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.
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