Chapter 7: The Land That God Forgot

      ·         “When you step on the court with players like Kobe Bryant or six foot eight point guards who can dunk from the free throw line, your mind begins to concentrate on your other options.” (Page 130)

In this quote, Wes explains how his aspiration of becoming an athlete was impaired by his realization that he was not good enough.  This shows that it is important to have several life choice paths to take in case one does not work out, and in order to eventually be successful in life.

      ·         “Aside from my family and friends, the men I most trusted all had something in common: they all wore the uniform of the United States of America.” (Page 132)

This quote shows that Wes was inspired and frankly changed forever through military schooling.  This reveals that the military can have a big impact on your life choices and worldview: resulting in an increased sense of pride and dedication to your job and country.

      ·         “’Where did you get this from?’ Wes asked, but Cheryl just kept repeating the same response, as if they were the only words she knew: ‘I’m sorry.’”  (Page 137)

This quote exemplifies the idea of destructive life choices showing that Cheryl, who was perfectly capable of understanding her danger and addiction to heroin, chose to make the wrong choice anyway.  Lack of caring for her children, her absent husband, and her poverty all managed to put her in her miserable state.  The same is true for many depressed people today.

      ·         “Levy would be entering the Job Corps as a high school dropout but was hoping to leave with a general equivalency diploma (GED) and the skills to help him land a job as a hot-water-boiler repairman.  He knew the pay would be lower from what he was making on the streets, but the work was steady and honest, and he would have more time to give his family without injury, death, or incarceration looming.” (Page 139)

This quote shows that Levy chose to put himself through tedious schooling for a job that would result in less pay than his current drug-dealing occupation.  This implies that it is more important to have a moral sense and make honest life choices rather than have more money.

      ·         “’Fuck God,’ he said, drawing in a lungful of smoke.  ‘If He does exist, He sure doesn't spend any time in Wes Baltimore.’” (Page 140)

This quote demonstrates that Wes, who had seen poverty, drugs, and lack of love for his entire love, refused to acknowledge God’s presence.  This choice to decline any sort faith is shown as a consequence of a scarring childhood.

Title Justification Paper #2: Choices and Second Chances

Chapters 4, 5, and 6 of The Other Wes Moore all belong to part two of the book, called Choices and Second Chances.  This section as a whole is about both Wes’ adolescent lives as their paths diverge in different directions.  At the beginning of the section, in chapter 4, both boys are depicted as irresponsible troublemakers who skip school and butt heads with the law.  The other Wes even awaits fatherhood and faces attempted murder charges.  By the end of the section, however, author Wes has become a high-ranking sergeant, athlete, and scholar at military school while the other Wes has been arrested for drug possession.  Choices and Second Chances is an appropriate name for this section because it recounts how both boys made regretful decisions in their lives, but only one Wes was given a second chance to redeem himself at military school. 

In Choices and Second Chances, both Wes Moores start off as reckless kids being corrupted not only by the violence, drugs, and poverty surrounding them, but also by theirs own life choices.  Both boys bring despair upon themselves through their decisions to break the law and skip school.  In this section, Wes writes that, “I could effortlessly recite hip-hop lyrics while struggling with my English class,” showing that he was a perfectly capable learner, but chose not to attend class.  He describes the other Wes saying, “Not surprisingly, without a high school diploma or job training – and with a criminal record – Wes found it almost impossible to find a job to support his growing family.”  This shows that Wes brought his misery upon himself by choosing to rashly involve himself with gun shootings and drop out of school.  Unfortunately, even though the other Wes Moore’s situation seemed worse than the author’s, it was nevertheless the author who was granted a second chance.  According to Wes, his grandparents sacrificed their savings and mortgage payments from their home so that he could become, “A platoon sergeant, a cadet master sergeant, and the youngest senior noncommissioned officer in the entire corps.”  Through his mother’s desperation and his grandparents’ financial aid, Wes’ behavior and life turned around in military school, while the other Wes Moore never became so lucky.

Choices and Second Chances is an appropriate name for the second section of Wes Moore’s novel because it describes how he and his counterpart made destructive choices, but how military school gave him alone a second chance in life.  What sets this section apart is that it begins to dissociate the two Wes’ parallel biographies, molding the images of both boys into what they are today.  While author Wes became a veteran and Rhodes Scholar due to his life-changing military education, the other Wes became a murderer because he was never given the opportunity to repair his fractured life.  With this in mind, Wes Moore may be trying to tell the reader that life is unfair in that it only grants privileges to a select few.    

Chapter 6: Hunted

      ·         “Not surprisingly, without a high-school diploma or job training – and with a criminal record – Wes found it almost impossible to find a job to support his growing family.” (Page 110)

This passage shows the importance of education because it implies that if Wes had received a high school education, he would have had an easier time finding a job to support his family.

      ·         “Three years ago I’d been one of the insubordinate kids first entering the gates of Valley Forge.  In an ironic turn, I was now one of the ones in charge of them.” (Page 115)

This quote shows the importance of education because it explains that Wes changed into both a role model and academic leader when he went to Valley Forge military school.

      ·         “I was making a name on the court, and colleges were taking notice, writing to me fairly frequently.  These two letters, from Lafayette College and Georgetown, were just the most recent.” (Page 115)

This quote demonstrates how important school was for Wes because it allowed him to play basketball at a competitive level, which looked impressive to recruiting colleges.

      ·         “This uniform had become a force field that kept the craziness of the world outside from getting too close to me, but I wondered if it was just an illusion.” (Page 118)

Although this quote questions the legitimacy of Wes’ safety at school, it still demonstrates that school provided a comforting and safe environment for him.

      ·         “The irony of the situation forced me to smile, featuring my newly cracked tooth.  Years earlier, I had run through these same woods with all of my might, looking for safety, trying to get away from campus.  Tonight, I ran through the same woods looking for safety, but in the other direction.” (Page 122)

This quote illustrates the importance of education because it shows how Wes had come to realize that school was a safe haven from danger, instead of an unlikable obligation.

Chapter 5: Lost

      ·         “I knew my mother was considering sending me away, but I never thought she’d actually do it.  The final straw came one evening when she sat downstairs on the phone listening to my dean from Riverdale explain why they were placing me on academic and disciplinary probation.” (Page 87)

This quote reveals the importance of education because it shows that Wes’ mother could not tolerate Wes’ bad grades and behavior, and knew her son had to shape up as a student and as a person.

      ·         “My grandparents took the money they had in the home in the Bronx, decades of savings and mortgage payments, and gave it to my mother so she could pay for my first year of military school.” (Pages 95-96)

This quote illustrates the importance of education because it shows how Wes’ grandparents were willing to sacrifice thousands of dollars to pay for a strict, scholarly future for Wes.

      ·         “Wes’s nonexistent relationship with his father probably contributed to his seeming indifference about becoming a father himself.” (Page 101)

This quote shows the theme of absent fathers because it explains that since Wes never had a father to look after him, he did not feel as if he had any responsibilities toward raising his child.

      ·         “Finally, after some jostling, his father’s eyes cracked open.  He saw Wes standing over him.  Still squinting, he looked his son in the eyes.  ‘Who are you?’” (Page 102)

This passage shows Wes’ father’s absence in his life because it reveals that his father had been so removed from Wes’ life that he did not even recognize his own son.

      ·         “Wes went inside, but he had no intention of staying there.  He ran to his room and straight to his closet.  He reached up to the top shelf and pulled out the shoe box that held his 9mm Beretta and a few full clips…Tony’s words rang through his mind.  Send a message.” (Pages 103-104)

This quote reveals the theme of violence because it shows that Wes had been brought up in a family under the influence of violence and therefore tended to respond with reckless violent behavior.

Wes Moore Characterization Sonnets

Lived two boys long ago named Wes Moore

Much time they didst spend on the streets with some drugs

Helped they thus the case of their families so poor

Dealt both with some crews who were really just thugs

Black were their faces like a starless mid-night

Cared both boys for their outward appearance

Although hindered the looks of these two their flight

Displayed both Wes Moores perseverance

Fancy clothes wore one Wes just to seem cool

Jordans wore the other and had small self-control

And while corrected was the first’s behavior at school

Developed the other a worser soul

Their actions thought the boys would serve the turn

But caused unlawful behavior one future to burn

Caused love and drugs in the lives of the Moores much drama

Of the care of their mothers in spite

Saw both boys violence, cocaine and marijuana

But saw the Moores in their darkness some light

Motherly love was what afloat kept the souls

Of the boys quarreled they with the cops

Was one “Kid Kupid” with his seducer roles

With the drugs the other in a Nike shoe box

Fathers absent on the boys inflicted bad behavior

When their wives left they without a tear

And although acted their mothers as a savior

Didst their corrupted fates seem so near

As struggled each Wes between good and evil

Continued their cities in constant upheaval

Chapter 4: Marking Territory

      ·         “Mary knew her younger son was no innocent.  In addition to the knife fight when he was younger, Wes had been arrested a few years back after being caught stealing a car.” (Page 71)

This quote illustrates the theme of poor life choices because it shows the Wes had chosen a path of violence and dishonesty, even as a young boy.

      ·         “She reached again for the first Nike box and opened it.  Inside were pills, marijuana, half an ounce of powdered cocaine, and half a dozen dials of ‘ready rock,’ or crack cocaine…She didn't even bother looking in the second box; she already knew all she needed to know.  Both of her sons were drug dealers.” (Page 73)

This quote reflects poor life choices because it shows how Wes had decided to enter the drug game himself, despite his family’s discouragement. 

      ·         “Of course, all of that didn't matter to my mother.  All she knew was that I could effortlessly recite hip-hop lyrics while struggling with my English class.” (Page 76)

This quote illuminates author Wes’ poor life choices because it shows that Wes was fully capable of learning and memorization, but that he simply chose not to try in school.

      ·         “Not only was her brother older and bigger but he had a rep as one not to be played with.  But I just stood there in my B-boy stance, empowered by strains of ‘The Bridge Is Over’ running through my head, until I felt like the message had gotten across.” (Page 79)

This quote shows poor life choices because it describes author Wes’ tough ego, which could get him in trouble with bigger and stronger kids.  

      ·         “He looked at me with a sly smirk.  ‘You wanna tag?’  I couldn't say no.  First off, Shea was one of the most respected young hustlers in the neighborhood…Plus, I loved throwing my name up on a wall; it felt like splashing in the shallow end of the criminal pool.” (Page 80)

This passage shows author Wes’ poor life choices because it explains that Wes was willing to engage in criminal activity in order to please his friends and to seem cool.

Title Justification Paper #1: Fathers and Angels

The first three chapters of The Other Wes Moore are grouped into one section called Fathers and Angels.  This part of the book focuses on the childhood experiences of both Wes Moores as they grow up under the influence of violence, drugs, and peer pressure.  The first chapter, Is Daddy Coming With Us?, focuses on the absence of fathers in both boys’ lives.  The second and third chapters, In Search of Home and Foreign Ground, deal with the pressure of violence, drugs, and new schools as the boys move to new cities.  While this section as a whole displays the corruption the boys faced after their fathers’ absences, it also reveals the “angelic” mentors that helped the boys through these tough times; therefore, Fathers and Angels is an appropriate name for this section.

When his father dies, author Wes’ mother is no longer able to support him and his sister Nikki on her own, and so she moves them to her parents’ house in the Bronx.  In his book, Wes describes how, “Fear and apathy had become the new norm in what had once been a close-knit community.  They [Wes’ mother and grandparents] also talked about something I’d never heard of before.  Crack.”    This passage shows how Wes’ father’s death led to their moving to the Bronx, where fear and drugs were imminent.  The author also describes the damaging effect fathers had on the other Wes Moore – “Wes got himself ready and went to check on his mother again.  He felt he had to take care of her: his father had been a ghost since birth.”  This quote reveals that his father’s absence made the other Wes and his brother have to deal with stressful situations (the quote goes on to explain how Wes’ brother had started visiting his father in the drug-infiltrated Murphy Homes Projects).  Although the depravity of fathers corrupted both boys, their mothers both served as role models for them.  Author Wes’ mother teaches Wes to never treat women badly and enlists him in a “Predominantly white private school” in the Bronx.  The other Wes’ mother values her education at John Hopkins University and, “Was usually out of the house by 8:30 and didn’t come back until well into the evening.”  Both Wes’ absent fathers provided sharp contrast with their “angel” mothers, who did their best to support them.

Fathers and Angels is an appropriate title for the first section of The Other Wes Moore because it focuses on both the corruption caused by absent fathers in the boys’ lives and the aid and support provided by their mothers – who are the “angels”.  The absence of fathers causes the boys to be faced with dangerous new cities and situations, but the boys’ mothers do all they can to teach their sons the importance of feminism, education, and supporting the family.  Although this theme seems somewhat sexist, the author may have wanted to reflect this idea to show that even amidst the most perilous situations, help and support can still be found. 

Chapter 3: Foreign Ground

      ·         “Just as the street corners of the Bronx had changed, so had the public schools.  Things were falling apart, and the halls of school were no exception or refuge from the chaos outside.” (Page 47)

This quote reflects the theme of change and diversity because it shows how the Bronx public school system had drastically deteriorated after the family’s move there.

      ·         “Up and down the street were entrepreneurial immigrants in colorful clothes – embroidered guayaberas and flowering kente and spray-painted T-shirts – hustling everything from mix tapes to T-shirts to incense from crowded sidewalk tables.  The air rang with English and Spanish in every imaginable accent, spoken by parents barking orders to their children or young lovers playfully flirting with each other.” (Page 48)

This passage shows the diversity of the Bronx neighborhoods caused by the influx of immigrants who introduced new foods, clothes, languages, and products.   

      ·         “Drugs were not new to the Bronx.  Marijuana, cocaine, and cocaine all took their turns as the drug of choice.  But crack was different.  After it officially introduced itself in the 1980s, it didn’t take long for crack to place a stranglehold on many communities.” (Page 50)

This quote shows the change and diversity of the Bronx as it lists the role of various drugs, and shows the terrible effect crack had on Bronx communities.

      ·           “Wes walked through his new neighborhood, the fourth he could remember living in so far in his short life.  He’d called this place home for only the last four months.” (Page 55)

This quote portrays change in Wes’ life because it explains how he had to get used to every new neighborhood he moved into, which was many.

      ·         “Aside from the carbon-copy houses, there was nothing uniform about this working-class neighborhood; it was filled with people of all shapes, colors, and backgrounds.  The only thing most of them had in common was that they came from somewhere else, and for most of them, Dundee was a better place to be.” (Page 56)

This quote shows the diversity of Wes’ new neighborhood, because it describes Dundee as a sort of refuge for several different kinds of working-class people.