the other Wes Moore
Discussion #1
In Wes Moore’s “The Other Wes Moore” both characters live within the same city, with the same names but grow up to lead very different lives. Both kids grow up living in Baltimore where drugs and poverty are at an all time high. Violence is a reoccurring theme in this book and both boys have run-ins with the law. Each of the Wes Moore boys both struggle in school with attendance and academics. Their stories start off the same but each of the boys grows up and lives very different paths. What is ironic about the story is that both Weses’ grew up in the same neighborhood around the same things and they later lead different lives. It is also ironic how women changed both of their lives. After more police run-ins and trouble at school Wes’ mom decides to put him into a military school. She sacrifices a lot so that her son doesn’t fall into the drug lifestyle. On the other hand the other Wes Moore’s mom gave up on her sons and let them do what they wanted. This leads to drugs and violence to become a reoccurring theme in the other Wes’ life. The mothers in “The Other Wes Moore” play and important role in how their sons became the men they are today. Wes Moore grows up to be a Rhodes Scholar, decorated veteran, White House fellow and a successful business man, while the other Wes Moore will spend the rest of his life behind a jail cell being charged with murder. So the quote “The chilling truth is that his story could have been mine. The tragedy is that my story could have been his,” is saying that the Wes’ situations could have easily been reversed. Wes could’ve easily have ended up in jail facing a life sentence and that other Wes could have been shaped into this successful man. With Wes’ situation he had help to get out of the violence, Wes’ mom played a big role in putting his life in a new direction. She did whatever she needed to do to make sure her son didn’t fall deeper into the violence. The other Wes didn’t have that support
In Wes Moore’s “The Other Wes Moore” both characters live within the same city, with the same names but grow up to lead very different lives. Both kids grow up living in Baltimore where drugs and poverty are at an all time high. Violence is a reoccurring theme in this book and both boys have run-ins with the law. Each of the Wes Moore boys both struggle in school with attendance and academics. Their stories start off the same but each of the boys grows up and lives very different paths. What is ironic about the story is that both Weses’ grew up in the same neighborhood around the same things and they later lead different lives. It is also ironic how women changed both of their lives. After more police run-ins and trouble at school Wes’ mom decides to put him into a military school. She sacrifices a lot so that her son doesn’t fall into the drug lifestyle. On the other hand the other Wes Moore’s mom gave up on her sons and let them do what they wanted. This leads to drugs and violence to become a reoccurring theme in the other Wes’ life. The mothers in “The Other Wes Moore” play and important role in how their sons became the men they are today. Wes Moore grows up to be a Rhodes Scholar, decorated veteran, White House fellow and a successful business man, while the other Wes Moore will spend the rest of his life behind a jail cell being charged with murder. So the quote “The chilling truth is that his story could have been mine. The tragedy is that my story could have been his,” is saying that the Wes’ situations could have easily been reversed. Wes could’ve easily have ended up in jail facing a life sentence and that other Wes could have been shaped into this successful man. With Wes’ situation he had help to get out of the violence, Wes’ mom played a big role in putting his life in a new direction. She did whatever she needed to do to make sure her son didn’t fall deeper into the violence. The other Wes didn’t have that support