Please respond to the book in at least 300 words. You can respond any way you like, but you might consider the question below. What made the author Wes Moore traditionally more successful than the other Wes Moore?
In your response, consider the many influences on each Wes Moore’s life (such as family, friends, education, the neighborhood, and environment). Consider, too, each man’s personality and actions.
Author Wes Moore states; “The chilling truth is that Wes’s story could have been mine; the tragedy is that my story could have been his” (180). While writing this book author Wes learned that his story is strangely similar to prison Wes’s. They both grew up in Brooklyn, both without a father, and they still ended up in completely different places. I think the main reason both Wes’s ended up where they are is family. Author Wes was by no means wealthy, much like prison Wes, the difference is how his family behaved. His mother made huge sacrifices to send him to military school, care for Wes and his two sisters, and she was always there for him. She was able to step in when he started down the wrong path. Prison Wes’s mother didn’t make the same sacrifices. She watched as Tony made bad decisions and stood by as Wes made the same decisions. I think she did try to stop him, but she didn’t fight as much as author Wes’s mother did. Because of this the different Wes’s started on different paths. Another major factor in their stories is education. Author Wes was sent to military school, forcing him to learn and graduate. He finished high school and college. He discovered a passion for learning and finding a career. Prison Wes did not have the same education. He dropped out of high school because he made decisions that stopped him from continuing his education. Education is really important, it gives kids the skills they need and sets them up for the future. Prison Wes just didn’t have the same opportunity as author Wes. This book has made me think of how different my story could be. I only hope that if I ever start to drift down the wrong path someone will pull me back, and I might be able to do the same for them.
ReplyDeleteMadelyn, I agree that family is what made the difference for author Wes Moore. Just a correction around setting---both Wes Moore families were in Baltimore. (Then author Wes Moore moved to the South Bronx.) I also really appreciate what you said about realizing that your story could have been different. I think that's a good thing for all of us to remember!
DeletePersonally I agree with this response. They are very similar but also very different in their own ways, mostly being their families being different from each other. I really enjoyed your quote at the very top of the text, "The chilling truth is that Wes’s story could have been mine; the tragedy is that my story could have been his," due to the fact that it is very true, change up a few aspects of the life of prisoner or author Wes Moore and you got the other Wes' story. I would like to touch base on the end of your response when you said you hope someone would pull you back, this is very interesting to see. Both Wes Moores’ have a similar story but have very different results due to the environment around them, in saying you would like to be pulled back, would you be referring to the environment changing due to others or someone taking you into a different environment. I agree with your statement but there are many variables to a situation like this and I wonder where you land on this front. Great response and I really enjoyed reading it.
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Madelyn I absolutely agree with your response. Both Wes Moore’s are very different people, and they have a totally different lives. As both did, they grew up in households in a African American families, where both fathers passed away when they were at a young age. Except the mothers, the most important influences in this novel, act the opposite of each other as how to raise their own children, and support them as they’re growing. Author Wes Moores family made a whole lot of sacrifices, and they have done it all to let the boy, grow into a man. Both Wes Moore's grew up in the same town, but when author Wes moved to Baltimore, he was in a whole new environment. Prisoner Wes Moore firmly believed that the household, neighborhood, and just the environment in general is what forms a person. "Do you think that we're products of our environments? I think so, or maybe products of our expectations. Others' expectations of us or our expectations. I mean others' expectations that you take on as your own. I realize how difficult it is to separate the two. The expectations that others place on us help us form our expectations of ourselves." (126) I liked how you added a personal connection in your conclusion. Great work!
DeleteI think that you are right at how family really affected how each Wes grew up. Each parent tried to help their kid, but I think that author Wes Moore‘s mother did a better job at trying to keep him away from dangerous things like drugs, then prisoner Wes Moore‘s mother did. I think that education also played a great part in their lives and how they turned out. Author Wes Moore was able To go to a school that offered a much better education than what prisoner Wes Moore had. I think that education was a huge factor in how author Wes Moore was able to become a better person and be able to become successful in life, while prisoner Wes Moore ended up in prison. I think that while they did have things that they couldn’t control, like their family and their education. They also made many decisions that also shape to they were. I think that if prisoner Wes Moore had had a better education, a more caring family, then he would’ve made a better life decisions. However, the decisions he made were his choice, Even if they where because of the force that he could not control.Both Author Wes Moore and prisoner Wes Moore grew up very similarly. But I agree that family was a very big difference between them. Even though both of them grew up around the same time, lived near the same place, and both had very similar childhoods, they somehow ended up on two different paths. I think that them ending up on each path was linked to their family, and their education, but also the choices they made along the road.
DeleteThis is a story about two people whose lives could've been the total opposite of what they have become. A sad ending for one but a successful and hardworking end for another. As we read through the novel I noticed Author Wes Moore's remark. “The chilling truth is that his story could have been mine. The tragedy is that my story could have been his.” (180) This quote resembles the irony of how both men could have grown up divergent, and end up being in completely different places and lifestyles. Author Wes Moore grew up in a home where his family and friends supported him, and formed him into a man; gave him a future. As for prisoner Wes Moore, he was raised in a household with no role model. His mother let him go loose, and didn’t care enough to even take control of his education, and help him stay on the right path as he was growing up. His brother Tony was a drug dealer, and as the only man in his life whom he looked up to, he told Wes to not get into the drug business and study more at school. Wes of course didn’t listen to him. It wasn’t Tony’s place to say that due to him actually getting Wes doing drugs and getting into prison. Wes Moore mentioned how other people’s expectations form us, but if you really look at it this way, you realize that the expectations his family, and others had of him were not so high and effective on him. "The expectations that others place on us help us form our expectations of ourselves" (126). Wes’s mother never supported him, and didn’t try to work as hard as Author Wes Moore’s mother did. His mother worked at multiple jobs, took night shifts, worked her butt off, and all of that to give her son all of the resources she could have given him, to let him have a successful life, and have the ability to want to learn. Author Wes Moore’s family sacrificed a lot in order to give him a good education, and a future. His grandparents, his mother, other family members, and friends all supported him and pushed him to his best self. Sadly prisoner Wes Moore’s fate didn’t end up like author Wes Moore’s did. The crazy thing about all of this is that both of them could have ended up successful, in jail, or just the complete opposite of what they ended up becoming. This novel is honestly really phenomenal. How the author told the story, and had the perspective of both boys was very interesting. It’s crazy how their lives are so different, even though they could have ended up on totally different paths.
ReplyDeleteI liked your comment Alena. I think you meant your last sentence to read, "...even though they could have ended up on the same paths," right? Your observations about expectations others place on us helping us to form our expectations of ourselves, is really true I think. I think maybe author Wes Moore's mother had higher expectations.
DeleteAlena, I like your response. I agree with you when you say that author Wes Moore grew up in a more supportive environment than prisoner Wes. His mom kept him on a much better path and seemed to care more than prisoner Wes’s mom. I also agree with you about Wes looking up to Tony. Even though Tony told Wes not to get into drugs, what else is a kid going to do when the only man he has as a role model is doing it? I think that it’s a classic situation of do what I say, not as I do. I really like how you included quotes in your response; it helped deepen it because you had examples from the text to support your thinking. The expectations of others place a heavy burden on us, so when people don’t really care, as prisoner Wes’s mom didn’t, he felt that he didn’t have to do well because no one was expecting him to. I think that he felt like there was no one to impress with doing well, so what was the point? With the exception of the one typo at the end, it was a very well crafted response. Good job!!
DeleteBoth author Wes Moore and prisoner Wes Moore were born the same, but over time, their environment began to either shape them up or wear them down. Everything around us plays a role in determining who we will be, and even though both men lived in similar areas, their home life was drastically different from each other.
ReplyDeleteI think the main influences on author Wes Moore's life were his family and education. Living as a single parent, Wes's mother never gave up on her goal of giving Wes and education. She pushed for him to attend the military school, but at first, he did not cooperate. However, he soon began to realize how many sacrifices his mother was making and that the military school cared about his future. Wes started to care about his education and future, and he took pride in what he did. Because the military school took up a great deal of his time, he did not get into illegal activities like dealing or doing drugs. Wes's influences helped him for the better, unlike the other Wes Moore's.
Prisoner Wes Moore was a high school dropout, so he spent much of his time dealing drugs, at home, or around his city. Because these were his surroundings, he began to give in to them. His older brother was an influence in his life, and it did not turn out well because Tony was a drug dealer. His neighborhood and environment were big factors in his life because he spent so much time there. Wes's friend Levy was a small but powerful influence on him; he convinced Wes to go to Job Corps. However, his environment and family took over his life again because he needed more money, so he resumed dealing drugs.
I think a significant factor in both of their lives was time. When author Wes Moore was at the military academy, he did not have time to get into mischief, so he didn't. However, prisoner Wes Moore did not go to school or have a steady job, so he did have time to roam around and get into trouble.
I liked your observations about the significance of time. I really hadn't thought much about that factor, but I think you're right. You also reminded me about Job Corps and how things could have been different for prisoner Wes Moore, had it worked out for him there.
DeleteI really liked you response Katelyn. Time is really something very unique, and I'm guessing author Wes Moore just found the way how to use it properly. The way you explained the difference of how the two different people ended up choosing between good and bad makes me think a lot about other things that affected their choices, and how they ended up where they are now. I disagree with your point that military school took up most of his time. Especially because it didn't just give him knowledge and understanding of actual hard work, but made him realize that he has so much more potential. Yes, it did take up his time and efforts, but it made him more efficient, intelligent, courageous, potent, and diligent. When you started talking about the two men, the most supportive people were their family. I think that no matter what there was someone that was a relative to help author Wes Moore out. From his mother, to his granparents, to his uncle who helped him with basketball. Prisoner Wes Moore's mother, Tony, Levy, and his father who didn't even know who was too, they all influenced him. If you look at it from a different perspective, no matter what they both had influences, but the most important words here are bad, and good. If there was more time in their lives, and in their family's lives, then I think author Wes Moore's father would probably still be alive, prisoner Wes Moore could've learned how important life skills are and would go back to school, and most importantly both Wes Moore's could have ended up working in the same place, or lived next door. Good Job on your response!
DeleteAuthor Wes Moore reflects back on the story and says, “The chilling truth is that his story could have been mine. The tragedy is that my story could have been his” (180). I think that this quote shows how author Wes Moore could have gone down prisoner Wes Moore’s route if he hadn't been helped by his family and friends. But also how Prisoner Wes Moore could have turned out a free man and not be in prison for life if he had gotten the kind of help that author Wes Moore had gotten. I think that the whole book circled around this quote. There are many times in the book that we see author Wes Moore and prisoner Wes Moore start to diverge into different paths and become different people, no matter how similar their lives were.prisoner Wes Moore was told by his brother Tony, “‘Rule number one: If someone disrespects you, you send a message so fierce but they won't have a chance to do it again.”’(33). This stuck with Wes and he ended up getting arrested because he wanted to stab a boy who punched him. Family affected both Weses. In author Wes Moore’s case, his family helped him get into a more stable life, “‘Too many people have sacrificed in order for you to be there…’ My grandparents took the money they had in the home… and give it to my mother so that she could pay for my first year of military school”(95). But prisoner Wes Moore’s family couldn't, and ended up hurting Wes’s future. Prisoner Wes Moore had made a lot of bad decisions in his life, pulling a knife in front of Police, stealing a car, shooting Ray, selling drugs, and being involved in a shooting are just some of the more severe ones. If prisoner Wes Moore had gone to a school like author Wes Moore did and had gotten “straightened out,” then maybe he wouldn't have ended up in jail. Both Wes’s could have lived very different lives then they did, but the choices they made along the way, and the choices that others made around them, caused them to live the lives they did. Some parts of their life they couldn't control, but the parts they could control and the choices that they made, made them who they were.
ReplyDeleteI think your central quote is very insightful, Ada. That's kind of the focus of the book and the question of why they both didn't wind up in the same place. I also appreciate your comment in the last two sentences. There were many factors that shaped them, but indeed, these factors made them who they are.
DeleteI agree with your response, I also thought it was interesting to go along in the book and wait for their paths to change. I liked how you mention that the whole book is circles around one quote. I hadn't thought about it, but you are right. I had similar thoughts about Tony and how he was a major bad influence on Wes's life, even though he didn't try to be. I agree that author Wes Moore's family was one if his biggest factors in succeeding because they all pitched in to help him. You also give the quote, "Too many people have sacrificed in order for you to be there," (95) and it shows how they guilted him into staying a bit. Because of his family, he eventually wanted to stay there and succeed. However, as you say, "The choices they made along the way, and the choices that others made around them, caused them to live the lives they did." It reminds us that our choices are what we can control ourselves, and they make a big impact. I really liked your response, it touched on a lot of the key issues in the book.
DeleteOn page 180, author Wes says, “...The chilling truth is that Wes’s story could have been mine; the tragedy is that my story could have been his.” Both of them were born in Baltimore, both of them only had their mom and siblings for family, and neither of them had much money. The difference between them is how their moms helped them. I think family was the biggest reason one Wes succeeded and one did not. Author Wes Moore’s mom made great sacrifices to give her son a better life. They moved to the South Bronx to live with Wes’s grandparents and she asked around the family for extra money to send Wes to military school. Prisoner Wes Moore’s mom tried to keep him off the path his brother Tony took, the drug trade, but when she found out it wasn’t working as she hoped it would, she didn’t do much about it. I think that the environment also played a role in how each Wes turned out. Prisoner Wes lived in a neighborhood where the drug trade ruled the streets and he was exposed to it every day and he saw it as an easy way to make extra cash, so he got involved. After author Wes was sent to military school, he was in an environment where academics were key, so that’s what he strived for.
ReplyDeleteOverall, I really liked the book. Although it was a bit confusing when the perspectives switched at first, I got used to it soon enough. It was really interesting to see how the choices that the men made, along with the choices of their family members, impacted their lives. As author Wes Moore said, their fates could have easily been switched. If it wasn’t for family, I think that they could have been the same, if not switched even.
Abby, I also think family was the biggest reason the Wes Moore’s ended up in different lives. I like how you include author Wes’ grandparents, and the role they played in his life, not just his mother. I also like how you commented on their different environments. You explain how each environment shaped the younger Wes’. I like how you explain the prison Wes was exposed to the drug trade early on, and only saw the money involved. I think being exposed to different things at an early age shapes our whole personality. It’s easy to forget that something so simple, like how we greet each other at home, can change a person. When I look back at all the little things I’ve picked up from my parents I wonder what it could have been like if they had acted even a smidge different. You also explain how going to military school changed author Wes Moore. He learned to strive for academics. I think school has also hugely impacted my life. Not only does school teach us about the world, it’s also where I’ve made most of my friends. It’s unfortunate that prison Wes didn’t see the real value of his education and time at school.
DeletePlaying the devils advocate, was it really just their mom's help that got them there? There was the police, the drugs, the other kids and the communities they were in, plus their moms in the end really just either did this or that right? Yes, author Wes Moore's mom sent him to a military school that helped him shape up, how about past that, she was not the one really helping him out in the end, it was the people she basically paid to do it for her, money and other people really got author Wes Moore to where he is now. If his mom was out of the picture, he would seem to get on fine, just like he is now, if he had been sent to that school and "found himself" away from home. Simply put, it seems his mother was the cannon that launched him to somewhere else to fix up, instead of taking the time and commitment to go ahead and do it herself. So was it really his mother after all? Or is there more to the story that is shaded by the rest of the areas talked about that highlight his mom?
DeleteGreat Response - Porter
Interesting post, Abby––though I do think it's similar to an earlier post. That said, the choices made by family members had a pretty strong impact on the boys, as you point out. It's interesting because when I think about their outcomes, I'm reminded about fate and one of my favorite sayings, "But for the grace of god...."
ReplyDeleteThe author Wes Moore seemed to grow up differently. Though their original fathers were no longer in the picture, the moms and the rest of the family were the ones who stepped in. Author Wes Moore was sent to military school by his parents, obviously a wonderful choice in the long run but at the time it seemed off to him. Yet, due to him being put in this environment, his academics started to become a large part of his life and who he wanted to be in the future. Prisoner Wes Moore became someone else, his family not able to put in the right education for him. After he became a drug dealer, it became very apparent that for him, his goals were to find a way to acquire the things he wanted quickly. His mom still very stiff, he dropped out of schooling, and it was the fact he was already miles down the "rocky road" that he just had to keep pushing on, hoping the end would be smoother. The amazing part to the story is their lives were never too far off from each other. With a few changes to each of author and prisoner Wes Moore's lives, they could be completely different people. When I was reading the assignment, one line Madelyn wrote caught my eye to describe this best. Author Wes Moore says "The chilling truth is that Wes’s story could have been mine; the tragedy is that my story could have been his" (180). Honestly, this quote summed up a lot of my ideas for the novel and I believe that it is the truth, either one of them could be living very different lives, it was the people around them and the experiences they had that guided them to who they are today. Anyone can be something, good or bad, but it all depends on the road they take to get there.
ReplyDeletePorter B.
I agree, Porter. I think you're right about one decision here, one decision there.... (and things would have been totally different). One thing I wasn't sure about was your sentence that begins, "His mom still very stiff..." Maybe go back and rewrite that sentence. Otherwise, I find your sentences lucid and to the point. Good!
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