For example, in chapter four it stated, “Tony spent over a decade dealing drugs and knew how much money could be made in the game…He… knew there was no way for someone as young Wes to make that kind of money off of DJing… Tony cocked back his arm and punched him dead in his face…Wes was completely taken by his brother’s anger… Tony was… deep in the game himself.” This quote was used to demonstrate how Wes Moore used The Other Wes’s drug dealing issue to show how a person’s environment can determine their life choices. This quote was also used to show how The Other Wes saw his brother as his idol who he wanted to be like, just knocked him out. Wes was shocked because Tony was the only man in his life, and when he saw him selling drugs Wes felt as though he should do it too. However, Wes Moore’s belief that a child’s life is determined by their environment can be proved in chapter six where it stated,
“Shea had been arrested on drug charges…(Chapter eight) Wes the mayor will see you now…I was a brand new second lieutenant in the Army Reserve.” This quote show’s that a person’s environment does not always shape them as a person, because Wes went further than Shea …show more content…
This shows that Joy held expectations on Wes Moore that she wanted him to fulfill which he did because he went on and became a soldier and much more.
Wes Moore’s purpose for writing “The Other Wes Moore” was to show how your life is what you make it, and how other people’s perceptions of you can play a role in how your life will go. A child’s education plays a key role in their life because having an education gives way to having a good job and not having to worry about whether or not you can get this paid or that paid. Moore believed that an environment- like the people in their life and where they live-can determine their life and life choices. Just like if they will become a drug dealer or go to college and better themselves. Putting certain expectations on a child could be hard for them because it makes them try to be something that they are not. For example, how Tony had to put on an ice grille to make himself look tough and show people that he’s not afraid of nothing at all. The overall theme of the book is to never let your environment or other people’s expectations take control of your life. Your life is your life and you should live it the way that you want to and