The Other Wes Moore : Choices Make A Difference

According to Wes Moore’s words in the epilogue, I determined the factor that was his turning point as he clearly indicates that he was “entrusted with responsibilities” by strong mentors (179). Most of the responsibilities Wes Moore was entrusted with began at his study in the military school. On the other hand, the other Wes Moore’s responsibilities were a product of bad influence and polyamory.

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

A person’s success or failure can be determined by their environment, education, choices; a number of different things. The autobiography The Other Wes Moore takes a look at two boys with the same name and eerily similar circumstances who end up in very different places in life. Wes Moore spoke at convocation about his book and what he hoped that people would get from it. In the book he says “The chilling truth is that his story could have been mine. The tragedy is that my story could have been his.” (Moore xi). These two men didn’t share the same fate because they each made a choice about what they wanted their life to become. The book truly demonstrates how the choices you make, make you. One Wes

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

Intrinsic and extrinsic factors like family, expectations, perseverance, and motivation impact the way a person turns out to be. In the novel, The Other Wes Moore, by Wes Moore, the author speaks about another man with the same name that grew up in the same area and compares how they went in different paths based upon intrinsic and extrinsic factors.

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

Wes Moore, the author of “The Other Wes Moore” had many accomplishments in his life. He however gained notoriety with this book it was a New York Times best seller. In Chapter 7, the main idea is that two people living in the same environment had different outcomes in their lives by making entirely different decisions on how to deal with the adversities they faced in their lives. These decisions led to the lives that they ultimately lived. The tone was intense and high energy to begin with but then seemed to turn neutral in both men’s stories. The purpose is to inform the reader how the same environment can take two people and based on their decisions lead to very different out comes in life. The author takes each man’s thoughts and show how

“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 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

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

While Wes Moore was able to change his situation and begin to make better decisions, the other Wes Moore was never able to accomplish such task. During one of their conversations, the incarcerated Wes said, "From everything you told me, both of us did some pretty wrong stuff 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 much, huh?" (66). In the same conversation, about ¼ of the way into the book Moore realized an important aspect in life, "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.'" (Moore 67).

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

Parents experiencing poverty may struggle to provide for their children and can become very stressed from dealing with the monotonous monetary requirements. Within poverty stricken households extreme variations of parenting and guidance can be observed, from little to no presence or direction, all the way to the other side of the spectrum with severe overreactions. “Higher levels of stress negatively affect parenting style, and these parents tend to be more authoritarian or inconsistent.” (Katz, 18) Family structures, living environments, mental health, personalities, and educational backgrounds are all likely to be contributing factor to both parenting

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