Compare And Contrast The Other Wes Moore

Improved Essays
Have you ever chosen to read a book more than once because it was such an abundant book? If not you will once you take the time and read “The Other Wes Moore” by Wes Moore. This book is about two African American men who has the same name, live in the same neighborhood, has the same childhood background, but two different paths of lives. As you read the story, you will be astonished how two little boys had no idea about each other, but are so compatible. In this essay I will explain the comparison and contrast of the two Wes Moore’s.
To begin with, both Wes Moore’s were successful children at one point in their life. Further along in the story you will notice they came out so different. Why is it that they became so different? The author Wes
…show more content…
Family influence has an enormous effect on a child when he or she is growing up. Therefore it is necessary for them to have a good and strong family. The strongest influences in Wes Moore’s life were all positive influences that helped him in a long run. The other Wes Moore stumbled across several presences in his life. Wes Moore positive influences started with him, seeing his mother work two jobs in order to send him to Valley Forge Military Academy. Sending him to the academy helped him stay on the right track. Certainly not saying that the other Wes Moore’s mother did not care, but she did not have a positive influence on him. While going through so much, Mary was a drug addict herself. This definitely influenced both her sons’ future, whether she intended to or not. Once football was introduced into his life, it became an important factor. His performance in school declined. Also the other Wes Moore’s brother Tony was a negative influence all throughout his life. Tony is the one who originally introduced the other Wes Moore into the drug industry. And their fathers had an influence on them both. Even though they were not in their lives, the lack of their presence and the few memories they had of them affected them in a humongous way. Both Wes grandparents influenced their lives as well. The author Wes Moore grandparents had rules set in their household while the other Wes Moore was spoiled by his grandparents. He did not get disciplined at all. The Author Wes Moore said “It takes a village to raise a child”. I truly agree with this quote one hundred percent because without everyone by your side you will have no one to motivate

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    Richard Wright’s African American literature expresses the theme of exploring black identity(World Book Discover, 2015). Richard Wright wrote many popular books with this theme in mind including Native Son and Black Boy. Wright lived in a time of racial segregation which greatly affected his work and views on the American Dream (Galens et al. ,2001). The American Dream is the idea that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. Richard Wright condemns the idea of the American Dream in his books Native Son , Black Boy, and Uncle Tom 's Children that expresses African American’s struggles as well as his own struggles through racial conflicts, whites…

    • 1326 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Wes Hayden had to deal with a lot of internal conflicts and moral dilemmas in the story. The events that occurred with Wes’ brother and father…

    • 1002 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In The Other Wes Moore author Wes Moore unravels how the other Wes and his fate diverged. Wes#1 and Wes#2 narrate pivotal life events that teach them how to become a man and use the skills they acquire to survive poverty and manhood. Growing up in poverty without a father, as well as, learning to become a man is harsh when one does not have a father figure to look up to and a loving family that encourages success. In order, for both Wes Moores’ to be successful they need parental guidance, self-discipline, and positive mentors.…

    • 836 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    There are multiple factors that come into play regarding our environment: neighborhood, family, friends, religion, school, etc. Humans are constantly under the different influences that surround us, whether we know they are there or not. In Wes Moore’s “The Other Wes Moore” those factors are clear throughout the transitions in the two boy’s lives and how it helped shape who those boys have become today. Both boys started out in similar situations, both without a father and being raised by a single mother while living in Maryland.…

    • 969 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The author’s mother, Joy, cared about Wes succeeding and, in the end, helped…

    • 1485 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Such small decisions can determine the outcome of your entire life. Those small decisions could be anything such as getting your homework done, which may lead to keeping great grades, that leading to scholarships and grants. Those small decisions separated the paths between both Wes Moores, from the novel, The Other Wes Moore. Both Wes Moores grew up on the same streets in Baltimore City, during the same timespan. They had almost the exact same environment growing up…

    • 912 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Other Wes Moore, along with the Scarlet Letter contain direct characterization to prove the theme of how one decision will decide your fate. The Other Wes Moore has a plethora of characters that all face the same dilemma because of their living situation. In Baltimore many young children are forced to turn to the drug game to generate money and help support their family, all of the community expects for every black teenager to turn to drugs. While Wes Moore did not turn to drugs, the other Wes Moore turned to drugs and it led him down a path where one choice decided his fate.…

    • 1422 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    People drop out of high school because they think that education is stupid or that they have something else better to do then to go to school. The other Wes Moore was unable to graduate from high school because he chose to drop out. Due to dropping out of school, the other Wes Moore into some trouble with drugs and ended his fate by committing a crime. I feel as though the other Wes Moore chose his fate because he knew that his consequences would turn out to be bad when he did them. Dropping out put the other Wes Moore in a predicament that he probably didn’t want to be in…

    • 849 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In John Lewis’ autobiography Walking with the Wind we are able to get an inside look at life in the south, pre-Civil Rights Era. John Lewis, in Pike county, was able to take into account his changing views of his small town. His unique thoughts and experiences are what evolved him into the Civil Rights activist he is known to be. His story shows his own encounters as time goes on, as well as showing the opinions and actions of adults, such as his parents, during this same time. Each generation varied, having a different view and experience throughout the pre-Civil Rights Era, which seemed to be based off of their own experience before that time, in which they were most likely slaves.…

    • 786 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Between the World and Me Book Review Ta-Nehisi Coates, an African-American writer and national correspondent for The Atlantic, published his book Between the World and Me in 2015. Ta-Nehisi Coates demonstrates a letter writing format and introduce the thesis of this book with an interview. By using his unique writing style, outstanding using of languages, and narrative form, Coates emphasizes a currently serious issue in American, which is the gap between whites and blacks. Ta-Nehisi Coates adopts a letter writing format in the book Between the World and Me to denote the awareness or racism issue. Coates begins his writing with one word “Son”, which indicates the primary audience is his son, Samori. However, Coates intends to notify…

    • 895 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Coincidently, both Wes’ grew up without a father figure in their lives. Wes the author’s, father died in front of him when he was only three years old. The other Wes’s father chose to leave him and his mother Mary when Wes was born. Both Wes’ lacked a father figure in their lives to act as a role model for them and as a result, they both turned to other people in their lives to act as their role models.…

    • 483 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Fortunately the police intervened saving both boys from greater harm yet after Wes was arrested Tony re enforced his lesson by getting Wes out of jail without him receiving any real punishment. According to Kohlberg's stages of moral development, morality, at Wes’ age then, is defined by punishment and reward. So by helping Wes avoid punishment for his actions, Tony is reinforcing that behavior for the rest of his life. The acceptance of violence and the need to escalate it, resurfaces in Wes’ life during his teenage years. One night as Wes was saying goodbye to a girl he was physically, yet not quite romantically, involved with, he was confronted by the girl’s boyfriend.…

    • 984 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the book The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore two characters are introduced, both characters have the same name but completely different lives. It is very hard to believe how different the two characters are considering they have the same name, are around the same age, and grew up very close to each other. Three of the key differences the two men face that determine their lives are family influence, education, and drug and alcohol abuse. In the book, the families of the two different Wes’ have a major impact on their life and their future.…

    • 781 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The difference between the author and the “other” Wes Moore, is the mindset and the decisions they made. They both had a rough childhood, but your expectations, determination, and mindset could completely change the course of your life. Growing up and throughout their lives, the author, and the “other” Wes Moore had figures in their life that they looked up to. Both in a positive…

    • 741 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Losing My Cool Essay

    • 1066 Words
    • 5 Pages

    His dad wanted to make sure that someday his children would be able to handle their own lives without needing the help of him. The book The Other Wes Moore has two different characters named Wes Moore, one with a…

    • 1066 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays