The Other Wes Moore

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“The Other Wes Moore” by Wes Moore depicts the lives of two young men that arose out of similar circumstances in opposite ways. One was victimized by his environment while the other was prompted to find a way out of his ambiguous struggles. Although both Wes Moore’s shared the same rebellious attitude coming from father less childhoods, their success and failure were cultivated by their influences. In this book, it is evident that influences play a pivotal role in the outcomes of the two Wes Moores’. We first look at the author Wes Moore. This young man was highly influenced by his grandparents, his mother, and his military school. When Wes’s behavior and education began to fall in Chapter 5, his mother knew “She was loosing her son, and she was not sure how to turn the tide” (Pg. 89). Therefore, she worked several jobs and received assistance from her parents to send him to Valley Forge Military School. This military school changed him for the best. On page 155 Wes says, “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 “mam.” He had new influences, a better education, a career, and a better outlook on life. How was all this possible? He had positive influences around him causing him to be shaped into a smart, successful young man. His family deeply cared about his success and did not want to see failure in his future. In contrast, the other Wes Moore did not have many positive influences in his life. His influence was his brother Tony that was “the closest thing he had to a role model” (page 72) Tony was a troubled child and their mother would depend on him to talk Wes out of drug dealing and fighting when Tony did those activities himself. How cliché? Of course, Wes felt that if Tony could do it then it was acceptable. We find this evident in Chapter 4 on page 72. Wes

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