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.