The line, “The chilling truth is that his story could have been mine. The tragedy is that my story could have been his,” beautifully summarizes Wes Moore’s book: The Other Wes Moore. The book is an autobiography for two Wes Moores: the author and the convict. Both men grew up fatherless, grew up in Baltimore, and grew up in difficult circumstances, yet the author is a successful entrepreneur and veteran while the convict is in prison for life. There are many debatable explanations for why the men turned out differently: personalities, personal life choices, environment, etc. However, the largest impact on the fate of the two men were the people around them and economics.
Growing up without fathers, the two men’s mothers became the main overseers …show more content…
Because both Wes Moores were young at the time, these people had a large impact on them. Author Wes was fortunate enough to have grandparents to take care of him when Joy was at work. They had strict rules for him: he had to do chores, be home when the streetlights turn on, and return home if he heard gunfire (42). These rules kept him from being a victim of the drug business that developed in the Bronx. When he was sent to Valley Forge, he was in an environment where discipline was important. Surveillance was constant, and he was expected to act like a professional soldier. However, it also gave him an opportunity to be with people who inspired him. He learned from his commanding officers and developed a bond with the cadets he led. From these valuable experiences, it would be difficult for him to end up like Convict Wes; he himself admitted this, “What changed was that I found myself surrounded by people … who kept pushing me to see more than what was directly in front of me, to see the boundless possibilities of the wider world and the unexplored possibilities within myself” (179). On the other hand, Convict Wes was stuck in Baltimore with negative role models. His brother, Tony, a drug dealer, wanted to keep Wes from following in his footsteps, but Wes looked to his actions rather than words for guidance. With the allure of making money from selling drugs, Wes got …show more content…
Its impact is demonstrated in the case of Author Wes and Convict Wes. Author Wes had a stable family life, inspirational role models, access to excellent education, and economic resources despite being poor. Convict Wes lacked all of those things and ended up in jail. It is common sense that a person raised in a healthy environment would do better than a person like Convict Wes. That is why, despite their similar starting circumstances, their paths ended up
Growing up without fathers, the two men’s mothers became the main overseers …show more content…
Because both Wes Moores were young at the time, these people had a large impact on them. Author Wes was fortunate enough to have grandparents to take care of him when Joy was at work. They had strict rules for him: he had to do chores, be home when the streetlights turn on, and return home if he heard gunfire (42). These rules kept him from being a victim of the drug business that developed in the Bronx. When he was sent to Valley Forge, he was in an environment where discipline was important. Surveillance was constant, and he was expected to act like a professional soldier. However, it also gave him an opportunity to be with people who inspired him. He learned from his commanding officers and developed a bond with the cadets he led. From these valuable experiences, it would be difficult for him to end up like Convict Wes; he himself admitted this, “What changed was that I found myself surrounded by people … who kept pushing me to see more than what was directly in front of me, to see the boundless possibilities of the wider world and the unexplored possibilities within myself” (179). On the other hand, Convict Wes was stuck in Baltimore with negative role models. His brother, Tony, a drug dealer, wanted to keep Wes from following in his footsteps, but Wes looked to his actions rather than words for guidance. With the allure of making money from selling drugs, Wes got …show more content…
Its impact is demonstrated in the case of Author Wes and Convict Wes. Author Wes had a stable family life, inspirational role models, access to excellent education, and economic resources despite being poor. Convict Wes lacked all of those things and ended up in jail. It is common sense that a person raised in a healthy environment would do better than a person like Convict Wes. That is why, despite their similar starting circumstances, their paths ended up