Title Justification #3: Paths Taken and Expectations Fulfilled

Title Justification #3: Paths Taken and Expectations Fulfilled

In The Other Wes Moore, the reader watches the growth of both of the Wes' and how their choices affect their success. Because of this bond created between the reader and the character, the reader is automatically more connected to the characters. The book is divided into three parts that tell the stories of how the Wes Moore's started out very similar but soon split into different paths. The third part is called "Paths Taken and Expectations Fulfilled" which mainly shows how the choices that each Wes has affected the way that they will live their adult lives. The title "Paths Taken and Expectations Fulfilled" is appropriate for the author's purpose because it illustrates his feelings about how societal expectations shaped the way the Moore's thought and how this would affect their lives.

The title "Paths Taken and Expectations Fulfilled" emphasizes the effect that life choices and outside factors have on the life paths of the two Moores.  In the last section of the book, the author Wes is studying abroad in South Africa. He uses his experience in South Africa to teach himself and the readers valuable lessons regarding growing up and this will give him the drive and determination needed to drive himself even farther away from the hole he came from. The author later says, "Despite entering the school with lower scores than the average student, I would walk across the stage as a Phi Beta Kappa graduate who was also the first Rhodes Scholar in thirteen years at Johns Hopkins and the first African-American Rhodes Scholar in school history." This quote shows that even though there were countless factors against Wes, he overcame all and did something he or his mother would have never even dreamed of earlier when he was still the immature Wes. Wes is a figure that could be put into the books because of the mountain he climbed and that is something to write home about for his mother who has had hope for him his whole life.  Contrary to Wes, the other Wes's story ends with him being sentenced to life in prison. This depletes the last of the hope that anyone had for Wes to leave poverty and this devastates his whole family and especially his mother whose only goal was to make sure her children had a better life than her. Both of these situations represent the split between their lives.  This title directly represents the idea that the final section of the book is the climax. The author uses this part of the book to show how this new chapter of their lives will mark different expectations and goals for each Wes as they move forward in their careers and repentance respectively. 

By having the book spread into three parts, the author uses this to represent the growth of the two characters good or bad. Each section of the book represents a new chapter in each Wes' lives and this allows the readers to easily compare the major turning points in the lives of the Moores. This last section has showed how now there lives have changed permanently, something that has not been accounted for the last two parts of the book as the their potential outcomes were consistently changing. 

Chapter 8: Surrounded

Chapter 8: Surrounded

Theme: Crime

Theme Statement: Crime never leads to success in any way shape or form. 

Quote 1: "Her heart broke when she saw Tony's and Wes's face staring back at her..."

Analysis: This quote contributes to the theme of crime because it shows the final loss of hope that Mary had for the two boys as she knew that they would both likely be in prison for the rest of their lives. She also knows that now, their kids will be given the burden of a lost father and they too could end up in the same position as their fathers in the future. 

Quote 2: "The twelve-day manhunt was over."

Analysis: This quote also contributes to the theme of crime because it shows how finally, the lives of both Wes Moores will now be distinguishable for good. No longer can you see the many similarities that we may have seen while they were both developing adults and children. The other Wes Moore's future is now set after this quote because he is going to be in prison for the rest of his life. 

Theme: Life Choices

Theme Statement: Life choices are the telltale sign of someone's moral strength.

Quote 3: "By the end of our meal, I realized that Hopkins represented much more than a chance to attend a great school with a phenomenal reputation."

Analysis: This quote contributes to the theme of life choices because it marks Wes' transition from boy to man as he decides on wanting to go to a prestigious university to bring him even closer to success. I believe the reason why Wes liked Johns Hopkins was that instead of having lunch with an older white man who would interrogate Wes about his SAT scores, he had lunch with a pleasant black man who was warm and gave Wes the support to eventually help him get in. 

Quote 4: "I had applied for and received a grant to go to South Africa through the School for International Training, a Vermont-based program that offers the chance to live overseas for a semester or more."

Analysis: This quote contributes to the theme of life choices because it shows how Wes is helping his future in yet another great decision. Not only with this trip bring him worldly experience, it will also give global context and drive to continue his studies and to make sure he completely covers the hole that he dug himself out of which is different from the other Wes Moore as he has dug himself down even farther. 

Theme: Overcoming Obstacles

Theme Statement: Overcoming obstacles is something every single person has to do to be great.

Quote 5: "Despite entering the school with lower scores than the average student, I would walk across the stage as a Phi Beta Kappa graduate who was also the first Rhodes Scholar in thirteen years at Johns Hopkins and the first African-American Rhodes Scholar in school history."

Analysis: This quote contributes to the theme of overcoming obstacles because it shows that even though there were countless factors against Wes, he overcame all and did something he or his mother would have never even dreamed of earlier when he was still the immature Wes. He started to take his opportunities seriously and learn from each and everyone of them. Wes is a figure that could be put into the books because of the mountain he climbed and that is something to write home about. 

Chapter 7: The Land That God Forgot

Chapter 7: The Land That God Forgot

Theme 1: Drugs

Theme Statement: Drugs can ruin lives both mentally and physically. 

Quote 1: "The sight of her coming off her high, stumbling to the bathroom, disgusted Wes. He saw this every day."

Analysis: This quote is important because it is one of the first times we as readers have seen the other Wes Moore disgusted by drugs. Drugs have had a big impact on Wes throughout his life as this lifestyle has been the only thing he has ever known. This turning point is important to the connection between the two Wes' because the two Wes' are returning back to similar morals and completing a full circle. When they were both young, they were innocent and shared similar lives but that soon was disrupted and then they started to leave each other until now the other Wes has started to come back to his previous "innocence" state of morals. 

Theme 2: Importance of Family
Theme Statement: Your family has the most impact on your actions. 

Quote 2: "He stayed at the Job Corps Center so he could provide a better life for his kids. He stayed for his mother, who sat home watching Tony continue moving in and out of the criminal justice system."
Analysis: This quote is important because it shows that the only reason the other Wes is drug-free and feeling the best he has ever felt is because of his family. Without them, he would have no goal or motivation to finish Job Corps and would most likely get caught in the drug trade once again. His family is why he is transitioning from a drug dealer to an honest, selfless man that wants to see the same in his children. 

Quote 3: "The book itself wasn't what was important—in retrospect, I see that it was a great read but hardly a work of great literature—but my mother used it as a hook into a deeper lesson: that the written word isn't necessarily a chore but can be a window into new worlds."
Analysis: This quote is important because it shows the impact that Wes' family has had on him. His mother has been determined in making sure that he doesn't end up as a low life drug dealer but a successful, honest man. This small act of sending a book to Wes has helped him realize his own potential and to greater understand the fundamentals of school and deepens his love for Valley Forge.

Theme 3: Importance of Education
Theme Statement: Education is the invisible helper hand. 

Quote 4: "As my high school career was coming to an end. I was still being avidly recruited by college programs..."
Analysis: This quote is important because it shows how an education can allow you to experience a new life and it give you many options in life that will help you succeed. Wes was able to be noticed by colleges and get the opportunity to be a successful person; something Wes would have never dreamed while still in New York. Without his mother forcing him to go to Valley Forge, he would have been an ordinary, rebellious teen getting caught over and over for drugs and never reaching his full potential as a man.

Quote 5: "I want to get out. Do something different with my life...But I'm tired of running these streets."
Analysis: This quote is important because it shows that finally the other Wes realizes that education is the key to happiness. Drugs, money, etc. are not going to give Wes the honest work he needs and wants to keep his family intact. The Job Corps is the only way he will not end up dead and be a nobody drug dealer but an honest successful family man. 

Title Justification #2

Title Justification #2

The Other Wes Moore is the true story of two boys who shared the same name and hometown, but very different paths to opposite outcomes. The book is divided into three parts that tell the stories of how the Wes Moores's started out virtually the same but soon split into different paths. The second part, Choices and Second Chances focuses on the consequences of the decisions that each Wes made during their teen years in Maryland and Valley Forge, which dictates their outcomes and potentials in life. 

The title "Choices and Second Chances" emphasizes the importance of both fate and free will in the lives of the two Wes Moores. Throughout the three chapters, the Wes Moore's are beginning to look ahead to the future and so they are making "Choices." Also, because the boys are still in their young years, mentors like mothers and drill sergeants will give the Moores "Second Choices," to try to give the boys the invisible push needed to escape their current lifestyle. More figuratively, the title "Choices and Second Chances," is used to symbolize the turning point the boys are at in their lives where the two boys start to make very different decisions. The first Wes is making great decisions because of the effect military school has had on him. His mother recalled that, "...the way I had changed since leaving for military school. My back stood straight, and my sentences now ended with 'sir' or 'ma’am.' My military garrison cap was intentionally a size too big, forcing me to keep my head up, walking taller with every step." This is giving Wes the potential to be something better than your average high school dropout drug dealer but something that his Mother would be proud of because of his newly gained discipline and respect. The Other Wes Moore on the other hand is making bad decisions but this is true because this crime-filled lifestyle is all that he has even known so he feels as if it is normal. He eventually sells drugs to an undercover policeman because of his urge to feel the rush. "But for some reason, he couldn’t let the sale go." This quote is important because Wes knew that that was an undercover policeman but disregarded it to feed his addiction.  

The second section of "The Other Wes Moore" was named "Choices and Second Chances" to explain the relation between fate and life decisions in deciding the futures of the two Wes Moores. The title is appropriate with the author's purpose because it demonstrates the consequences of certain actions while also motivating kids to stay on the right track to eventually leaving their current lifestyle. 

Chapter 6: Hunted

Chapter 6: Hunted

Theme 1: Crime

Theme Statement: Crime is hard to avoid when that's all you've grown up with. 

Quote 1: "Most of all, Woody thought about Wes, who had stopped going to school two years earlier."

Analysis: This quote is important because it describes the effects that crime has on the people around you and how harmful crime is to a persons life. Wes served time for shooting Ray and therefore did not graduate high school. Now, Wes has to support his family with a criminal record and no high school diploma all because of one emotional impulse to pull the trigger. Now both his friends and family alike will worry about him and wonder how he will support his family after nearly ruining his potential of leaving his current lifestyle; His mother's ultimate goal for Wes. 

Quote 2: "But for some reason, he couldn't let the sale go."

Analysis: This quote is important because it shows how hard crime is to avoid when it is all you know. When Wes was offered a sale from a guy he sensed was an undercover cop, he initially said no but then thought above the measly 20 dollars he would gain but really he was wanting to feel the quick rush you feel after a sale. Wes has only known crime as his lifestyle so one little drug sale seems perfectly okay and normal to him but this sale will one to remember after he gets caught.

Theme 2: Coming of Age

Theme Statement: One learns comes of age by maturing and learning his responsibilities in life. 

Quote 3: "Years earlier, I had run through these same woods with all of my might, looking for safety, trying to get away from campus. Tonight, I ran through the same woods looking for safety, but in the other direction" 

Analysis:

This quote is important because it shows Wes' progression from young rebel to a respected sergeant at Valley Forge. This quote is also very ironic because it represents his maturity and growth at Valley Forge. He no longer is going home to his mother for safety but back to his school, the place he now loves for giving him the push he needed to leave the slums. 

Quote 4: "I was telling him about receiving the recruiting letters from colleges, talking about how I knew I could make it to the pros."

Analysis: This quote is important not because of what Wes is saying to his uncle but why he is saying it. It shows that he is no longer thinking about his burdens, the drugs, or the many challenges he used to run into while living in the slums. Now he is thinking about his future in a very positive way which will effect his life in a drastic way. 

Quote 5: "But I had to let this one go. I had to look at the bigger picture. My assailant was unknown, unnamed, and in a car." 

Analysis:

This quote is important because it shows Wes' maturity and restraint learned from military school. The old Wes would have lost his chill and gone after the men and would have lost control and could have even ended up in jail. This is also a very distinguishable feature that separates the Wes' now. 

Chapter 5: Lost

Chapter 5: Lost

Theme 1: Importance of Education

Theme Statement: Education plays a key role in a child's life because it not only allows the child to grow academically, but most importantly, to grow morally.

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

Analysis: This the description of Wes' academic career at the prestigious Riverdale School. Wes was struggling to find himself and was stuck between being either a "educated nerd" or a "gangster thug". The problem was that he decided to be both but he couldn't manage either. His mother was smart and knew that the only solution was to send Wes to Valley Forge Military School. Although his mother knew that he was going to be mentally and physically abused for next couple of months, it was going to correct his stubbornness. This quote is important because it marks the turning point of separating his life from the other Wes Moore. From this point on, their lives will become very different and all because of the lack of education that the other Wes Moore will receive in the future and the disciplined, and rigid education that Wes will receive. 

Quote 2: "That’s when I started to understand that I was in a different environment. Not simply because I was in the middle of Pennsylvania instead of the Bronx or Baltimore. It was a different psychological environment, where my normal expectations were inverted, where leadership was honored and class clowns were ostracized."

Analysis: This quote is important to the progression of the plot because its the first time that the readers have heard Wes say something about good about the importance of respect and education. Before this, Wes and the other Wes Moore have only made negative comments about education and this foreshadows to the readers that Wes may flourish at Valley Forge. 

Theme 2: Coming of Age

Theme Statement: Coming of age marks the transition from boyhood to manhood and learning and understanding all of the responsibilities that comes with the perks of growing up.

Quote 3: “She turned around and walked out of the room. She was devastated. She was losing her son, and she was not sure how to turn the tide. We didn't know it at the time, but once alone, we both started to cry...”

Analysis: This quote is important because it shows that Wes is growing up and is not handling his responsibilities and his mother is finally giving up on him because she thinks it is too late to correct. Wes is a well-built, muscular man that has his own set of morals and rules that may contradict everything his mother has taught him; This scares his mother very much. If he wasn't sent to Valley Forge, this could foreshadowed his future and would have matched the other Wes Moore's life. 

Quote 4: "He reached up to the top shelf and pulled out the shoe box that held his 9mm Beretta and a few full clips."

Analysis: This quote is significant because it shows how the change of "weapons", going from his innocent fists and words to a deadly loaded gun. His emotions had taken over and just because of a few bad thoughts, he knew after he shot Ray that he had done something very bad that would affect his life and most importantly his mother's life. Also his punishments are going to progress from a slap of the wrist and yelling to jail time; adult responsibilities come with adult consequences.

Quote 5: “'It’s too late,' she told him. 'Wes is already gone.'”

Analysis: This quote is significant because it not only tells the readers that he was taken away in a police car which shows his adult consequences for his rash decisions but more importantly that he is gone from his old childish self that his mother once knew. He is no longer a child but a vicious killer that his mother has never met before.  

Chapter 4: Marking Territory

Chapter 4: Marking Territory

Theme Statement: The act of selling and abusing drugs can be addictive because of the adrenaline rush which can lead even teens to jail for doing so. 

Quote 1: “Tony had now spent over a decade dealing drugs and knew how much money could be made in the game. He also knew there was no way for someone as young as Wes to make that kind of money DJing,” (page 70).

Analysis: Wes was starting to even lie to himself in thinking that his problem wasn't that bad. Tony had been telling Wes for years to never start but here Wes is symbolizing young Tony as he follows his steps  . He sees the potential Wes has to escape poverty and doesn't want him to follow the ordinary path of a lowlife drug dealer like himself. Also, the drug game usually only has one outcome for those who participate; death. 

Quote 2: "Tony got shot in the chest during a botched drug deal" (Pg 57)

Analysis: This was an incident that could have saved Wes' life from jail time. This was supposed to show Wes how bad drugs are and how you can't just do drugs or sell just drugs. Crime always follows drugs whether you like it or not and this is a prime example for Wes to see that all of that money is not worth it when your health is compromised. Unfortunately, this message does not resonate with Wes and he becomes another Tony of the family. 

Quote 3: "He cautiously put the rolled-up joint to his mouth and inhaled" (Pg 60)

Analysis: This was the moment Wes was freed from his innocence and introduced to the world of drugs, crime and death. This small act led Wes to see the amazing properties of both the idea of selling and using drugs. Even though Tony has made it clear that drug dealing is not cool or fun to do, Wes crunches under the pressure felt from friends to fit into the crowd. 

Quote 4: "A father who left his family and robbed his parents for money to buy rock" (Pg 51)

Analysis: This shows how drugs can possess a person to even leaving their own families to satisfy a fix or an addiction. It also shows his the father's insanity in that he would actually rob his own parents for his fix. This quote also shows how prominent drugs are in Wes' community and how hard it can be to avoid this dark path eventually leading to death. 

Quote 5: "'I hope you really listened to what I told you,' he whispered in my ear, opening up the other cuff to let both of my hands free." (Moore 84)

Analysis: The author included this scene from the book to show how big racial profiling was in the 80's and also how second chances can turn someones life upside. When you almost experience death or escapes trouble, you get this feeling of thankfulness and the thought of living each and everyday a as if it were your last. This event should have scared Wes from ever stepping back into that drug lane and gave him concrete evidence of why to not drug deal; a major difference between the two Moores.