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Wes Moore's The Other Wes Moore

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“The Other Wes Moore” is a representation as to how often our lives depend on choices, however, it is also a story as to how little control we may have in these choices. The story of each Wes begins on a strikingly similar path; they each grew up in violent neighborhoods, came from broken families, and held little value towards their education. Neither man had a choice in these families or the social prejudice that came with their communities, but each were given a handful of moments which led to their paths diverging from one another. As the lives of both Wes Moores are laid out before the reader, the author makes it clear that these choices as individuals and the choices of our society both stand as defining features of our lives. The author, Wes Moore, began his life on a bumpy road. Experiencing death at a young age and losing an influential figure in his life made growing up difficult. Moore pushed himself little academically, yet, because of his actions his mother enlisted him to attend military school. Once at military school Wes still refused to accept the challenges placed before him and chose to flee. What stopped him from following a path identical to the other Wes Moore was that of his support system. While Wes only had one parent, he had a family that loved him deeply. His mother sent him away for school as a way to shield him …show more content…
Instead, Wes chose a path similar to his older brother, one that revolved around drugs and violence. The expectations of Wes soon dropped lower and fit the mold of any other young, black man in his neighborhood. Wes even states in an interview with the author that he believes that we are all products of the expectations others set for us, expectations that we have accepted as our own (126). Wes’s family and environment lost faith in him, so Wes followed

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