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.