The Other Wes Moore: A Tale Of Manhood

T he Other Wes Moore; A Tale of Manhood

In The Other Wes Moore: One Name,Two Fates the author, Wes Moore introduces readers to the other Wes and his childhood self. While sharing similar origins, the two men present themselves as adults in two very different ways. Wes Moore tries to explain the difference between the other Wes and himself, by exploring their childhood and how they both came into their manhood. Both learn from their role models how to be perceived as a man. For the other Wes that means being aggressive and intimidating, while Wes Moore learns to be subtle and use his presence to dominate a situation. In The Other Wes Moore, Moore shows that manhood in the United States is about learning how to present oneself to the world
around them.

The other Wes learns about manhood and the responsibilities that come with it from his brother Tony, a young ‘certified gangsta’ who acted as a role model due to the fact that the other Wes “had never met his father,” (Moore 16). Tony taught the other Wes how to be tough and show his prowess through mock fights with boys in the neighborhood. The main message to the other Wes, was that “if someone disrespects you, you send a message so fierce that they won’t have a chance to do it again” (Moore 33). This lesson followed the other Wes into adulthood, because he has to be constantly prove his manly pluck to the members of the crew he leads. The other Wes also centered his version of manhood around being a father, despite the fact that he did not have the greatest role model. Readers see the acknowledgement of this when “Wes had to reconsider what it meant to be a father. He wanted to protect his young daughter, shelter her,” protecting his daughter is a theme that the other Wes keeps coming back to, showing how his fatherhood and his view in his own manliness are intertwined (Moore 143).

Wes Moore himself, had many male role models who taught Wes about using respect to prove manhood. In his childhood, Wes was able to look up to his father, a gentle man who Wes noted “It wasn’t his style to yell,” and yet he still held the respect of many people (Moore 6). After moving in with his grandparents, Wes has his grandfather who “was a short man…. But his presence dominated every room he entered,” to look up to (Moore 39). Despite having his grandfather to look up to Wes spent his early adolescence being influenced by music and the other boys around him which caused him to start presenting a version of manhood similar to the other Wes. However, after being sent to military school Wes “noticed a man [he] had not seen before but whose presence dominated the room, demanding not only focus but respect” (Moore 94). Wes realized the difference between showing manhood through aggression and showing it through presence by observing these men in his life, because of these role models of manhood, Wes choses to present himself as someone to respect.

In the United States Manhood seems to be made up of how a man presents himself, as well as other factors commonly associated with being a man such as being protective, aggressive and sexually prowess.
These ideals are relayed by Wes, when he was younger when he said “I tried to copy his walk, his expressions. I was his main man. He was my protector,” this shows that some of the basic ideals of U.S manhood are taught to the children (Moore 11). But because of the aggression often associated with man hood in the United States “manhood [is] a trigger for apprehension,” for those who interact with the young men, such as mothers who them attempt to mold their young child (Moore 170). Often though it is a mixture of culture and father figures that ends up molding what it means to be a man for a young child. But as the other Wes points out “Your father wasn’t there because he couldn’t be, my father wasn’t there because he chose not to be ” making a comment on how the lack of father figure can have a negative influence as well when forming a man (Moore
3).

Both men in The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates presented themselves in a way that they learned is what it meant to be manly.
For the other Wes, he lacked a father figure and was only exposed to his brother Tony’s aggressive version of manliness which he emulated through his adult life. This persona of manliness helped the other Wes by giving him the attitude required to fill the niche of working the streets which allowed him to provide for himself and his family. Wes Moore meanwhile had many different father figures in his adolescence and they all taught him the importance of showing his manliness through his presence. Both men incorporate the ideals of U.S manliness, be finding ways to show their dominance and gather respect from those around them. Over all The Other Wes Moore explores how one’s man hood effects their life, and how different types of manhood can incorporate the same
ideals.