The Other Wes Moore is a novel about two young men with similar circumstances who grow up with two very different fates. The novel is organized in three parts, each consisting of 2-3 chapters. The second part, Choices and Second Chances, encompasses the chapters "Marking Territory," "Lost," and "Hunted." The first chapter shows the negative choices that both of these boys made, the second chapter shows the second chances they were given, and the final chapter shows the impact that what they did with these second choices had. Overall, this is the portion of the novel where the two boys' lives truly split over their choices made with all of their chances, and thus this is a very fitting title.
This part of the novel examines how fate and free will both played a part in the diverging outcomes of the lives of both Weses. In the first chapter, Other Wes is beginning to get involved in the drug game and Author Wes is out on the streets of the Bronx tagging with some friends from the "wrong crowd." These are choices that both of these boys made, but what would come in the next chapter was fate; circumstances that would provide these boys with second chances to change things. Author Wes was sent to a boarding school, and Other Wes's family moved to county life in Dundee Village. Both of these changes were set about by their concerned parents, but only one had the desired effect. Before the chapters even begin, there is an excerpt from one of the exchanges between the two Weses in which Other Wes says, "if the situation or context where you make the decisions don't change, then second chances don't mean much, huh?" (Page 66) While Author Wes's school rules forced him to change his attitude, Other Wes's move didn't change how he thought about life or what he needed to do to survive. This second chance didn't mean much because he didn't realize how to make a change from his first chance, and so he didn't do anything differently. Author Wes did however, and thus his future would be irrevocably different. In this same exchange, Author Wes says, "I guess it's hard to distinguish between second chances and last chances." (Page 67)
Monday, March 24, 2014
Chapter 6: Hunted
Theme: Security
1) "They would work together, fight together, stay together. An unbreakable bond united the crew. For many members it was the only support system they had. It was family." (Page 111)
Other Wes says this quote in reference to his drug corporation. Everyone in this corporation had a role: hitters who dealt with the money, corner boys who watched out for cops, housemen in charge of distribution. This system, which ran analogously to a Fortune 500 business, provided these boys with structure, rules, and a community, which helped them to feel safe and a part of something, and group identity is a common tenet of security. The ways in which the members of his drug crew worked together and supported one another, even jumping to violence to protect each other, gave Other Wes a false sense of security with this hierarchal system. He thought that the system would protect him and give him that "family" environment he lacked at home. The problem with this is that this environment, the only environment where Other Wes felt safe and protected, was the environment that was landing him in such insecure situations (such as later in the chapter when he is arrested for dealing). Other Wes may have felt that this lifestyle was his only option, and thus he may have persuaded himself into believing this false security. Other Wes had given up on school because after missing so much due to his six-month arrest and the birth of his first child, he felt that he was too far behind to catch up; this insecurity in his educational future led him to seek other avenues to feel secure. Since Other Wes did not feel secure at school, he thought that the drug corporation would be a "safer" option, despite all the known risks. Security is a relative concept, and it means different things to different people. To Wes, true security never really existed in his family, school or social lives, so he invented, rationalized and most importantly, convinced himself of the concept of security in what is largely considered one of the most insecure trades in the world: drugs.
2) "It was a risk and Wes knew it. But taking risks is at the heart of the drug enterprise and scared money didn't make money. " (Page 113)
This quote is stated when Other Wes is choosing to deal drugs to a man whom he inwardly believes is a cop, or at least someone who is out of place and could potentially make trouble for him. Wes understood how dangerous his actions were, and what they could lead to, but because of the aforementioned security he felt within his drug dealing crew, he didn't fully grasp what the consequences could be. Even if he did understand the possible results, like many teenagers, Other Wes had a feeling of invincibility in which he believed that he could never be caught. This invincible attitude goes hand and hand with Other Wes's unevidenced sense of security. Another aspect of Other Wes's conception of security was the idea that money would give him safety. Other Wes knows that because he is not attending school, he won't be able to get one of the higher paying jobs that requires an education. He may deep down know that his lack of education is an insecurity, and thus he is overcompensating by getting so deep into this drug trade. He is placing the energy he would have put into his education and security that this education would have provided, into a trade that gives him the same feeling of security, even if this feeling is false. Now that Other Wes has a child, he may be beginning to feel panicked and insecure about how he will care for this child, so the idea of the money that he can make with the drug trade allows him to feel secure. This can explain the poor choices he made with the policeman who was pretending to be a druggie because although Other Wes saw the signs that this potential deal was a farce, he overlooked them because he wanted the safety the money could provide, and he never thought that the business that made him feel so secure could land him in that much trouble, and thus, shatter his finely tuned but ultimately false sense of security.
3) "But it is important that you understand that the chances are not in your favor, and you have to have some backup plans." (Page 116)
This quote is said by Author Wes's uncle after Author Wes shares his goals of making it to the NBA. Author Wes believed that this was a totally attainable goal due to the recruiting letters he was getting from colleges, but when he shares this goal, his uncle begins to gently explain that this may not be the best plan. His uncle goes on to break down the numbers and probability of Author Wes actually achieving this goal, and thus begins to break Author Wes's security in his future plans. Like Other Wes, Author Wes has this sense of invincibility in which he creates a false sense of security in obtaining what he wants from life, shown through his practicing of draft day handshakes and interview quotes, all of which contributed to his fantasy world of a secure, star athlete future. When given this news, Author Wes partly understands what his uncle is saying to him, but he knows that if he accepts this reality, his manufactured security in his future would disappear. Thus, he mostly brushes this advice off by trying to get another game going, but this dose of reality does resonate with him. In this way, Author Wes is different than Other Wes because at least he sees the burgeoning wisps of reality and knows that eventually he will have to face it and come up with a "backup plan," whereas Other Wes continues to believe in his false security of the drug-dealing lifestyle and thus, ends up in big trouble when that plan falls through due to yet another arrest. The ideas of security and backup plans effectively highlight the stringent dichotomy between the two Weses in both the way they create their senses of security, and how they deal with the obstacles to achieving that security.
4) "I felt like being at military school was keeping me in a bubble, ignorant of what was going on with my people on the outside...This uniform had become a force field that kept the craziness of the world outside from getting too close to me, but I wondered if it was just an illusion." (Page 118)
This quote is said by Author Wes after receiving a letter from his Baltimore friend Justin in which he hears news that Justin's mom is sick and, consequently, Justin's grades and school life had been slipping. He also learns that a kid, whom he had previously gone tagging with, had been arrested on drug charges. This letter comes as a shock and a reality check to Author Wes whose time at military school had blinded him from the issues back home that could have easily been his own. When he put on his uniform, it was not just a piece of cloth, but it was a shield that symbolized all of the principles of his school and his new life that made him feel safe and a part of something so secure. It truly was a force field in the sense that it kept away all of the dangers that had previously plagued Author Wes. However, when he received that letter, it made him realize that he may be secure, and his school may be secure, but that doesn't mean that anything back home had changed. Life there was still as dangerous as ever, and it only made him feel worse about the family and friends that he wasn't there to protect since he was living in this "bubble" of safety. Author Wes started to wonder what this security really meant if it was only safe for himself, not the people he loved and cared for. Author Wes wasn't sure if this was security or, as he said above, merely an "illusion."
5) "Years earlier, I had run through these same woods with all of my might, looking for safety, trying to get away from campus. Tonight, I ran through the same woods looking for safety, but in the other direction." (Page 122)
This quote is a clear example of the irony that demonstrates how deeply Author Wes's perception of security has changed through his experiences in military school. At the start of his time in military school, Author Wes was very rebellious and attempted to run away many times through a path in the woods. Back then, all he knew was the Bronx life, and however dangerous it may have been, it was his home and the place he felt the most safe; thus he was running from the military life that was new and frightening back to his home which was known and comforting. However, now he was running from a possible fight (something he never would have done in the Bronx) back into the security of his school that was now his comforting home. If Author Wes had continued to grow up in the Bronx, he probably would have fought with the man who had called him the n-word because it would have seemed like the safest thing to do to defend his honor. However, now that he's in this military school, Author Wes has to think much more about the consequences and what it would mean for his future. Before running away, Author Wes talks about what his mother would say when she found out, whether he could get kicked out of school, or what his father intended his life to be. These are things that Author Wes never would have considered before because they didn't play into the security of his future. With his changed perception of his world and what his future would be came a changed perception of Author Wes's security and how he would attain and keep this security.
1) "They would work together, fight together, stay together. An unbreakable bond united the crew. For many members it was the only support system they had. It was family." (Page 111)
Other Wes says this quote in reference to his drug corporation. Everyone in this corporation had a role: hitters who dealt with the money, corner boys who watched out for cops, housemen in charge of distribution. This system, which ran analogously to a Fortune 500 business, provided these boys with structure, rules, and a community, which helped them to feel safe and a part of something, and group identity is a common tenet of security. The ways in which the members of his drug crew worked together and supported one another, even jumping to violence to protect each other, gave Other Wes a false sense of security with this hierarchal system. He thought that the system would protect him and give him that "family" environment he lacked at home. The problem with this is that this environment, the only environment where Other Wes felt safe and protected, was the environment that was landing him in such insecure situations (such as later in the chapter when he is arrested for dealing). Other Wes may have felt that this lifestyle was his only option, and thus he may have persuaded himself into believing this false security. Other Wes had given up on school because after missing so much due to his six-month arrest and the birth of his first child, he felt that he was too far behind to catch up; this insecurity in his educational future led him to seek other avenues to feel secure. Since Other Wes did not feel secure at school, he thought that the drug corporation would be a "safer" option, despite all the known risks. Security is a relative concept, and it means different things to different people. To Wes, true security never really existed in his family, school or social lives, so he invented, rationalized and most importantly, convinced himself of the concept of security in what is largely considered one of the most insecure trades in the world: drugs.
2) "It was a risk and Wes knew it. But taking risks is at the heart of the drug enterprise and scared money didn't make money. " (Page 113)
This quote is stated when Other Wes is choosing to deal drugs to a man whom he inwardly believes is a cop, or at least someone who is out of place and could potentially make trouble for him. Wes understood how dangerous his actions were, and what they could lead to, but because of the aforementioned security he felt within his drug dealing crew, he didn't fully grasp what the consequences could be. Even if he did understand the possible results, like many teenagers, Other Wes had a feeling of invincibility in which he believed that he could never be caught. This invincible attitude goes hand and hand with Other Wes's unevidenced sense of security. Another aspect of Other Wes's conception of security was the idea that money would give him safety. Other Wes knows that because he is not attending school, he won't be able to get one of the higher paying jobs that requires an education. He may deep down know that his lack of education is an insecurity, and thus he is overcompensating by getting so deep into this drug trade. He is placing the energy he would have put into his education and security that this education would have provided, into a trade that gives him the same feeling of security, even if this feeling is false. Now that Other Wes has a child, he may be beginning to feel panicked and insecure about how he will care for this child, so the idea of the money that he can make with the drug trade allows him to feel secure. This can explain the poor choices he made with the policeman who was pretending to be a druggie because although Other Wes saw the signs that this potential deal was a farce, he overlooked them because he wanted the safety the money could provide, and he never thought that the business that made him feel so secure could land him in that much trouble, and thus, shatter his finely tuned but ultimately false sense of security.
3) "But it is important that you understand that the chances are not in your favor, and you have to have some backup plans." (Page 116)
This quote is said by Author Wes's uncle after Author Wes shares his goals of making it to the NBA. Author Wes believed that this was a totally attainable goal due to the recruiting letters he was getting from colleges, but when he shares this goal, his uncle begins to gently explain that this may not be the best plan. His uncle goes on to break down the numbers and probability of Author Wes actually achieving this goal, and thus begins to break Author Wes's security in his future plans. Like Other Wes, Author Wes has this sense of invincibility in which he creates a false sense of security in obtaining what he wants from life, shown through his practicing of draft day handshakes and interview quotes, all of which contributed to his fantasy world of a secure, star athlete future. When given this news, Author Wes partly understands what his uncle is saying to him, but he knows that if he accepts this reality, his manufactured security in his future would disappear. Thus, he mostly brushes this advice off by trying to get another game going, but this dose of reality does resonate with him. In this way, Author Wes is different than Other Wes because at least he sees the burgeoning wisps of reality and knows that eventually he will have to face it and come up with a "backup plan," whereas Other Wes continues to believe in his false security of the drug-dealing lifestyle and thus, ends up in big trouble when that plan falls through due to yet another arrest. The ideas of security and backup plans effectively highlight the stringent dichotomy between the two Weses in both the way they create their senses of security, and how they deal with the obstacles to achieving that security.
4) "I felt like being at military school was keeping me in a bubble, ignorant of what was going on with my people on the outside...This uniform had become a force field that kept the craziness of the world outside from getting too close to me, but I wondered if it was just an illusion." (Page 118)
This quote is said by Author Wes after receiving a letter from his Baltimore friend Justin in which he hears news that Justin's mom is sick and, consequently, Justin's grades and school life had been slipping. He also learns that a kid, whom he had previously gone tagging with, had been arrested on drug charges. This letter comes as a shock and a reality check to Author Wes whose time at military school had blinded him from the issues back home that could have easily been his own. When he put on his uniform, it was not just a piece of cloth, but it was a shield that symbolized all of the principles of his school and his new life that made him feel safe and a part of something so secure. It truly was a force field in the sense that it kept away all of the dangers that had previously plagued Author Wes. However, when he received that letter, it made him realize that he may be secure, and his school may be secure, but that doesn't mean that anything back home had changed. Life there was still as dangerous as ever, and it only made him feel worse about the family and friends that he wasn't there to protect since he was living in this "bubble" of safety. Author Wes started to wonder what this security really meant if it was only safe for himself, not the people he loved and cared for. Author Wes wasn't sure if this was security or, as he said above, merely an "illusion."
5) "Years earlier, I had run through these same woods with all of my might, looking for safety, trying to get away from campus. Tonight, I ran through the same woods looking for safety, but in the other direction." (Page 122)
This quote is a clear example of the irony that demonstrates how deeply Author Wes's perception of security has changed through his experiences in military school. At the start of his time in military school, Author Wes was very rebellious and attempted to run away many times through a path in the woods. Back then, all he knew was the Bronx life, and however dangerous it may have been, it was his home and the place he felt the most safe; thus he was running from the military life that was new and frightening back to his home which was known and comforting. However, now he was running from a possible fight (something he never would have done in the Bronx) back into the security of his school that was now his comforting home. If Author Wes had continued to grow up in the Bronx, he probably would have fought with the man who had called him the n-word because it would have seemed like the safest thing to do to defend his honor. However, now that he's in this military school, Author Wes has to think much more about the consequences and what it would mean for his future. Before running away, Author Wes talks about what his mother would say when she found out, whether he could get kicked out of school, or what his father intended his life to be. These are things that Author Wes never would have considered before because they didn't play into the security of his future. With his changed perception of his world and what his future would be came a changed perception of Author Wes's security and how he would attain and keep this security.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Other Wes Characterization Sonnet
With a ghost for thy father,
Forced to mature aye too soon,
T'was best role model thy brother,
Whose drug dealing made thy mother swoon.
Pick'd up thou's brother's habit and
Whilst suspect mother did not,
Booming business brought money to thous't hand,
Until with Tony thou t'was caught.
Filled with fear thou mother was
Thous't was far down the sullen path
Moving she hoped would be a cause
Of changing the foreseeable aftermath
T'was it fate or some misfortunate twist?
That t'is downward path would soon persist.
Forced to mature aye too soon,
T'was best role model thy brother,
Whose drug dealing made thy mother swoon.
Pick'd up thou's brother's habit and
Whilst suspect mother did not,
Booming business brought money to thous't hand,
Until with Tony thou t'was caught.
Filled with fear thou mother was
Thous't was far down the sullen path
Moving she hoped would be a cause
Of changing the foreseeable aftermath
T'was it fate or some misfortunate twist?
That t'is downward path would soon persist.
Author Wes Characterization Sonnet
Was a man like thy father,
Strong and brave - things thoust shared.
Till one day fate was a cruel bother -
For his death, no man was prepared.
Moved to Bronx thoust family did,
Escaping pain was thy plan.
Spoke farewell to Baltimore and hid.
Made mistakes as thy 'tempted to become a man.
Challenged by the pen which teachers did grade,
Wonder'd what happen'd to her son did Joy.
Took to the streets with Shea and practiced new trade,
Thought would never he be caught, that foolish young boy.
Choices unpunished do not often show -
Caught on did police, and thy life was woe.
Strong and brave - things thoust shared.
Till one day fate was a cruel bother -
For his death, no man was prepared.
Moved to Bronx thoust family did,
Escaping pain was thy plan.
Spoke farewell to Baltimore and hid.
Made mistakes as thy 'tempted to become a man.
Challenged by the pen which teachers did grade,
Wonder'd what happen'd to her son did Joy.
Took to the streets with Shea and practiced new trade,
Thought would never he be caught, that foolish young boy.
Choices unpunished do not often show -
Caught on did police, and thy life was woe.
Monday, March 17, 2014
Chapter 5: Lost
This chapter follows the themes of Absent Fathers and Life Choices. Author Wes, after making poor life decisions, is sent away to a military school where his choices get him embarrassed and begging to go home within a week. Other Wes's life choices have even worse consequences with them leading to him impregnating a girl and getting into a fight with gun violence as only a teenager. Someone could argue that these poor life choices stem from these boys having absent fathers. Other Wes doesn't understand what he will be faced with once Alicia gives birth because his own father was never there for him, and Author Wes's mother feels forced to enlist him in this school because his father isn't there to help her make sure that Author Wes stays out of trouble. Overall, this chapter explores these two themes and how they interact with the events of this chapter.
The first theme explored is the impact of absent fathers. As a teenager, Other Wes and his godbrother Red met some girls on the school bus. One of the girls, Alicia, and Other Wes began to see each other and soon after, Alicia discovered that she was pregnant. At this point, Other Wes's brother Tony had just had a baby and his mother was pregnant. When Other Wes told Tony about Alicia's pregnancy, Tony laughed and thought it was hilarious his child, their mothers baby, and Other Wes's baby would all be the same age. However Other Wes felt a bit different: "The idea of becoming a father depressed Wes, but he wasn't sure why...he wasn't overly stressed about the responsibilities of fatherhood - he didn't even know what that meant. But in some unspoken way, he did sense that he was crossing a point of no return." (Page 100). Other Wes never had a father around, so the idea of becoming one did not affect him as much as it arguably should have. However, he did realize that this meant that he was no longer just toying around with his decisions, but that his life was now headed down a path he felt he could not turn back from. After Other Wes finds out Alicia is pregnant, he continues to see other women and shows no evidence that he plans to help out with the child and raise it along side her. Other Wes didn't understand what he was supposed to do in this situation, because his own father did nothing: "Wes's nonexistent relationship with his father probably contributed to his seeming indifference about becoming a father himself...he had no idea what his role would be in this new situation - he wasn't even sure he had a role." (Page 101). Author Wes was also significantly impacted by his absent father, as it affected where he moved as well as where he went to school. When his mother felt that she could no longer look after Author Wes and make sure he stayed out of trouble herself, she made some serious sacrifices and sent him to military school where she felt he would be safe. Overall, this chapter shows just how much of an impact the absence of a father has on these boys.
The other theme expressed in this chapter is that of life choices. Author Wes's mother did not take the decision of sending Author Wes to Valley Forge Military Academy lightly, but his actions leading up to her decision forced her to make this change. Author Wes had been making some poor life choices by skipping class, getting bad grades, tagging graffiti, and more leading up to his mother's breaking point: "The final straw came one evening while she sat downstairs on the phone listening to my dean from Riverdale explain why they were placing me on academic and disciplinary probation." (Page 87). This same night, Author Wes punched his sister, and his mom was so worried and angry and disappointed that she slapped him across the face in silence and left. These choices are what led Author Wes to be transferred to military school. While at this school, he continued to make poor decisions and misbehave. On the first day, he refused to get out of his bed which angered his sergeant greatly: "His angry face broke into a devilish smile. Just as quickly as he'd come into the room, he walked out. This was my first morning at the military school." (Page 87). Later, he was given some payback when the sergeant gave him fake instructions to run away and then embarrassed him in front of his entire plebe class. All of these events in Author Wes's life are an act of cause and effect. His choices led the way of his life and impacted him in so many ways. Other Wes also experienced the impacts of life choices. One day, an ex-boyfriend of the girl Other Wes was sleeping with showed up at Other Wes's house and beat him up. Other Wes grabbed a gun and chose to handle it in a violent way: "As he left his room, he shoved a clip into the gun and cocked the slide hammer back, fully loading the weapon...Wes could only see red. He was blind with rage. Instincts kicked in. Tony's words rang through his mind. Send a message." (Page 104). Other Wes let his emotions rule his actions, and this would have serious consequences. The chapter ended with him in the back of a police car, and the reader can only imagine what is next in store for him. Overall, this chapter is used to show just how impactful bad life choices can be, and what they lead to.
The first theme explored is the impact of absent fathers. As a teenager, Other Wes and his godbrother Red met some girls on the school bus. One of the girls, Alicia, and Other Wes began to see each other and soon after, Alicia discovered that she was pregnant. At this point, Other Wes's brother Tony had just had a baby and his mother was pregnant. When Other Wes told Tony about Alicia's pregnancy, Tony laughed and thought it was hilarious his child, their mothers baby, and Other Wes's baby would all be the same age. However Other Wes felt a bit different: "The idea of becoming a father depressed Wes, but he wasn't sure why...he wasn't overly stressed about the responsibilities of fatherhood - he didn't even know what that meant. But in some unspoken way, he did sense that he was crossing a point of no return." (Page 100). Other Wes never had a father around, so the idea of becoming one did not affect him as much as it arguably should have. However, he did realize that this meant that he was no longer just toying around with his decisions, but that his life was now headed down a path he felt he could not turn back from. After Other Wes finds out Alicia is pregnant, he continues to see other women and shows no evidence that he plans to help out with the child and raise it along side her. Other Wes didn't understand what he was supposed to do in this situation, because his own father did nothing: "Wes's nonexistent relationship with his father probably contributed to his seeming indifference about becoming a father himself...he had no idea what his role would be in this new situation - he wasn't even sure he had a role." (Page 101). Author Wes was also significantly impacted by his absent father, as it affected where he moved as well as where he went to school. When his mother felt that she could no longer look after Author Wes and make sure he stayed out of trouble herself, she made some serious sacrifices and sent him to military school where she felt he would be safe. Overall, this chapter shows just how much of an impact the absence of a father has on these boys.
The other theme expressed in this chapter is that of life choices. Author Wes's mother did not take the decision of sending Author Wes to Valley Forge Military Academy lightly, but his actions leading up to her decision forced her to make this change. Author Wes had been making some poor life choices by skipping class, getting bad grades, tagging graffiti, and more leading up to his mother's breaking point: "The final straw came one evening while she sat downstairs on the phone listening to my dean from Riverdale explain why they were placing me on academic and disciplinary probation." (Page 87). This same night, Author Wes punched his sister, and his mom was so worried and angry and disappointed that she slapped him across the face in silence and left. These choices are what led Author Wes to be transferred to military school. While at this school, he continued to make poor decisions and misbehave. On the first day, he refused to get out of his bed which angered his sergeant greatly: "His angry face broke into a devilish smile. Just as quickly as he'd come into the room, he walked out. This was my first morning at the military school." (Page 87). Later, he was given some payback when the sergeant gave him fake instructions to run away and then embarrassed him in front of his entire plebe class. All of these events in Author Wes's life are an act of cause and effect. His choices led the way of his life and impacted him in so many ways. Other Wes also experienced the impacts of life choices. One day, an ex-boyfriend of the girl Other Wes was sleeping with showed up at Other Wes's house and beat him up. Other Wes grabbed a gun and chose to handle it in a violent way: "As he left his room, he shoved a clip into the gun and cocked the slide hammer back, fully loading the weapon...Wes could only see red. He was blind with rage. Instincts kicked in. Tony's words rang through his mind. Send a message." (Page 104). Other Wes let his emotions rule his actions, and this would have serious consequences. The chapter ended with him in the back of a police car, and the reader can only imagine what is next in store for him. Overall, this chapter is used to show just how impactful bad life choices can be, and what they lead to.
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Chapter 4: Marking Territory
The themes expressed in this chapter are those of crime and the struggle of single mothers. Author Wes gets into big trouble when he gets caught by the police tagging a wall. He was getting involved with the wrong crowd and being heavily influenced by them. His mother is very worried about him and even threatens to send him to military school, a threat which will prove to be true. Meanwhile, Other Wes digs himself deeper and deeper into the drug game. He runs into some roadblocks, but he is able to continue down this path by lying to his mother who is oblivious to what he is doing.
While Other Wes was getting further into the drug dealing business, he had to find ways to explain his new source of income to his mom, who was single and very distracted by trying to support the family financially. She was easily convinced of his explanations, but his brother, who himself understood the drug game, was not: "Wes stuttered out a story: he'd become a popular DJ in the neighborhood and was making incredible loot Dj-ing parties. It was the story he'd used with Mary, and she'd bought it whole. Maybe because she really believed him. Maybe because she really wanted to believe him." (Page 69) Mary had so much going on and was already so worried about her son Tony that the thought of Other Wes slipping into this lifestyle scared her, and she dealt with this fear by pretending these problems didn't exist. When Tony tried to explain the situation to his mother, she responded in denial and defended Other Wes, which prompted Tony to question her involvement in her son's life: "Hearing this, Tony pulled back his anger at Wes and turned it on his mother. 'Are you serious? You really believe that? Are you blind?" (Page 71) Finally, Mary discovers the drugs in Other Wes's shoeboxes and becomes distraught: "She wasn't only upset about the drugs, she was upset about the lying...Both of her sons were drug dealers." (Page 73) She confronts Other Wes, and he apologizes, but her attention to his life does not increase because of all her other worries, and thus he simply continues his business with a new headquarters at the house of his girlfriend. Mary's life choices led her to be forced to be a single mother, and her inability to watch closely enough over her sons led them to become involved in crime and go down rough paths.
Author Wes also begins to get involved with crime during this chapter. His friend Shea, a "runner" in the drug dealing business, invites Author Wes to come tagging (graffiti) with him. Not realizing what the consequences of his actions would be, Author Wes agrees. They are caught by the police and hauled into the back of a police car in handcuffs. Earlier in the day, Author Wes and his mother had been arguing about Author Wes's involvement in school and the fact that he had been skipping classes, and he was now about to have to tell her all of the trouble he was going to be in: "A thought raced around my head- my mother was going to have to pick me up from jail. She had just finished talking to me about my grades, and now this. My relationship with my mother was in a strange place. My desperation for her support was in constant tension with my desperation for independence and freedom." (Page 82) Author Wes wanted his mother's approval and for her to be proud of him, but he was also trying to figure out where he belonged and what his role in life was, and it was hard to accomplish both of these goals at the same time with the tumult in the neighborhood and being surrounded by crime. This chapter only foreshadows what would be many more bad decisions leading to a life of crime and problems: "The cop shook his head and pointed his right index finger in our direction. 'You kids are way too young to be in this situation. But you know what, I see kids like you here every day. If you don't get smart, I'm certain I will see you again. That's the sad part.'" (Page 83) The cop must have felt sympathy for the two boys, because he let them go and whispered to Author Wes that he hoped Wes had listened to his warning. Unless Author Wes could turn things around and get out of this crime-filled life, he would be right back in that police car. He promised himself he was done, but one week later he was back tagging, despite his earlier thoughts about making his single mom's life easier.
Overall, Author Wes and Other Wes both struggle with staying out of the crime scene, and don't have as much support from their single mothers as some children with both parents receive; making it that much harder to dig themselves out of the holes they've created.
While Other Wes was getting further into the drug dealing business, he had to find ways to explain his new source of income to his mom, who was single and very distracted by trying to support the family financially. She was easily convinced of his explanations, but his brother, who himself understood the drug game, was not: "Wes stuttered out a story: he'd become a popular DJ in the neighborhood and was making incredible loot Dj-ing parties. It was the story he'd used with Mary, and she'd bought it whole. Maybe because she really believed him. Maybe because she really wanted to believe him." (Page 69) Mary had so much going on and was already so worried about her son Tony that the thought of Other Wes slipping into this lifestyle scared her, and she dealt with this fear by pretending these problems didn't exist. When Tony tried to explain the situation to his mother, she responded in denial and defended Other Wes, which prompted Tony to question her involvement in her son's life: "Hearing this, Tony pulled back his anger at Wes and turned it on his mother. 'Are you serious? You really believe that? Are you blind?" (Page 71) Finally, Mary discovers the drugs in Other Wes's shoeboxes and becomes distraught: "She wasn't only upset about the drugs, she was upset about the lying...Both of her sons were drug dealers." (Page 73) She confronts Other Wes, and he apologizes, but her attention to his life does not increase because of all her other worries, and thus he simply continues his business with a new headquarters at the house of his girlfriend. Mary's life choices led her to be forced to be a single mother, and her inability to watch closely enough over her sons led them to become involved in crime and go down rough paths.
Author Wes also begins to get involved with crime during this chapter. His friend Shea, a "runner" in the drug dealing business, invites Author Wes to come tagging (graffiti) with him. Not realizing what the consequences of his actions would be, Author Wes agrees. They are caught by the police and hauled into the back of a police car in handcuffs. Earlier in the day, Author Wes and his mother had been arguing about Author Wes's involvement in school and the fact that he had been skipping classes, and he was now about to have to tell her all of the trouble he was going to be in: "A thought raced around my head- my mother was going to have to pick me up from jail. She had just finished talking to me about my grades, and now this. My relationship with my mother was in a strange place. My desperation for her support was in constant tension with my desperation for independence and freedom." (Page 82) Author Wes wanted his mother's approval and for her to be proud of him, but he was also trying to figure out where he belonged and what his role in life was, and it was hard to accomplish both of these goals at the same time with the tumult in the neighborhood and being surrounded by crime. This chapter only foreshadows what would be many more bad decisions leading to a life of crime and problems: "The cop shook his head and pointed his right index finger in our direction. 'You kids are way too young to be in this situation. But you know what, I see kids like you here every day. If you don't get smart, I'm certain I will see you again. That's the sad part.'" (Page 83) The cop must have felt sympathy for the two boys, because he let them go and whispered to Author Wes that he hoped Wes had listened to his warning. Unless Author Wes could turn things around and get out of this crime-filled life, he would be right back in that police car. He promised himself he was done, but one week later he was back tagging, despite his earlier thoughts about making his single mom's life easier.
Overall, Author Wes and Other Wes both struggle with staying out of the crime scene, and don't have as much support from their single mothers as some children with both parents receive; making it that much harder to dig themselves out of the holes they've created.
Monday, March 3, 2014
Title Justification: Fathers and Angels
The Other Wes Moore is organized into three parts, each of which contains 2-3 chapters. The first part is entitled "Fathers and Angels." This part encompasses three chapters which explore the parallels between the two Wes Moore's lives in regard to their absent fathers, single mothers, and setting in which they grew up in. The title chosen for this part is very fitting because it takes a classic saying "fathers and mothers" and replaces the word mothers with angels. This is because all of these chapters show not only the impact that the absence of fathers leaves on these boys, but also how hard their mothers worked to compensate for this. Their mothers were like their guardian "angels" and thus this title is fitting.
In the very first chapter, we already see some of the sacrifices that these mothers took for their children. After the death of Wesley Moore Sr., Joy Moore does everything she can to keep the family together. She sleeps downstairs to protect them from possible break ins and she moves the whole family in with Author Wes's grandparents when she feels like she's not stable enough to care for them on her own. Even though his father has passed away, Joy Moore is Author Wes's angel who keeps their family together. Mary Moore, Other Wes's mother, takes similar measures to protect her family. When her Pell's Grant falls through, she gives up her college aspirations in order to maintain financial security for her family. Since Other Wes's father isn't in the picture, she understands that she is the sole provider for her family and thus she takes up multiple jobs in order to keep them afloat. She also moves her family into a better and more expensive neighborhood so as to give Other Wes a better education at Northwood. She tries her hardest to compensate for the lack of a father figure in Other Wes's life.
Overall, the title "Fathers and Angels" is used for the first part of this novel because this part is the introduction where the author uses the two biggest similarities in the Wes Moores' lives - their angel mothers and absent fathers - to introduce the story of how their one name produced two very different fates. The ways in which the lack of fathers affected the boys had obvious similarities: the lower income, the ways in which they rebelled and acted out, where they lived, etc. However the ways in which their mothers compensated for the lack of fathers was what truly overlapped in their two lives: their mothers made huge sacrifices to help their sons survive in the rough neighborhoods they grew up in. All three chapters in this part begin to address these similarities, while the next part will show where these similar lives took a split and how these boys ended up with such different fates: one in prison and one a Rhodes Scholar.
In the very first chapter, we already see some of the sacrifices that these mothers took for their children. After the death of Wesley Moore Sr., Joy Moore does everything she can to keep the family together. She sleeps downstairs to protect them from possible break ins and she moves the whole family in with Author Wes's grandparents when she feels like she's not stable enough to care for them on her own. Even though his father has passed away, Joy Moore is Author Wes's angel who keeps their family together. Mary Moore, Other Wes's mother, takes similar measures to protect her family. When her Pell's Grant falls through, she gives up her college aspirations in order to maintain financial security for her family. Since Other Wes's father isn't in the picture, she understands that she is the sole provider for her family and thus she takes up multiple jobs in order to keep them afloat. She also moves her family into a better and more expensive neighborhood so as to give Other Wes a better education at Northwood. She tries her hardest to compensate for the lack of a father figure in Other Wes's life.
Overall, the title "Fathers and Angels" is used for the first part of this novel because this part is the introduction where the author uses the two biggest similarities in the Wes Moores' lives - their angel mothers and absent fathers - to introduce the story of how their one name produced two very different fates. The ways in which the lack of fathers affected the boys had obvious similarities: the lower income, the ways in which they rebelled and acted out, where they lived, etc. However the ways in which their mothers compensated for the lack of fathers was what truly overlapped in their two lives: their mothers made huge sacrifices to help their sons survive in the rough neighborhoods they grew up in. All three chapters in this part begin to address these similarities, while the next part will show where these similar lives took a split and how these boys ended up with such different fates: one in prison and one a Rhodes Scholar.
Chapter 3: Foreign Ground
This chapter explores the themes of drugs and the impact of life choices. The theme of drugs is explored in this chapter because Other Wes falls into the drug game after being tempted by the money he could earn by doing so. Other Wes also exemplifies the theme of life choices because choosing to take part in this dangerous business as a means to earn the money he desired would lead him to face serious consequences in his future, and the fact that his older brother was also involved in this dangerous game, which Other Wes witnessed but chose to ignore, speaks to the power of life choices. Author Wes shows the theme of life choices as well as he chooses to let his insecurities lead him to take part in a fight with his neighborhood friends and school friends.
When Other Wes was beginning to slip into the drug world, he began to make excuses for his behavior: "But Wes rationalized. I am not actually selling drugs. All I'm doing is talking into a headset." (Page 58) He was making life choices that would lead to his eventual lifetime sentence and he used these justifications to try to make himself feel better and tell himself that he wasn't really doing anything wrong. Drugs and life choices were linked in Other Wes's world, as he started to stop making excuses for himself and simply went with the direction that he felt his life was headed, just as Tony, his older brother, did. With his mother, his supposed role model, doing drugs, it seemed an almost natural thing to do and was easy to rationalize: "He had just found his mother's weed stash. After a moment to think about whether he should take it, he came to the obvious conclusion: he was going to turn this barbecue into a real party." (Page 59) At that party, Other Wes tries the drugs for the first time and gets sick, but he sees the appeal in doing them because of how they made him feel, which was to forget things in his life he did not want to deal with. When his mother and her boyfriend saw how sick he was, they laughed it off and did not take action. Other Wes started to see the possibilities of what he was doing and made further choices to continue: "He understood, faintly, how addictive that feeling could be, and how easy it would be to make some money off selling that feeling to people who needed it." (Page 62)
Author Wes also makes life choices in this chapter that will affect him later. Author Wes, arguably more so than Other Wes, saw the reasons not to become a part of the drug game or crime scene in the Bronx. His mother worked very hard to make sure that he got the best education possible and the exposure to a new world outside of his homogenous and often dangerous neighborhood; however, sometimes Author Wes wasn't sure where he belonged: "Every time I looked around at the buildings and the trees and the view of the river, I was reminded of the sacrifices my mother was making to keep me there. And every time I looked at my fellow students, I was reminded of how little I fit in." (Page 52) Author Wes struggled internally with whether he should make choices that propelled him to fit in with his more familiar Bronx life, or his richer and more educated school life: "I was becoming too rich for the kids from the neighborhood and too poor for the kids at school. I had forgotten how to act naturally, thinking way too much in each situation and getting tangled in the contradictions between my two worlds." (Page 54) It all boiled up at the baseball game his uncle organized when the two worlds clashed and Author Wes felt caught in the middle.
Overall, the themes of drugs and life choices were explored in this chapter by showing how they connected to each other and led the Weses to make further poor decisions. When the Weses get involved in the drug game or crime scenes, they start to question their decisions. However, they ultimately continue to go down their respective paths which would lead them to two very different futures.
When Other Wes was beginning to slip into the drug world, he began to make excuses for his behavior: "But Wes rationalized. I am not actually selling drugs. All I'm doing is talking into a headset." (Page 58) He was making life choices that would lead to his eventual lifetime sentence and he used these justifications to try to make himself feel better and tell himself that he wasn't really doing anything wrong. Drugs and life choices were linked in Other Wes's world, as he started to stop making excuses for himself and simply went with the direction that he felt his life was headed, just as Tony, his older brother, did. With his mother, his supposed role model, doing drugs, it seemed an almost natural thing to do and was easy to rationalize: "He had just found his mother's weed stash. After a moment to think about whether he should take it, he came to the obvious conclusion: he was going to turn this barbecue into a real party." (Page 59) At that party, Other Wes tries the drugs for the first time and gets sick, but he sees the appeal in doing them because of how they made him feel, which was to forget things in his life he did not want to deal with. When his mother and her boyfriend saw how sick he was, they laughed it off and did not take action. Other Wes started to see the possibilities of what he was doing and made further choices to continue: "He understood, faintly, how addictive that feeling could be, and how easy it would be to make some money off selling that feeling to people who needed it." (Page 62)
Author Wes also makes life choices in this chapter that will affect him later. Author Wes, arguably more so than Other Wes, saw the reasons not to become a part of the drug game or crime scene in the Bronx. His mother worked very hard to make sure that he got the best education possible and the exposure to a new world outside of his homogenous and often dangerous neighborhood; however, sometimes Author Wes wasn't sure where he belonged: "Every time I looked around at the buildings and the trees and the view of the river, I was reminded of the sacrifices my mother was making to keep me there. And every time I looked at my fellow students, I was reminded of how little I fit in." (Page 52) Author Wes struggled internally with whether he should make choices that propelled him to fit in with his more familiar Bronx life, or his richer and more educated school life: "I was becoming too rich for the kids from the neighborhood and too poor for the kids at school. I had forgotten how to act naturally, thinking way too much in each situation and getting tangled in the contradictions between my two worlds." (Page 54) It all boiled up at the baseball game his uncle organized when the two worlds clashed and Author Wes felt caught in the middle.
Overall, the themes of drugs and life choices were explored in this chapter by showing how they connected to each other and led the Weses to make further poor decisions. When the Weses get involved in the drug game or crime scenes, they start to question their decisions. However, they ultimately continue to go down their respective paths which would lead them to two very different futures.
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