The Other Wes Moore Failure

1143 Words5 Pages

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. There are several reasons that contributed to the author Wes Moore success compared to the other Wes Moore. When the author Wes Moore entered Valley …show more content…

When Wes was in Valley Forge military school all he could ever think of was leaving. He had no communication with the outside world; there were no phone calls, television, radios, and visits. (Look up) Wes attempted to run away *several times, but failed. When he tried to run away, Colonel Batt gave Wes the opportunity to call home for the first time in weeks, saying, “ I am going to let you talk on the phone for five minutes, call who you need to and you better be snapped about it” (94). When Wes calls his mother, during conversation Joy cuts Wes off and reminds him how proud everyone is for him (quote). She also explains that many people have sacrificed for Wes to attend military school. For instance, Valley Forge military school was very expensive. Joy had written to friends and family for help in any way they could. Wes’ grandparents also gave up their mortgage payments and many years of saving to help pay for Wes military school. As mentioned, his mother’s support was a big part of Wes …show more content…

After having his first child the other Wes Moore had been missing school, and later dropped out. Having a child put a lot of strain on the other Wes Moore. And without a high school diploma and a criminal record it would be nearly impossible for Wes to find a job. For the time being, however, Wes was able to stay with his aunt Nicey. Nicey told him “to either get a job or go to school” (110). At this point, Wes knew that he was not going back to school but instead go back to selling drugs again. Due to the other Wes Moore’s setbacks he wasn’t able to continue his education and continued selling drugs. Even though they had the same name and upbringing, they made different choices. The authors Wes Moore’s mother Mary, provided the opportunity for him to be successful. Whereas, the other Wes Moore’s mother Joy didn’t provided an opportunity and Wes continued to sell drugs. The author Wes Moore success came from loving and supporting family, role models, and the opportunity for education. However the other Wes Moore didn’t have family support, good role models, and education which caused him to be

Open Document