Ever since the beginning of mankind, humans have pondered the purpose of their existence. Throughout history, a variety of philosophers, as well as authors, have asserted what they think to be the meaning of life. Philippe Petit’s To Reach the Clouds: My High Wire Walk Between the Twin Towers, Colum McCann’s Let the Great World Spin, and Wes Moore’s The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates all offer a unique outlook on the age old question of human existence. The authors of these books assert that the meaning of life lies in the legacy one leaves behind, not necessarily in the actions that they perform while on earth. To begin, one of many characters who leaves an impact on the way humans view the world is Philippe Petit. Petit is the
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Although Wes Moore is still alive, the fact that he overcame numerous amounts of obstacles during his childhood and early adolescence will outshine any feats he will accomplish throughout his life. Moore comes from a middle class family living in a bad section of Baltimore. With temptations of skipping school, doing drugs, and getting involved with criminal activity evident all throughout the city, it’s a wonder how Moore becomes so successful later in life. The other Wes Moore falls into these temptations and gets involved in the gang and drug scene, which eventually causes him to go to jail. The author Wes Moore’s legacy of escaping the poverty and crime in Baltimore and becoming a Rhodes Scholar will live on forever, as his story is very unusual for people living in the city. When talking about the two narratives in the story, the author Wes Moore remarks, “The chilling truth is that Wes’s story could have been mine; the tragedy is that my story could have been his” (180). During his childhood, Moore has the right combination of mentors and circumstances in order for him to succeed, whereas other children, like the other Wes Moore, don’t have these opportunities. One of these favorable circumstances is when Wes goes to military school. Initially, he hates the idea of a strict schedule and wants to …show more content…
Philippe Petit’s daring fight against the system, Corrigan’s selfless character, and Wes Moore’s hard fought battle to escape from poverty and crime in Baltimore all support the authors’ assertion. Through the authors’ developments of these characters, it is clear that a person’s legacy is much more important than the way they act while on
Although Wes Moore is still alive, the fact that he overcame numerous amounts of obstacles during his childhood and early adolescence will outshine any feats he will accomplish throughout his life. Moore comes from a middle class family living in a bad section of Baltimore. With temptations of skipping school, doing drugs, and getting involved with criminal activity evident all throughout the city, it’s a wonder how Moore becomes so successful later in life. The other Wes Moore falls into these temptations and gets involved in the gang and drug scene, which eventually causes him to go to jail. The author Wes Moore’s legacy of escaping the poverty and crime in Baltimore and becoming a Rhodes Scholar will live on forever, as his story is very unusual for people living in the city. When talking about the two narratives in the story, the author Wes Moore remarks, “The chilling truth is that Wes’s story could have been mine; the tragedy is that my story could have been his” (180). During his childhood, Moore has the right combination of mentors and circumstances in order for him to succeed, whereas other children, like the other Wes Moore, don’t have these opportunities. One of these favorable circumstances is when Wes goes to military school. Initially, he hates the idea of a strict schedule and wants to …show more content…
Philippe Petit’s daring fight against the system, Corrigan’s selfless character, and Wes Moore’s hard fought battle to escape from poverty and crime in Baltimore all support the authors’ assertion. Through the authors’ developments of these characters, it is clear that a person’s legacy is much more important than the way they act while on