In the book "The Other Wes Moore", there are two Wes Moores that are discussed, along with their families. These two Wes' are alike in they share the name Wes Moore, but their lives are very different in many ways. Although similar in some characteristics, the two were raised different, with different circumstances. Both of the Wes Moore's are born and raised in the same neighborhood in Baltimore, Maryland. The first Wes Moore had a mother named Joy, and a father named Westly.
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
“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
It is on a daily basis that people are forced to make decisions as to whether or not they will chose to rise above their challenges and it is these decisions that affect the outcomes of many lives. Each person is presented with their own difficulties and they are given the option to either overcome these difficulties, or let them stand in the way of success. Whether presented by society, certain individuals, or even oneself, the conquering of challenges is what leads many people to their greatest achievements. The main characters in both The Other Wes Moore and The Scarlet Letter learn to overcome their difficulties and it is because of this that they are bettered as individuals. In The Other Wes Moore, written by Wes Moore, Wes is forced to overcome his challenges presented by racist teenagers and his prestigious military school. Wes Moore captivates the importance of overcoming his challenges by using direct characterization and tone. Nathaniel Hawthorne also uses these literary devices to express Hester Prynne’s ability to conquer challenges put forth by her Puritan society in The Scarlet Letter. Through the use of tone and direct characterization, the authors of The Other Wes Moore and The Scarlet Letter are able to exemplify their theme of the importance of one’s ability to rise above their challenges.
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.
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.
Tony, Wes’s older brother, tried to tell him to stay away from drugs but he didn’t listen. The narrator, on the other hand, grew up with a mother who made it a point to learn right from wrong. When the narrator was little his mother said, ”I told you, don’t you ever put your hands on a woman(Moore 5)!” His mother made sure that he knew that it was not okay to treat people like that which showed that he would learn right. These differences may seem very small, but they are a major cause for why they both turned out so
In the book The Other Wes Moore, it has two different guys with the same name but different lives. Wes one, had a good family to take care of him. Wes two, wasn’t so fortunate, his family didn’t really care about him. I’ve never been in a situation like this but if you grow up like this on the streets and you want off bad enough you will do whatever it takes. You make your own life no one else.
The Other Wes Moore focuses on two men both named Wes Moore. They have both lead lives that were similar to each other as they grew up in fatherless homes in the inner cities of Baltimore and the Bronx. However, the two ended up taking very different paths and through the book you see a shift for the good in the author Wes’s life path, while the other Wes’s path takes a turn for the worst. Both of the two grew up on the street, dealing drugs, skipping school, and making poor choices. While both Wess’ had figures in their lives that tried to keep them on the right path, such as author Wes’s mom, Joy, or other Wes’s brother ,Tony, they continued down dark paths. These things lead to the author Wes being sent to military school by his mom, who throughout the book is constantly trying to get Wes the best education that she can. The other Wes never got this change and stayed on the street and is now in jail for life for being involved with a robbery gone wrong where a cop ended up getting shot. After attending military school at Valley Forge Military Academy, author Wes improved his grades, became a decorated solider, and a Rhodes Scholar. The two paths split dramatically in the book but the choices and roles easily could have been reversed had the either of the two made a few different choices while they were growing up. Author Wes was able to give up dealing drugs, while the other Wes was never able to afford giving it up, even though he tried several times,
Try to reach out to them and help them. The other Wes Moore is struggling and having. A tough time making the right decisions between friends, school and family. He also has a lot of pressure on him because of how they have moved around a bit and he is in a new place. Other Wes is making bad decisions and getting into trouble and into what his brother does not want him to be in, "the drug game." Tony, Wes's older brother, has heard that his brother is getting into trouble and is not taking school seriously. Tony try's to help Wes by "talking sense" into Wes. "Tony had been overwhelmed by that load years ago. Now he wanted to help WEs manage his..." (Moore 34). Tony obviously cares about his brother and wants to help him Ina my way he can. Tony feels responsible for how Wes's life is turning out so he also feels it is his job to look after his younger brother and see that he is on the right path. Tony is very protective of Wes and he does not want Wes to follow in his footsteps to become a drug seller and get into all of the trouble he is in. Tony knows that the drug system lots of benefits but he also knows that the consequences outweigh the benefits. Tony also knows that this would be too big of a burden on for a young boy. Tony's care for Wes shows that he supports and want the best for Wes, his younger brother. Tony also has experienced this first hand and
Mark Twain once said, “When ill luck begins, it does not come in sprinkles, but in showers.” In Wes Moore’s nonfiction novel The Other Wes Moore, the author starts life in an intense Baltimore neighborhood where gangs, shootings, robberies, and drug trafficking are normal, everyday occurrences. Despite all of these negative influences, Wes winds up being a Rhodes Scholar (the most prestigious academic award in the United States), a successful military veteran, businessman, White House Fellow, and an inspiration to many. The other Wes Moore ends up in the same neighborhood in Baltimore, but is sentenced for life in jail for the involvement in a robbery where a security guard was shot and killed. Eventually, it came down to the support that the
The Other Wes Moore is a novel written by Wes Moore, about two men with the same name, and their life stories of growing up in similar Baltimore neighborhoods. Wes lost his father at a young age, which really affects Wes at the time and in his future. When Wes was 3, Wes’ father was sent to the hospital for a sore throat and a fever, which the doctors didn’t know what to diagnose him with, so they sent him home, later that night Wes’ father suffocated to death, right in front of Wes, and his mother. Wes has two sisters; Nikki has a different dad and is a few years older than Wes, and Shani who was a few years younger than Wes. After the death of Wes’ father, his mother was left to raise her three kids alone, along with dealing with the death of her husband. In contrast, the other Wes’ father, left his mother, and his never been around for him, in fact never even met his father until he was 12. The other Wes has an older brother Tony, who has a