Frederick Buechner once wrote “You can kiss your family and friends goodbye and put miles between you, but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart, your mind, your stomach, because you do not just live in a world but a world lives with you.” This thought applies to The Other Wes Moore, a book written about two young boys with the same name. Both Wes Moores go through twists and turns in their lives. One grows up to be a successful certified U.S Army trooper, while the other will spend the rest of his life behind bars. Each boy’s environment greatly impacted his choices, chances, and opportunities. The two Wes’s families, peers, and neighborhoods all played a role in their life outcomes. Families play a big role because they
…show more content…
During Wes #1’s experience at Valley Forge, he ran away four times. After realizing he can’t go anywhere, he started adapting to military school. Throughout his time, he was impressed by his surroundings, stating, “It was a different psychological environment, where my normal expectations were inverted, where leadership was honored and class clowns were ostracized” (Moore 96). Wes #1 loved the new environment because the military school showed how he wanted to be respected. Wes #1 had positive influences around him and it made him a better person. Additionally, Wes’s best friend, Justin, had a positive effect on him. He was a loyal friend and even warned Wes to get his grades together before being sent to military school. On the other hand, Shea was a negative influence on Wes #1. Shea was one of the drug runners and got Wes in trouble for tagging the walls. They were both sent to the police car, but were let off the hook later on. At the end, Wes made the wise decision to only stay with his positive peers, because they were the ones who showed Wes a bright …show more content…
Wes did not have a positive support system to rely on. His mother Mary did not provide guidance and protection for her child. When Wes #2 came home after drinking and smoking with friends, Mary laughed and thought it was funny that her child was doing illegal activity. “Mary laughed, watching him squirm. ‘Well at least now you know how bad it feels and you will stay away from drinking,’ she said” (Moore 62). In Mary’s case, she should have punished Wes immediately for his bad behavior, not make fun of him. This is why Wes never learns from his mistakes. He thinks that it’s okay to do drugs and drink alcohol. Likewise, Wes #2 relies on his brother Tony, a gang member and a drug dealer. He was the closest thing to a role model, so Wes #2 wanted to sell drugs for a living just like him. Drugs and violence could have been prevented in this situation, if Tony had stayed away from them beforehand. This could teach Wes #2 about the dangers of drugs and violence. Wes #2 ignored Tony’s warnings about drugs and violence. Tony told Wes not to be like him but Wes wanted cash, so he followed his brother’s footsteps. Clearly, Wes could have lived a healthier lifestyle if his mother and brother showed him a positive way of living. Wes was not concerned about his mothers thought, he was only concerned about his own
During Wes #1’s experience at Valley Forge, he ran away four times. After realizing he can’t go anywhere, he started adapting to military school. Throughout his time, he was impressed by his surroundings, stating, “It was a different psychological environment, where my normal expectations were inverted, where leadership was honored and class clowns were ostracized” (Moore 96). Wes #1 loved the new environment because the military school showed how he wanted to be respected. Wes #1 had positive influences around him and it made him a better person. Additionally, Wes’s best friend, Justin, had a positive effect on him. He was a loyal friend and even warned Wes to get his grades together before being sent to military school. On the other hand, Shea was a negative influence on Wes #1. Shea was one of the drug runners and got Wes in trouble for tagging the walls. They were both sent to the police car, but were let off the hook later on. At the end, Wes made the wise decision to only stay with his positive peers, because they were the ones who showed Wes a bright …show more content…
Wes did not have a positive support system to rely on. His mother Mary did not provide guidance and protection for her child. When Wes #2 came home after drinking and smoking with friends, Mary laughed and thought it was funny that her child was doing illegal activity. “Mary laughed, watching him squirm. ‘Well at least now you know how bad it feels and you will stay away from drinking,’ she said” (Moore 62). In Mary’s case, she should have punished Wes immediately for his bad behavior, not make fun of him. This is why Wes never learns from his mistakes. He thinks that it’s okay to do drugs and drink alcohol. Likewise, Wes #2 relies on his brother Tony, a gang member and a drug dealer. He was the closest thing to a role model, so Wes #2 wanted to sell drugs for a living just like him. Drugs and violence could have been prevented in this situation, if Tony had stayed away from them beforehand. This could teach Wes #2 about the dangers of drugs and violence. Wes #2 ignored Tony’s warnings about drugs and violence. Tony told Wes not to be like him but Wes wanted cash, so he followed his brother’s footsteps. Clearly, Wes could have lived a healthier lifestyle if his mother and brother showed him a positive way of living. Wes was not concerned about his mothers thought, he was only concerned about his own