Wes Moore Blog Chapter 5

Wes Moore Blog Chapter 5

Theme: Life Choices

Quote #1: "Bad grades, Absence from classes, and an incident with a smoke bomb were just some reasons he rattled off as my mother sat silently on the couch with the phone to her ear." Page 86

This is an example of a life choice that Wes decided to make. Wes decides to not take his school work or his mother seriously. Wes's mother ends up sending him to military school where most of his freedoms are taken away and he has to wake up at 5:30 am every morning. With every life choice comes a consequence or a reward, in this case Wes's choices came with a consequence. 

Quote #2: "Four tests and eight matching plus signs later, it was confirmed. They were going to be parents"

This is a life choice made by the other Wes Moore. Wes is a flirty guy and he tends to have his way with the girls he talks to. Wes met this girl Alicia and they started hanging out a lot. While they hung out they had sexual intercourse. This led to Alicia becoming pregnant and now Wes is about to be a teenage father. Wes doesn't know how to be a father and isn't prepared for the responsibilities of being a parent. 

Quote #3: "This chick was a jump off,  a sexual time filler, and he felt she had forfeited her right to be treated like a lady a long time ago." Page 103

This quote shows that Wes had sex with the girl. Because Wes had sex with the girl, an entire event occurred that resulted with a dead man and Wes in handcuffs in the back of a police cruiser. The girls boyfriend saw the girl leave Wes's house and started to beat up Wes. But, Wes took his gun and him and his friends chased down the man and kept shooting until he was dead. Another bad life choice by Wes.

Quote #4: "Tony's words rang through his mind. Send a message." Page 104

This quote shows that Wes made the life choice to live by the violent motto that his brother taught him when he was younger. Standing by that violent motto has only resulted in bad things. Wes sells drugs, hurts people, and has sex with almost any girl he sees. All these things are things he's learned from his brother. His brother warned him of the dangers of the streets but Wes made the choice to follow in his brothers footsteps anyway. 

Quote #5: " Wes's nonexistent relationship with his father probably contributed to his seeming indifference about becoming a father himself. All he knew was his mom. He had no idea what his role would be in this new situation-he wasn't even sure he had a role." Page 101

This quote is not an example of a life choice that Wes made, but a life choice that Wes's father made. The choice of not being there for his young while he was growing up changed Wes's life. If Wes's father was around when Wes was young, there would have been a chance that Wes wouldn't sell drugs, or kill people, or disobey adults and the law. All Wes knew was to break the rules. Wes has no idea how to show other people the difference from right from wrong. How was Wes going to be a parent if he wasn't capable of taking care of himself. 

Wes Moore Blog Chapter 4

Wes Moore Blog # 4

Theme: Drugs

Quote #1: "Tony found his younger brother and asked for an explanation for the leaning tower of nikes" Page 69

This quote shows that Tony new right away that Wes was selling drugs. Tony himself had been selling drugs for over a decade and he knew how much money could be made in such a little time. Part of the addiction to drugs is the stuff that comes with it. The shoes, the money, the cars, the clothes, the girls, the wealth in general. It all just falls into your lap so easily and thats what caught Wes by surprise.

Quote #2: " Wes is out here hustling! I told him him to leave this alone, but he won't listen" Page 70

This quote shows that Wes has been told before by Tony to stay away from the drug game. Wes had made a lot of money in a very short amount of time which made Wes want to do it more. It's like a trap, the more drugs you sell the more money you make and the faster you sell the drugs the faster you get the money. This cycle occurs over and over again until you are selling an incredible amount of drugs in a very short time. By this point it's insanely hard to get out of the game and you find yourself trapped in it. This is what Tony is trying to warn Wes of.

Quote #3: "She reached again for the Nike box and opened it. Inside were pills, marijuana, half an ounce of powdered cocaine, and half a dozen vials of "ready rock", or crack cocaine." Page 73

This quote how quickly Wes got so involved in the drug game. Weeks before he smoked marijuana for the first time. Now he was already selling crack and cocaine. Cocaine and crack are highly illegal drugs and many people serve life sentences in prison for selling them. Wes had fallen in deep into the exact drug game his brother warned him about.

Quote #4: "Had she thrown his drugs out? His anxiety about getting caught flipped to anger. He thre the boxes across the room. He tried to calculate how much weight he had lost, and how much money he now owed the connects who supplied him with the drugs." Page 73

At this point Wes is completely engulfed in the drug game. Instead of feeling bad for breaking the law and lying to his mom he complains to her about confiscating the drugs he had. He becomes angry and more determined to sell more drugs than he had before. In order to make back the money he lost he has to sell larger amounts of drugs. Wes is at the point where the only thing that matters is making money, he doesn't care about his family, his school work, or his future, it's all about the money.

Quote #5: "Before she realized what she was doing, she'd agreed to make her home his new headquarters" Page 74

This quote shows that Wes is getting innocent people involved in his drug operation. This means that Wes intends for his operation to grow to a larger scale. Wes keeps falling deeper and deeper into the drug trap. Wes finds more drugs to sell and sells them faster than he did before. Its only a matter of time before he runs into the law. 

Wes Moore Blog Chapter 3

Wes Moore Blog Chapter 3

Theme: Fitting in

Quote #1: "My mother saw Riverdale as a haven, a place where I could escape my neighborhood and open my horizons. But for me, it was where I got lost." Page 48

Wes attends a upper class public school that his mom is making him go to. For Wes, he has a hard time fitting in. The school is predominately white and Wes is from a predominately black neighborhood. Wes feels awkward and out of place because he thinks his friends will make fun of him for attending a preppy school. Also, being the minority at his school is awkward because he feels people look down on him. Fitting in is important because its necessary to have friends that care about you while you're growing up.

Quote #2: "How y'all like it up there at that white school?" Page 49

This is example of Wes's friends judging him based on the school he goes to. Wes feels like because of the school he goes to he doesn't fit in regardless.

Quote #3 :"Wes knew all about weed but he never actually tried it. He cautiously put the rolled up joint to his mouth and inhaled." page 60

This quote is a good example of the other Wes trying to fit in because him and his friend were with older guys so Wes felt the need to give into peer pressure and do drugs and skip school to fit in. When around older kids, younger kids want to do whatever it takes to be "cool", they will try anything and in this case Wes tried drugs and alcohol to fit in. Wes's father was non existent so Wes didn't have anyone to lay down the law of do's and dont's. Not having a father figure can lead to bad decisions because the child doesn't develop respect for other adult males. For example when Wes comes home he just ignores his mothers boyfriend and goes right upstairs without conversation.

Quote #4: "Besides watching Tony, Wes's first real interaction with drugs had taken place a few months earlier" Page 59

This quote shows that because Tony is someone he looks up to he tries to fit in with the wrong people. Because Wes is without a father and he so he sticks with Tony, Wes finds himself trying to be cool for people who are violent and do drugs. I wonder what Wes's view on drugs would be if he had a father who was there for Wes and made sure Wes stayed out of trouble. Instead, Wes has someone who encourages drugs and glorifies violence.

Quote #5: "...and how easy it would be to make some money off selling that feeling to people who needed it" , "There was definitely money to be made" page 62

This quote shows some of the consequences of trying to "fit in". Selling drugs is highly illegal, dangerous, and leads to a life that usually results in prison. Wes's life seems to be in falling in a domino effect. Because his fathers gone he looks up to Tony, because he looks up to Tony he becomes involved with drugs and violence, then Wes starts hanging with the wrong people trying to act cool because they do it. Soon, Wes starts hanging out with them long enough that he alters his brain to think that it's a good idea to sell drugs. Soon after that Wes finds himself in trouble with the law which then starts a painful cycle that only ends when he gets that life sentence. 

Title Justification #1

Mark Custer

Period 1

March 28th, 2014

Title Justification #1

The novel  " The other Wes Moore" is a story about two boys with the same name living in the same city with completely different lives. In the story the author, Wes Moore tells the story of his childhood and how he came to find the other Wes Moore. Wes describes his school expieriences, his friends, and what influenced him growing up. Throughout the story Wes switches point of views from himself to the other Wes to compare lifestyles. In the first three chapters, Wes describes how both Wes's lose there fathers and have nobody to look up to during there childhood. Both of them don't have a father figure to set them a good example. They both grow up being influenced by the streets

In the first three chapters the author describes how not having a father figure 

affects him and the other Wes. The title of the first three chapters is "Fathers and Angels". The author is trying to convey that even though there fathers passed away, there will always be people looking out for you, you just have to choose the right ones. In the first three chapters the other Wes Moore chooses a risky role model. His brother is in a gang and is very violent but Wes decides to look up to him regardless because he has no father. Wes ends up getting in trouble and is now engulfed in the world of crime.

The first three chapters really focus on the two Wes's childhood and what influences them growing up. The fact that neither of them have fathers while growing up has a huge impact on there lives. While growing up as boys in a rough neighborhood, a father is essential to learning how to deal with problems. Unfortunately due to not having a father the boys have to deal with the problems themselves and they have to be prepared for the consequences that follow. Also, not having a father leaves a responsibility for the boys. They feel obliged to be the man of the house and to take care of there mothers and sisters. This puts a lot of pressure on the boys. This much pressure is not normal for a young boy growing up.

Wes Moore Blog Chapter 2

Wes Moore Blog Chapter 2

Theme: Role Models

Quote #1: "To Wes, Tony was a certified gangsta" Page 27

The the theme for this chapter is role models. Without a father to look up to, Wes goes to his brother who sells drugs and is involved in gang activity on a daily basis. You can connect this issue back to the absence of a father at a young age. Because Wes has no father to look up to he finds the closest thing to it, his older brother. Also, because there is no father, there is no one to tell Wes that Tony is involved with dangerous activity and that he shouldn't get involved. A bad role model can lead to horrible things.

Quote #2: "Can't, i'm with pops today. Wes would feel a surge of conflicting feelings" Page 30

This quote shows the affect of absence of father and how it leads to bad role models. Because Wes doesn't have a father he becomes jealous when his friends talk about the activities they do with there fathers. This jealousy turns into anger. When Wes becomes angry he wants to be a man about it so he turns it in toughness. This "toughness" brings out a violent side of him. Then, because he has no father, he looks up to his also violent brother tony. Wes follows in his footsteps which lands him in trouble. These series of events all start from one thing, Absence of father/role model. 

Quote #3: "He knew that he had to send a message. Tony flashed through Wes's mind. Tony wanted the best for Wes, but he still felt that part of his mission as a big brother was to toughen him up for the battles Tony knew Wes would have to fight as he got older." 

This is a perfect example of how not having a father figure to look up to as a child leads to bad decisions. Because Wes didn't have anyone to look up to he based his actions an behavior off his brother. Tony, Wes's older brother, is gang affiliated and potentially dangerous. To have a young boy look up to someone who is breaking the law on a daily basis is setting the child up for failure.

Quote #4: "Rule number one: If someone disrespects you, you send a message so fierce that they won't have the chance to do it again" Page 33

This quote is advice that Tony gave Wes when he had a conflict with someone else. Discipline is very important for a kid who's growing up, especially for a child who is without his father. Unfortunately, Wes is being disciplined to handle his business violently, not maturely. Once again this kind of influence from Tony only makes Wes's life harder.

Quote #5: "Wes in the back of one of the cruisers and told the other boys to go home" Page 35

I used to this quote specifically as an example the outcome of a bad role model. Wes was taught a bad mindset by Tony and the outcome was that Wes got arrested. Unfortunately because Wes has no dad to tell him right from wrong, Wes will most likely continue to listen to Tony's advice and get himself into more trouble. 

Wes Moore Blog Chapter 1

Wes Moore Blog Chapter 1

Theme: Absent Fathers

Quote #1: "While I knew something bad had happened, I still wasn't sure what it meant." Page 15

Both Wes's grew up without fathers. Wes's father died when he was young and he didn't understand what happened where as the other Wes never knew his father so he had no memories of who he was or what he was like.

Quote #2: "I heard that my father had passed on but had no idea where he'd gone." Page 15

This is another example of how Wes wasn't aware of what happened to his father. Both Wes's are in the same position but the other Wes was affected differently because he never even met his father

Quote #3: "He had never met his father, at least not that he remembered." Page 16

This is an example from the perspective of the other Wes. The other Wes never got to get to know his father. Both Wes's are in the same position because neither of them really got to know there fathers. Neither are truly affected by it as young boys.

Quote #4: "He felt he had to take care of her: his father had been a ghost since his birth" Page 18

This is one affect of having an absent father. When a boy grows up without a father he automatically assumes the role of his mothers protector. Even though this is brave and caring of the boy, It often distracts him from things like academics and sports. The boy also becomes very protective and that usually leads to a short temper which then leads to altercation and legal trouble. Having an absent father as a child can create a ripple affect, many small problems lead to more problems. As we see later in the book, the other Wes gets in with the wrong crowd.

Quote #5: "Wes didn't understand why, but he felt a tension in the room" Page 25

This quote is from when the other Wes meets his father for the first time. In the book it says that his father reeked of alcohol and that they exchanged awkward stares. The book also mentioned that Wes was bothered by the harsh stench of the alcohol coming from his father. Based on the description of Wes's father you can tell that he is not a good influence to younger children, especially his son who he abandoned at birth. My prediction is that the presence of his messed up father is going to trigger consistent anger in the other Wes which will lead to future problems.