The Other Moore Analysis

In the memoir, The Other Wes Moore, two people with similar histories are described, yet with different fates in the end. The author, Wes Moore states, “Do you think that we're products of our environments? I think so, or maybe products of our expectations.” Throughout the memoir and through personal experiences, no matter negative or positive, it is evident that expectations shape people's very character. Throughout the author’s anecdotes of his past, although he strays from the path of being truly successful during his childhood via drug use and vandalism, he ultimately becomes an educated and successful man. At a young age, the author had very high expectations set upon him by his mother and his father. Giving the name, “Watande” to Wes …show more content…
From the very beginning of the other Wes Moore’s life, he has been let down by his parents and has led a troubling life. With a mother struggling to find work after being kicked out of university, to a alcoholic father, Wes Moore’s parents are unable to give Wes the high expectations that the author has from his grandparents and mother. Instead, the story implies that Wes was left to be independent, with no figure to lean onto. Therefore, the expectations he received were extremely low. Because no action was taken to adequately prepare him for life (via education), Wes Moore resorted to dealing drugs in order to support his family. At one point in the other Wes Moore’s life, he tries to quit the drug game, but fails because he is unable to find a job. Moreover, Wes Moore is unable to find a job because of the lack of education due to the low expectations placed upon him in his life. As a result, Wes Moore is stuck in a cycle of failure, because he was expected to fail from the very beginning; his life has already been shaped by the expectations placed upon …show more content…
From a young age, like the author, high expectations have been placed upon me, and vigorous measures were taken by my parents to ensure that the best education was available to me. Because I was expected to be a high functioning student, the vision my parents had of me allowed them to shape me into what they had envisioned. But, like the author's situation, the doors for success were opened for me, yet I had to be the one to walk through those doors. There comes a point where age and independence takes over my mind as I was less privy to the words of my parents. During this time, personal accountability is now the driving factor of success. In high school, courses are taken by the student’s choice, not the parent’s. Because of the high expectations placed upon me by myself, my peers, my teachers, and parents, it is my obligation to strive to reach those expectations. Directly or indirectly, expectations placed upon myself has defined my character; however, like the author, expectations can lead a person through half the journey to success. The other half, one must take on his