Chapter 8: Surrounded

The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore

Theme Tracking

Chapter 8: Surrounded

Theme 1: Poverty impacts people in many ways.

1. “On his orders, and with the help of 375 pounds of explosives, the buildings of Murphy Homes were brought down in twenty seconds.” 

This quote shows the theme that poverty imapacts people in many ways because it shows how their financial status makes them seem to the rest of the world. Since the people living in the Murphy Homes were poor, the government destroyed the buildings. The people living there were far to poor to do anything about it. Unfortunately, in our society, money is what gets people the things they want. Without money, the former residents of the Murphy Homes were displaced and had no where to live. This destruction movement occurs everywhere. People decide to knock down low income housing, displacing the residents, to build larger homes that will accommodate wealthier families. that saw the end of such projects as the Cabrini Green homes in Chicago, and many others. The idea behind the movement- to change neighborhood dynamics, ends up causing more harm than good. People who had an affordable place to live are left with nothing except rubble and houses that they cannot afford.

2.  “And again I thought of home. I realized just how similar were the challenges the young boys here and kids like the ones I grew up with faced. In both places, young men go through a daily struggle trying to navigate their way through deadly streets, poverty, and the twin legacies of exclusion and low expectations. But they are not completely unequipped— they also have the history of determined, improvisational survival, a legacy of generations who fought through even more oppressive circumstances.”  

This quote shows the theme that poverty impacts people in many ways because it shows the effects that poverty had on the childhoods of young men. The quote describes how no matter where you grow up, if you are brought up around poverty you will most likely face the same challenges. Growing up is hard for everyone, but growing up with crime and violence makes it even harder. It's important to recognize that success in these conditions takes dedication and bravery. The boys described by this text were probably destined to die young without justification. It was a miracle for Wes to live through his teenage years and emerge as an educated, respectful, successful adult.

3. “As I moved closer to the home where my host family lived, I couldn’t stop staring at the shantytown. Living in the Bronx and Baltimore had given me the foolish impression that I knew what poverty looked like. At that moment, I realized I had no idea what poverty was— even in West Baltimore we lived like kings compared with this. An embarrassing sense of pride tentatively bloomed in the middle of the sadness I felt at my surroundings.”  

When Wes sees poverty through a different lens, he begins to appreciate where he came from. This quote shows the theme that poverty impacts people in many ways because it shows how poverty can humble a person. Though the hoods in the Bronx and Baltimore are rough, poverty in a third world country is entirely different. People living in poverty in America are very poor, but people living in poverty in third world countries literally have nothing. In comparison, poverty in America is like a dream. Conditions of poverty in countries like America are like the middle class in countries like South Africa. Poverty allows people to be thankful for what they have.

Theme 2: People constantly commit crimes in unsafe environments. 

4. "Look, I just found out that my sons are wanted for killing a police officer. If I find anything out, I will tell you, and I will cooperate however I can."

This quote shows that people constantly commit crimes because it describes a specific crime committed. Wes has murdered a police officer and gotten his mother involved as well. He continued to involve himself in hazardous activities, resulting in a hazardous crime. In places like the hoods of Baltimore, people are generally not safe. Their fear drives them to defend themselves and do really dumb, violent things like killing a police officer. 

5. "Two masked men had run into J-Browns Jewelers waving guns at the customers, ordering them to the ground. Costumers screamed in fear and quickly followed the orders as two more masked men entered."

The crimes described in this quote demonstrate the theme that people constantly commit crimes because it describes an armed robbery of a store in the hood. The robbers were poor themselves and living a life on the dangerous streets, driving them to attempt to rob a jewelry store. Living in an unsafe environment causes people to want things they can't have. Living in a place like the hood of Baltimore might influence a person to live a lifestyle filled with crime. Because they are so used to illegal behavior, crimes like robberies might seem like walking the dog.

Title Justification Essay #3

The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore
Title Justification Essay #3

The third and final part of the book, The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore is entitled "Paths Taken and Expectations fulfilled". In this section, Moore describes dramatic life choices that would impact the lives of both Wes'. From the beginning, the reader is aware of the opposite fates of the two Wes Moores. This section explains how each Wes ended up where they are today. Wes Moore titled this part of the book "Paths Taken and Expectations fulfilled" because the chapter shows the ways that our choices send us on alternate paths.
            Based on the decisions both Wes' made, each took different paths, fulfilling different expectations. The author Wes Moore picked the wrong choices until he was set on a different path by attending military school. From his military school experience, Wes changed his behavior and gained initiative and responsibility. By the end of the section, Wes has clear ambitions to, "... stay at Valley Forge and attend its junior college... go through the early admissions commissioning process, receive [his] associate's degree, and become a second lieutenant in the Army." These changes and ambitions caused people to alter their opinions of Wes and gain new and higher expectations. More people began to realize that Wes was capable of success. On his new path, the author Wes was able to fulfill these expectations, becoming a Cecil Rhodes scholar, studying abroad, and gaining becoming one of the youngest officers in the army.  The other Wes Moore began his life making similar wrong choices, however his path differed greatly from that of the author. The other Wes Moore didn't take advantage of the opportunities given to him and instead continued to participate in a life of crime. Wes was a part of a violent drug game that caused people around him to expect a negative future for him. Even Wes knew that people expected him to deal drugs, "The people... would line around the corner for drugs... He knew these people because he was the one who got them what they needed. It was his job." Wes's path made it easy for people expect for him to fail. In the end, the other Wes Moore fulfilled these expectations and is living the rest of his life in prison where, "he knew he no longer had control over his destiny." Even though the Wes' made the same wrong decisions early in life, their paths were completely different and in the end, they fulfilled opposite expectations. 
              This section of The Other Wes Moore is title "Paths Taken and Expectations Fulfilled" because the section describes the paths that each Wes took and the expectations that they fulfilled. The decisions the Wes' made caused them to live their lives in completely opposite ways. The author Wes is successful and educated while the other Wes Moore is serving a life sentence in prison. This section of the book really shows how their parallel lives are both related and completely different. The choices they made are what makes the Wes' so different. Each man chose a different path with the opposite destiny.

Chapter 7: The Land that God Forgot

The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore

Theme Tracking

Chapter 7: The Land that God Forgot

Theme 1: Looking up to a role model can change a person's life. 

3. "As I started to think seriously about how I could become the person I wanted to be, I looked around at some of the people who had the biggest impact on my life." page 132
Role models are a big part of most people's lives. Admiring someone the way Wes admires the important people around him can direct a person in many different directions. Trying to be like other people can cause a person to try to be successful or it could cause a person to make decisions that send them to prison. Whether a person in your life has a negative or a positive effect on you, it's important to take note of how their actions made you feel because this can better help you figure out what kind of person you want to be. 

Theme 1: People make drastic life decisions at a young age.

1. "A year after completing the Job Corps training, Wes realized the only consistency in his employment was inconsistency. That, and the fact that none of these jobs paid over nine dollars an hour." page 144
This quote exemplifies the theme that people make drastic life decisions at a young age because it shows how decisions Wes made as a kid continued to impact him throughout his adult life. Most people like to believe that working hard in life will end in success. However, in a situation like Wes's, it is evident that a person's past can haunt them for the rest of their lives. Even though Wes spent nine months in Job Corps, working hard and learning how to build, he still couldn't find a job that would cover his expenses and support his family. Opportunities like job corps are supposed to help people rebuild their lives in a positive way, but after making such dangerous life decisions early in life, it is challenging to completely change a person's ways of living. Opportunities can keep a person occupied for a bit, but lack of money can keep a person repeating the same bad choices forever.

 2. "As the baking soda swirled in the rapidly heating pot, Wes held the plastic bag with both hands and poured in nine ounces of cocaine." page 145
Wes tried to find a better life, but evidently fails and returns to his drug selling ways. In communities, like the one where Wes grew up, that are ridden with crime and drugs, the only clear and straight forward job to do is to sell drugs. When faced with a decision on how much money to make, it is more appealing to choose a job that pays more. Drugs have a high price so the sellers are guaranteed a stable income if they are loyal to the business. Even if a person makes a conscious choice to change and be better, that one choice has very little value if all the other choices that they have made earlier in their life are negative.

Theme 3: Drugs and crime can drive individuals in a community to extremes.

4. "The sight of her coming off of her high, stumbling to the bathroom, disgusted Wes... The people who would line around the corner for drugs... He knew these people because he was the one who got them what they needed. It was his job." 

page 138
This quote shows the theme that drugs and crime can drive individuals to extremes because it shows the direct effects of drug use on Wes's children's mother. Being involved in the drug trade was probably pretty easy for Wes until they started to negatively effect people he is close to. Sometimes it takes an actual experience to understand the dangers of drugs. Wes was driven to a point of no return in terms of his involvement in the drug trade until he realized what he was really circulating throughout his community. The buying and selling of drugs not only hurts the people taking and getting high off the drug, but it also hurts the people around them. Drug dealers might not always see what extremes people in the community are driven to, until a loved one is sucked in and hurt by them. 

Theme 4: Parenthood can change a person's life. 

5. "Wes had to reconsider what it meant to be a father. He wanted to protect his young daughter, shelter her... Without a thought about what he was taking on, he announced that he wanted to build her a house." page 142
This quote shows the theme that parenthood changes a person's life because it shows how Wes's attitude changed and he decided he wanted to do everything he could to make sure his daughter was safe and happy. Although a small wooden house would not fully shield Wes's daughter from danger, it would at least comfort Wes and offer him a peaceful state of mind. This protection from the streets is thoughtful but also hopeless keeping in consideration the percentage of people who go into the drug ring and never come out. In order for a person to do well in school and not get involved in illegal business it takes self will, not just warnings and wooden houses that offer protection, to make that goal a reality.

Chapter 6: Hunted

Theme 1: People make drastic life decisions at a young age.

·       
1.  “The procession of black robes entering the room was replaced by a wave of forest green robes— the students trailed shortly after the faculty. Smiles, waves, cheers, and whistles rang out. Camera flashes blinked over the parade, parents and friends shooting as wildly as paparazzi. Because his last name put him toward the front of the class, Woody was one of the first to enter the gym, walking with a confident strut. He saw his parents, sister, and grandmother, and smiled. He grabbed the edge of his green cap between his thumb and index finger and tipped it to them. A sign of respect, and gratitude.”  

      This quote describes Wes’s childhood friend Woody's high school graduation. This is inherently symbolic of the theme that people make drastic life decisions at a young age because it shows how Woody’s choices allowed him to be successful despite the drugs and crime he grew up around.  The passage goes on to describe Woody's decisions to work hard and face his struggles so that he could finally graduate. This continues to affirm the idea that though peoples’ personal situations differ, all people face struggles, and the outcome of those struggles is determined by personal choices.  For example, Woody’s choice to stay in school was not an easy one, but it ended up proving the better in the end.  

·     

      2.“[Woody] thought about Daemon, a ninth-grade classmate who didn’t make it to the end of the year. Dae took a month off from school to care for his mother, who was sick with sickle cell. That month turned to two, and finally Dae stopped being a student. Woody thought about White Boy, his boy from the neighborhood, who picked up a job working at a restaurant called Poor Folks. He was tired of school and decided joining the workforce was a better option. Most of all, Woody thought about Wes, who had stopped going to school two years earlier.” 

      

      This passage describes the reasons why many of Wes’s friends made the decision to drop out of high school. Though some would argue that many of these reasons are circumstantial, Woody's thoughts show that is not entirely the case.  Dae, though obviously impacted by terrible circumstances, made the choice to care for his mother, which led him to drop out and change his life. The quote exemplifies how the choices people make can outweigh the influence of circumstance, and how initiative is the most powerful force. Due to many circumstances, people at a young age make drastic life decisions which cause them to lack things like a high school diploma that could have potentially made them successful. 

·         

      3. “The man began to walk away with his head swiveling, seemingly searching for someone else to get drugs from ... Wes thought about the small change he was turning down ... He couldn’t stop thinking about the money he could make off that sale.” 

      

      This quote clearly shows how one decision can change a person's life. Though Wes’s spiral downward was a part of his collective life choices leading towards crime and the drug trade, the one life choice that landed him in prison was his decision to deal to the man described in this quote.  Our lives are continuous stories, but climactic events always seem to have the most influence. Split second decisions like this one can be the difference between freedom and life behind bars.   

·     4. “My mother had noticed the way I had changed since leaving for military school. My back stood straight, and my sentences now ended with “sir” or “ma’am.” My military garrison cap was intentionally a size too big, forcing me to keep my head up, walking taller with every step.”

      

     This quote shows how Wes's decision to take military school seriously. He was forced to go, but it was his choice to take the initiative to be successful at military school. This quote exemplifies the theme that life choices are made at a young age and impact the rest of a person's life. Wes’s choices impacted both the events of his life and the way that he viewed the rest of the world. His new outlook on life allowed him to turn his life around. This is evidence that  the most significant life choices are the ones that change us as people. 

·     5. “I’d only waded into street life in the Bronx; I never got into its deepest, darkest waters. But I’d been around enough street cats to know the code: they hit you with a knife, you find a gun. And I didn’t have to be a Black Panther to know that nigger was the ultimate fighting word. This was the kind of knowledge we understood, the kind of code that was so deeply fundamental it never had to be fully articulated. But I had to let this one go. I had to look at the bigger picture. My assailant was unknown, unnamed, and in a car. This was not a fair fight, and the best-case scenario was nowhere near as probable as the worst-case scenario.”

     

      This quote shows how life decisions can involve internal conflict with oneself. When Wes was assaulted by the kids in the car, he had to choose which part of his personality he wanted to listen to. Part of him wanted to get revenge, and part of him wanted to follow protocol and simply get back to school safely. This quote shows a turning point in Wes’s personality where he chose what type of person he wanted to be. Life decisions like this one show how at a young age, you can make the choice to change what direction you're going in. 

Title Justification Essay #2

The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore
Title Justification Essay #2

    The second section of The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore is titled, “Choices and Second Chances”.  This section describes the numerous life choices both Wesses had to make as they got older, and the second chances they were offered.  Throughout this section, the reader sees the differences between each Wes's individual choices and reactions to second chances.  The theme of life choices is incredibly prevalent in this section of the novel, as each Wes struggles to make the right choices that will lead them to success. Due to the exhibition of the theme of life choices and the description of second chances the boys receive, the title “Choices and Second Chances” is fitting for the second section of the novel.

     The section begins by describing Wes's choice to become a drug dealer. This life decisions is ultimately what shapes Wes’s fate the most. Dealing leads to more crime, and eventually his arrest.  At the beginning of the section Wes is offered a second chance by his brother Tony, who tells him to remove himself from the drug trade before it’s too late.  Tony offers his help but tell him, “If you won’t listen, that’s on you. You have potential to do so much more, go so much further." Wes decides to ignore his brother's advice, and looses what could have been his opportunity to turn his life around. Wes traps himself in a life of drugs, crime, and extreme violence. 

      The other Wes also experiences challenging life decisions and second chances during the second section of The Other Wes Moore. Wes continued to show now interest or effort in his education, not caring about his grades, or about how people thought of him. His struggle to succeed at Riverdale caused his mother to threaten sending him to military school. Wes’s mother made it clear to him that there would be consequences if he continued his behavior, warning him, “You think I’m playing. Just try me”.  However, Wes decided to ignore his mother and continued to let his grades slip. After Wes is arrested for vandalism, his mother finally sends him to military school. Although it was involuntary, Wes's military school education was his second chance because it directed him to later success. 

      The title, “Choices and Second Chances” is appropriate for the second section of The Other Wes Moore because the Wes' important life choices and second chances are described throughout the chapter. This section voices the importance of choices and the circumstances provided by second chances on the outcome of people’s lives.  One Wes's life decisions drove him to ignore and chance at redemption, landing him in prison. The other Wes's choices caused him to end up at military school which allowed him to pursue a successful life. The section truly shows the theme of the impact of life choices, and how the choices we make, though governed by circumstance, are the most influential part of our lives, therefore, "Choices and Second Chances" is a fitting title for this chapter. 

Chapter 5: Lost

The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore

Theme Tracking

Chapter 5: Lost

Theme 1: People make drastic life decisions at a young age.

1. "Wes and his friend traded shots and finally heard Ray scream as he fell behind a black Toyota just fifty feet from his house." page 105

This quote shows the theme that people make drastic life decisions at a young age. At a young age, Wes makes a drastic life decision when he commits a crime and is therefore arrested. This choice will follow Wes Moore for the rest of his life and send him to prison. As a teenager, Wes made decisions that ruined his life and brought him into a criminal world. Although a person might not mean to make bad decisions,  decisions like this one can create a lasting impact on a person's life. 

2.  "Bad grades, absence from classes, and an incident with a smoke bomb were just some of the reasons he rattles off as my mother sat silently on the couch with the phone to her ear. Her conviction was increasing with every bad report." page 87

This excerpt also showed the theme that people make drastic life decisions by giving another example of a time when Wes made a choice that changed his life, Wes made the choice to do poorly in school, act out in class, and to hang out with people who influenced him to do bad things. This case shows a young person's decision that was a good thing because his poor choices convinced his mother to change her son's environment and to to send him to military school. Sometimes, drastic choices are made, but they don't always need to have negative consequences.  

Theme 2: Absent fathers can impact a child no matter what the circumstances.

3. "All he knew was his mom. He had no idea what his role would be in this new situation - he wasn't even sure he had a role." page 101

     Because Wes had only met his father three times in his whole life, he did not have a real concept of what a father was supposed to be. This troubled Wes because he was soon to be a father and, without a father in his life, he had no one to consult for help or to mimic. This shows the theme of absent fathers impacting a child no matter what the circumstances because it shows how even though Wes's father was still alive, he was in no way apart of Wes's life. Fathers can be absent in many ways, this being an example of one possible way. When a kid is abandoned by their dad, they have no way of understanding what a father might mean to them.

Theme 3: Single mothers experience great hardship to help their children succeed. 

5. "My mother had written to family and friends, asking them to help her however they could. 'I wouldn't ask if I didn't really need it,' she wrote." page 95

     This is a prime example of the struggles of a single mother. Joy Moore's struggles to keep her family financially stable while still dreaming of a better life for her kids. Joy knew that the only way to correct Wes's behavior and send him on a good path was to send him to military school. Unable to pay, Joy Moore resorted to extreme measures to find the money she needed. This depicts a single mother experiencing great hardship but sending her kids on the right path. Even though obstacles like money might get in the way, single mothers still work hard to make sure their children are on the path to success. The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore

Chapter 4: Marking Territory

The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore

Theme Tracking

Chapter 4: Marking Territory

Theme 1: People make drastic life decisions at a young age.

1."Tony was exhausted. Tired from the beating he just gave Wes. Tired from repeating himself. If you won‘t listen, that‘s on you. You have potential to do so much more, go so much further. You can lead a horse to water, but you can‘t make him drink right?‘…That was the last time Tony ever tried to talk to Wes about the drug game." Pages 71- 72

From this excerpt, we see that Tony has given up on his little brother Wes. Wes won't make the decisions that Tony wishes he would, making Tony hopeless to try to keep helping him for the better. This quote ties to the theme that people make drastic life decisions at a young age because unless Wes starts making the right decisions, his future surrounded by drugs could lead him to prison. Making the choice to participate in something negative could completely change the course of a person's life.

2. "The cops gave us a gift that day, and I swore I would never get caught in a situation like that again. A week later, Kid Kupid was on the loose again, adding my tag to another graffiti-filled Bronx wall." page 84

This passage describes Wes's deliberate decision to continue to commit crimes, regardless of the apparent consequences. Wes was not arrested for graffiti yet despite his luck, he continued to do it. Sometimes we need multiple instances to learn a lesson and understand what's beneficial. In certain situations we're given a second chance that would lead us towards the right path and would lead to a successful future. In this circumstance, we see a life decision that would change Wes's path starting in his childhood. Life decisions are made at a young age.

3. "The cops gave us a gift that day, and I swore I would never get caught in a situation like that again" page 84

After Wes 1 was nearly arrested for vandalizing public property, he reflects on how he was lucky to be let off the hook by the cops and vows to not get into another situation like that again. Wes seems remorseful of his actions and realizes that the trouble he is getting into is serious. This relates to the theme of life choices because Wes made the decision to change his life again and never get in trouble for something like that again. At the end of the chapter however, it suggests that Wes began vandalizing public property again, so it is questionable whether Wes actually did learn from his mistake. The theme that children make drastic life decisions is evident as Wes builds himself a criminal record. From this, one can infer that many criminals begin committing crimes at a very young age.

Theme 2: Drugs and crime can drive individuals in a community to extremes.

4. "He owed money but had no drugs to sell- he had to figure out how to make that money back quickly. The only way to do that was to go see his connects and hit the street again" page 74

This quote describes Wes's desperation as a result of his mom flushing his drugs down the toilet. Wes figures that the only way for him to earn the money back is to hit the streets and sell more drugs. This ties to the theme of drugs and crime driving people to extremes because it shows two characters going to extremes. Wes's mom is so desperate for Wes to stop dealing that she flushed thousands of dollars of drugs, while Wes is so desperate to keep selling that he returns to the streets to get more despite the inevitable consequences. People involved with drugs and crime will go to extremes to maintain their lifestyle. At an early age, these drugs and crimes could seriously damage a person's future because of the threat of being arrested or the violence that comes with being involved in the drug game.

5.  "Now I understood what was going where this was going. I was being arrested" page 81

This excerpt is about Wes's experience being arrested after he vandalized a city wall. This ties into the theme of crime and drugs taking people to extremes because Wes was so involved in crime that he got arrested. In this case Wes was let off the hook but he could have easily faced worse consequences for breaking the law. Crimes drive people to extremes because unless the criminal is punished, they will not know what they had done was wrong.

Title Justification Paper #1

The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore

Title Justification Paper #1

         The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore chronicles the lives of two men named Wes Moore. Part one on the book, "Fathers and Angels", describes the relationships both the Wes Moores had with their fathers throughout their childhoods. The first couple chapters of the book also reveal to the reader both Wes's mothers attempting to direct the boys as their "angels" while facing life changing experiences. Wes Moore titled part one of The Other Wes Moore, "Fathers and Angels" to show the roles of parents in a child's life.

The title, "Fathers and Angels" is appropriate for the author’s purpose because it demonstrates the relationships of the Wes' and their fathers. Contrasting experiences where the author talks about happy memories about his father, while describing the other Wes as having barely any memories at all. The Wes' know that their fathers' absences were quite different,  “Your father wasn‘t there because he couldn‘t be, my father wasn‘t there because he chose not to be.” The purpose of both boys absence of father’s was to show how they affected their lives in different ways. One father chose to abandon his son while the other Wes had no choice but to cooperate with the death of his father.

The title "Fathers and Angels" also assists the author's purpose by suggesting that the mothers of the Wes Moores are not simply mothers, but are truly guardian angels for their sons. The mothers work hard to direct the boys in the right direction for a successful future by making sure the Wes' have a good education. Wes 1's mother "... decided soon after [their] move to the Bronx that [Wes] was not going to public school" (47).  Instead Wes 1's mother worked multiple jobs so that she could send her son to an affluent private school where Wes would have the opportunity to succeed. The other Wes' mother also valued her son's future and tried to provide him with the chance to receive a better education by moving her family to a new neighborhood. This shows that both the Wes Moores' mothers were strong women who only wanted the best for their sons. They would do anything to provide them with a chance to have a bright future. The Wes Moores' mothers were their protectors and angels throughout their early lives and they supported them as much as they could, despite the lack of another parent. The title of part 1 "Fathers and Angels" shows that the mothers of the Wes Moores were more than just mothers, they were angels. This first part of the book gives insight to the boy's futures by telling about their past relationships with their parents. 

It’s clear that Wes Moore titled Part One of The Other Wes Moore, ”Fathers and Angels”, to demonstrate how everyone’s past effects them in the future. It shows how childhood events and particular circumstances can change a person’s entire life. It shows how a child’s relationships with their parents can affect their futures as adults. Both boy’s lack of a father and angels of mothers completely drove their lives in different directions.

Characterization Sonnets

The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore
Characterization Sonnets

Wes
This gent hadst a home to no parallel
But ho his father hath passed hence
Woah! The gent down the stairs he fell
Bethought his future wast to be tense
A mother's intent for a future to be
Apace the family wot’st thou mov’st
Wes, "Bronx Boy", was he
And to the streets twas all he do'st
An inspiration at best
Poor Wes his soul was wrought
Though fainting words do warrant his test
His fortune misled so by the cops he was caught
Perchance this knave would owe such a pate
To lead him onward to a glorious fate


Other Wes
How ill a scene young Wes did bear
The gangs and streets the knave was bourn
So loving, his mother, yet merely unaware
Two sons would she be soon to scorn
A brother a mentor whom Wes did adore
Knife in hand and footsteps followed he
A delinquent of sorts and why, what for
Good morrow mother happly hied a master's degree
Poor mistress couldn't know whither her son would end
Upon the wall, shoeboxes stacked and filled
A lone knave on the corner to the wrong man his hand did he lend
His gentle mother a heart which was't killed
Predict he tried but Wes could not
An ugly fate by the streets he was wrought

Chapter 3: Foreign Ground

The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore

Theme Tracking

Chapter 3: Foreign Ground

Theme 1: Drugs can infiltrate a person's life before they realize they are involved.

1. "Besides watching Tony, Wes's first real interaction with drugs had taken place a few months earlier, just before the move out to Baltimore County" page 59

This quote is describes the first time jail Wes interacted with drugs. Wes's first experience with drugs occurred at a young age. The reader already knows the impact drugs have on Wes's life and this excerpt about his first experience shows how the drugs affected Wes before he even knew what was happening. From Wes's example, we see that once you get involved in the world of drugs it is quite difficult to get out of it, especially at such an early age. We also see that drugs can impact a person's life, especially a kid's life, before they realize what is happening. After this first encounter, Wes didn't know how to remove himself from the drug world. Before Wes realized what was  happening, drugs ruined his life, showing the theme that drugs infiltrate a person's life before they know they are involved.

2. "He knew what this game was, the same game that had consumed Tony and put a bullet or two in him. The same game Tony continually urged Wes to stay out of" page 58

This excerpt refers to jail Wes's job as a police scout for a group of drug dealers. The quote shows the theme of people unknowingly being impacted by drugs by showing how participating in the drug world in such a small way can translate to a life based on the impacts of drugs. It seems as though the author writes about Wes's experience with drugs to show how quickly things can spiral out of control. Starting small can soon translate to big consequences; even before the person is aware of what they are doing. 

Theme 2: Parents in tough situations want their children to have everything they did not, starting with an education.

3. "...my mother had begun to threaten me with military school if I didn't get my grades and discipline together" page 54 

Here, Wes talks about his mother's threat of military school if he does not start receiving better grades in school or behaving respectfully. This ties into the theme of parents wanting the best for their children because it shows how extreme consequences were if Wes was not doing his best. Wes's mother wants what is best for him and wants him to have a bright future. That is why she worked multiple jobs to send him to Riverdale Country School, an affluent private school. This exemplifies the idea that parents in tough situations emphasize the importance of their children's education so their children will not end up in the same situation they grew up in. Mothers realize that the way to help their children to succeed is to help them to succeed in school. Wes's mother's persistence and desire for Wes to succeed in school and the importance of education to her might be one of the leading factors for Wes  to become successful later on in life.

4. "Baltimore City had a 70 percent dropout rate at the time. Tony had already joined that statistic; Mary wanted to keep Wes away from the same fate" page 57

This quote brings up one of the reasons why Mary Moore decided to move her family away from Baltimore. Mary's desire for Wes to succeed and graduate high school made her willing to take large measures. This quote ties to the theme that troubled parents want their kids to receive an education because it shows how Mary deliberately worked to make sure Wes was in a positive learning environment. Like the other Wes's mother, Mary values education and wants the best for her son. She wants him to have a bright future and she sees education as the gateway to his success. This shows that although both mother's were in different situations, all parents in troubled situations can see education as the key to their children's future success. 

Theme 4: Drugs and crime can drive individuals in a community to extremes. 

5. "We were starting to feel the fear that crept around the edges of our consciousness at dusk... Justin knew the rules; Never look people in the eye. Don't smile, it makes you look weak. Always keep your money in your front pocket, never in your back pocket. Know where the drug dealers are at all times. Know where the cops are at all times." page 51

This quote effectively shows the ways that Wes and Justin were affected by the crime that surrounded and seeped into their neighborhoods. Everyone in the community was aware that no matter where you are or who you are with, you are never in a safe place. This goes along with the theme that drugs and crime can drive a community to extremes because it shows how fear directs people's lives. Places like the Bronx succumbed to crime and violence, greatly affecting the families that lived their by preventing them from living a normal, happy life. Instead, people live in great fear of being attacked or put in danger at any moment because their communities were so involved with drugs and crime.

Chapter 2: In Search of Home

The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore

Theme Tracking

Chapter 2: In Search of Home 

Theme 1: Absent fathers can impact a child no matter what the circumstances.

1. "Most of all Wes enjoyed the simple fact that Woody's father was there. Before he met Woody, Wes had never really seen a father around. Single-parent households were the norm in his world... He was genuinely happy for Woody, but he was also deeply envious." page 30

Chapter 2 continues the theme of absent fathers. Wes is clearly struggling with the absence of his father. Woody's father become that person for Wes. Although Wes can see what having a father is like, he is deeply jealous of Woody. Wes's new definition of family and affection and his new feelings of jealousy exemplify the theme that absent fathers impact a child no matter what. From this quote, the reader can see that absent fathers are always impacting the child, especially when they are around people who have fathers. It seems like the reader is using Wes to show an example of "the norm" of single parent households.

Theme 2: People are capable of overcoming obstacles.

2. "We were all enclosed by the same fence, bumping into one another, fighting, celebrating. Showing one another our best and worst, revealing ourselves- even our cruelty and crimes- as if that fence had created a circle of trust. A brotherhood." page 45

This chapter also continues the theme of overcoming obstacles. For the boys in the neighborhood, the basketball court was a place to for them to escape from the drugs and crime. Growing up in such undesirable circumstances causes the boys to have many obstacles including drug problems, violent home lives, and criminal records. From this quote, I can infer that basketball was a way for the boys to overcome all the tragedies on the streets and cope with their hardships. Basketball helped these guys get along with each other but it also momentarily freed them of  the danger and crimes around them. The author seems to use basketball as an example of ways that people cope with things. While these boys use basketball, other characters in the book use drugs and alcohol. By showing these coping mechanisms, the author shows differences between age groups in this community and the ways that people in the community overcome obstacles. 

Theme 3: Single mothers experience similar hardships despite differences in their circumstances.

3. "Mom, if it's still all right, I think we need to move up there. I can't do this alone anymore." page 37

This quote shows insight to some hardship Joy experienced as a single mother. After Wes Moore Sr. died, Joy was left with a broken heart and three kids to support. Without her calm and caring husband to help raise their children, Joy was left with stress and worry as challenges accumulated. Being a single mother brought on a lot more stress and responsibility to Joy's life and her only resolution was to seek help from her parents. This quote shows the hardships that all single mothers face, with Joy as an example. Single parent homes are the norm for this community so the author uses the characters to show the idea that all single mothers experience similar hardship.

4. "It was years before Wes's mom found out her son had been arrested that day." page 35

This excerpt shows parallels between Joy's struggles as a single mom and Mary's struggles as a single mom. Since Mary was a single mom, she could not be involved in her child's life. Mary had to work to support her family. With her busy schedule, she lost knowledge of what her kids were doing including the knowledge that Wes was arrested. Revealing that Wes's mom wasn't even aware of his arrest shows the challenges of being a single mother. 

Theme 4: Drugs and crime can drive individuals in a community to extremes. 

5. "Fear and apathy had become the new norm in what had once been a close-knit community. They had also talked about something I had never heard before. Crack." 

This quote shows a less obvious theme of the novel. The theme of drugs and crime drives the entire plot. Everyone in the community is impacted by  the violence in the area. The community was damaged and torn apart by drugs including crack. Wes and his family were surrounded by vacant buildings and shady drug deals. This environment makes everything in Wes's life that much more complicated. I can infer that the theme of drugs and crime driving individuals in a community to extremes will reoccur throughout the text.

Chapter 1: Is Daddy Coming Home with Us?

The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore

Theme Tracking
Chapter 1: Is Daddy Coming Home with Us?

Theme 1: Absent fathers can impact a child no matter what the circumstances.

1. “Your father wasn’t there because he couldn’t be, my father wasn’t there because he chose not to be. We’re going to mourn their absence in different ways.” page 1

This quote from page one of The Other Wes Moore shows the idea that regardless of what circumstances a father is absent, the child is affected in some way. Moore writes that someone's father wasn't there because he couldn't be, but his father wasn't there because he chose not to be. Moore says that the two circumstances will still cause mourning for the child left behind. Even if a kid knows why their father isn't in their life, they will still mourn their father's absence. 

Theme 2: People are capable of overcoming obstacles.

2. "He grabbed her by the shoulders and threw her down... One month later, Joy and Nikki were packed up. Together, they left Bill for good." page 10

This quote shows how one character was able to overcome an obstacle. Joy's obstacle was her husband who was physically, mentally, and emotionally abusive on account of his drug and alcohol addiction. On the day that her husband came home and pushed Joy around, Joy's only thought was making sure her child would not be waken. Joy defended herself and realized that the only safe option she had was to leave her husband. Once she did, her obstacle that was her abusive husband was overcome.

3.  "She'd always pull back enough in her interactions with her classmates to give herself room to quietly observe them, so that when she got home she could practice imitating their accents, their idiosyncrasies, their style." page 8

This quote shows the theme of overcoming obstacles by showing another circumstance where a character overcame an obstacle. Being an immigrant from Jamaica, Joy wanted "desperately to fit in". To do this she studied her classmates talk, mimicked what she heard on the radio and TV, and tried to assimilate to American English and life. Her obstacle was being a foreigner. She overcame this obstacle by learning how to get rid of her Jamaican accent. 

Theme 3: People make life choices that impact more lives than just their own.

4. "By the end of the riots... Mary was only a kid, but she made a pact with herself at that moment: she would get her education and leave the neighborhood no matter what it took." page 19

This quote shows the theme of life choices impacting others by showing why life choices are made. Mary's tough childhood involving a crowded household, a bad neighborhood, and riots caused her to make the choice to leave everything she had grown up with. Mary made the life decision to go to college and completely change her fate. She did this while taking care of her two children and in effect, Mary created a better life for her kids. 

5. "'It's Bernard's crazy ass out there. I ain't going out to talk to him. He's drunk and crazy'... That was the last time he tried to see his son." page 24

This quote shows another time that Mary made a life decision for the benefit of her kids. When Bernard decided to he wanted to see his son, Mary knew that to keeping herself and her two sons away from him was the only way to keep them safe from his drunk behavior. When Mary made the decision to not let him in, Mary made the decision to be a single mother. This choice meant that Mary's son Wes would not have a father but it also meant peace and safety for Mary's family. This is an example of a life decision affecting others because Mary's decision directly impacted her son's lives.