The Similarities And Differences In The Other Wes Moore

Wes Moore and the “Other” Wes Moore “Young boys are more likely to believe in themselves if they know there's someone, somewhere, who shares that belief.” Two kids grew up in the same city, with the same name, which is Wes Moore. The both had many similarities and differences. They both grew up fatherless. They both had hated many similar experiences.

Wes Moore The other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates by Wes Moore is about two boys with the same last name who take two very different paths. Wes Moores grow up without a father figure, however, the author Wes Moore’s father Westley passed away due to acute epiglottitis whereas other Wes Moore’s father Bernard was an alcoholic and never around. (Both of the Wes Moores also lived in the Bronx, which had a heavy influence for drugs and crime.) In spite of several setbacks, the author Wes Moore was able to become successful, the other Wes Moore was a failure and spent the rest of his life behind bars.

“ I listened to my mother latest story-same fixing cars at an auto shop in Los Angeles-and I remembered how it was after Sam threw down the gun, after my mother had turned and walked away, when I stepped out of the bushes, stooped to touch each crumpled bird body, and he watched me for a while, hands in his pockets, no longer able to recognize a sister”(25). This quote, from Sister, describes their relationship which over than a family. Sam and Schiller recognized that their relationship was different than before, so Sam decided to go to another place. As Schiller grew older, and she began to see herself in the third person since she conclude not control her emotion with her family and Sam.

Thought these stories are somewhat similar, their differences greatly outweigh them, causing the feelings of the viewer to be completely different. The development of the character’s perspective, the provisions received from God, and the theme of family ties beating the despair in times of trouble are all but a few of the differences that separate these two

In the book, Wes Moore states "This book is meant to show us how... our destinies can be determined by a single stumble down the wrong path, or a tentative step down the right one." (“The Other Wes Moore”). Wes Moore tells his readers his purpose for writing “The Other Wes Moore” was to give people examples of how one bad decision can determine a person’s destiny. One simple mistake could change a person’s life. Wes Moore also believes that one step in a positive direction could change someone’s life for the best.

The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore is about identity. Throughout the book, Wes Moore questions why he and the other Wes Moore had such different lives, even though, they shared a name. In doing so, it caused him to look deeper into his background and himself and wonder how he ended up where he was, along with the other Wes Moore. According to Wes Moore, “As I’ve puzzled over the issue, I’ve become convinced that there are some clear and powerful measures that can be taking during this crucial time in a young person’s life” (Moore 179). He had discovered that he and the other Wes Moore had similar upbringings, but the choices he made differed from the other Wes Moore’s choices.

Following the death, his mother decides to move them into their grandparent’s house in New York, hoping this will make things a little less challenging. However, the neighborhood was not how she remembered. Wes was now witnessing more drug activities and dealing with being enrolled into a new school with a divergent environment. Dissatisfied with his life, he began to care less. His attitude caused his grades to drop and eventually he was placed on academic probation.

As a writer it always seems hard to write about yourself. When asked “Who are you?” you tend to dance around the question or are not able to answer it at all. In the book “The Hour of the Star” by Clarice Lispector, the author uses a narrator who cannot fully determine who he is and also cannot determine who the character he narrates is. The narrator constantly addresses the idea of inner peace and describes it by telling a story of a girl named Macabea; this inner peace that the main character possesses infuriates the narrator because he himself does not possess such inner peace.

“that was I. That was me. That was the author of this book”,

And both Moores had positive and negative social influences. This essay by now established the influence family members can make in a person’s life, and in TOWM, family influence is a major key. Both Wes’ were influenced by at least one family member and respectively shaped the people they became. Similarly, the boys had friends who impacted them positively and negatively. When the author Wes started attending Riverdale all the students around him were white, therefore, he felt left out.

This essay will argue what is meant by the representation of the Other in the novels The Icarus Girl and Shadow Tag. The other is a representation of the questions surrounding identity that arise in these texts. The Icarus Girl focuses on the alternate identities of Jessamy Harrison and her struggle to find a fitting identity because of having a multi-national heritage. Shadow Tag takes a different approach to the question of identity, as Irene America attempts to escape her identity as a domestic abuse victim in the blue diary that she keeps hidden from her husband Gil. There is also the question about the identity of the narrative voice of the novel.

I tell you I got so confused sometimes I didn’t know who it was I was supposed to be.” (p.28) Charlie needed to become an adult because his father passed away was a big inspiration for him and no one in his family can take that responsibility but he doesn’t know if he is still a child or an adult. Another experience that changes Charlie is after he fought with Mr Peacock.

In this quote, Wes Moore, the narrator is speaking from his house in Baltimore. Wes does not have many memories with his father because his father died when Wes was a little boy. This reveals that Wes had a difficult childhood. Wes looked up to his father because he was his protector. Wes’s only memories with his father are when he made him apologize to his mother and sister for hitting his sister and watching him die

“Identity can change for a person over the course of their life. Certain events can change a person a person for the better or the worse,” This cause to happen from a boy name Elie Wiesel from the book called Night by Elie Wiesel, Memoir. It cause from Elie changing his life to him being a religious and studios boy to him stop believing in god. Over the course of Night, Elie’s identity has changed tremendously. Elie went from being a studios boy who was very religious to a kid who started to die from the inside and thinking about nothing.

Snap Judgement in Literature It is easy for a person to judge someone by their appearance or apparel, seeing past that takes getting to know someone a little more. Snap judgement is a thing that occurs on a day to day basis, when people place each other under stereotypes or categories for appearing a certain way. In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee several characters are subjected to snap judgement. Boo Radley is seen as shady when he is merely shy, and Atticus Finch is seen as being an average father when he is an exciting character.