Resilience In The Other Wes Moore

Within the novel, The Other Wes Moore, by Wes Moore, the character Wes has grown and changed through his actions, thoughts, and spoken words. A theme that relates to Wes’s growth is “choices determine consequences”.

In his book, “The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates,” Wes Moore (2011) tells a true story about two men from Baltimore who have identical names but have different outcomes in life. He also illustrates the similarities of their life’s situations when they were younger, the decisions they made in life and their impacts, and the roads they took that ultimately led them to where they are today.

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

One must wonder how a person with Steve’s shocking childhood could grow into a man who is successful, not only in his career but in his personal life as well. Resilience theory is a possible explanation as to why Steve survived, despite the odds that were stacked against him. Resilience theory is a strength based approach which provides a framework that focuses on positive outcomes and not just the negative ones. The idea is that it promotes what works best while de-emphasizing psychopathology. Resilience theory defines resilience and possesses several key terms, which include protective/risk factors. Research on resilience has been valuable in directing attention toward youth who succeed in spite of high levels of stress and economic instability, as it identifies factors that can serve as protective functions which foster competence.

“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

The occasional frustration in being a bigger person and the ability of a person to grow over time are expressed through the literary devices tone and direct characterization to further develop the importance of rising above challenges in The Other Wes Moore. When Wes was a high schooler at Valley Forge, he became such a high ranking cadet that he was granted more freedom than he had years prior. With this freedom Wes walked to town with his friend of similar ranking, Dalio. On a walk to the pizza parlor Dalio and Wes were harassed because of their skin color and were left running back to their camp in dissatisfaction. Wes felt extreme frustration in allowing the white boy to treat him with such disrespect “because after being called a nigger and having [his] tooth broken, [he had] decided to flee back to campus” (Moore 121). The anger that is conveyed through Moore’s tone exemplifies how unhappy he was to

William Shakespeare, a late sixteenth-century iconic poet, and playwright, once expressed, “It is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves.” Every cause has a ripple effect, and Shakespeare came to the realization that it is not some higher figure or celestial object that controls our fates, but rather our decisions that morph us into the individuals we become. Similarly, The Other Wes Moore written by Wes Moore, features an identical theme regarding choices and how they affect our lives: two adolescents with remarkably similar backgrounds living two drastically different lives due to their judgement. Particularly through the other Wes Moore character, the author puts emphasis on his deep-seeded desire for wealth in order to

In “The Other Wes Moore” there was many people that helped him along the way and had an impact on the other Wes Moore's life. Some of those people were Wes dad Westly, Joy his mother, Grandparents, and Colonel Bratt. Even though Wes may not have known some of these people for a long time, or they may not have been the greatest role model for him at times, every single one of them had a part in making him who he is today. To me the person that impacted him the most would be Joy Wes’s mother.

“The chilling truth is that his story could have been mine. The tragedy is that my story could have been his.” In the story The Other Wes Moore there is two men named Wes Moore, they both grew up during the same time and lived just a couple blocks away from one another. The book talks about both Wes Moores one being in prison the other being a writer. The environment in which they lived could have change the path each boy took, also the relationships each boy had. Anyone can end up in each position but its is all based on how they handled the situation given at hand. I think the quote means that he could have easily been in his shoes facing prison charges as he could have been reading it in the news paper. When the writer found out that they

Resilience is the power or the ability to return to the original form. “Resilience is born by grounding yourself in your own loveliness, hitting notes you thought were way out of your range” (94). Father Gregory Boyle says this because he knows that resilience is needed in order to change. Resilience is important because we can become better people by doing things, we thought we couldn’t do. In the book, Tattoos on the Heart, The Power of Boundless Compassion, Boyle claims resilience is essential in our lives because it is the key to do better.

This summer I read The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls and it was amazing. I really loved every page of Jeannette Wall’s novel, and it just seemed to get better and better as I kept reading. Wall’s novel is recognized as “a remarkable memoir of redemption and resilience.” But what is resilience? To be honest I couldn’t really truly comprehend what resilience was. I had a very vague definition of it, but, not anything I could explain with certainty. In this paper I will find my own definition of resilience, which’ll not only help me finish a summer assignment but also help me to fully understand resilience.

Resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity or hardship, this idea was express to the audience by Debra Oswald in Gary’s house and podcast through the lives of fictitious characters based on real Australian People. She chooses themes such as people marginalised in society, challenging gender roles and the past affecting the present knowing that the audience will relate to it. By using these ideas with the diverse range of characters, Oswald is able to show how people need resilience and how important it is to overcome adversity through engagement with characters and their development throughout the play.

Resilience is defined as the quality that allows people to be knocked down and come back stronger than ever. Resilience is demonstrated throughout the novel Defending Jacob by William Landay, and the ancillary texts “If” by Rudyard Kipling, and “The Third and Final Continent” by Jhumpa Lahiri though different literary devices. The similar conflicts of Defending Jacob and “Third and Final Continent” help develop a theme of resilience throughout the stories. Another literary device that helps to show this theme in Defending Jacob and “If” is point of view. Finally, the theme is displayed once more in the novel and “Third and Final Continent” through the use of characterization. The theme of keeping one’s head through troubled times and not giving up is developed through the use of conflict, point of view, and characterization in Defending Jacob, “If”, and “The Third and Final Continent”.

Resilience of the human spirit is the most important trait a person can possess in order to overcome the obstacles of life.

What is resilience? "Resilience can be thought of as our ability to bounce back, or even grow, in the face of pressures and threats."