The Other Wes Moore: Chapter 1
Theme Statement: Absent fathers can have a big impact on everyone especially young kids because of the loss of a fatherly figure which leads to questions early on and possibly trust issues later in life.
Quote 1: "That is one of only two memories I have of my father. The other was when I watched him die."
This quote is from the first Wes and is significant because it shows the effect that an absent father can have on a child. In Wes' case, he watched his father die and to this day, he still thinks about that tragic day. He remembers his dad as his "protector" and a calm and collected man. One way this could affect him later in life is that if his mother remarried, he could compare his new dad to his deceased dad and only think of the negatives of his new dad which could cause tension.
Quote 2: "My father was dead five hours after having been released from the hospital with the simple instruction to 'get some sleep.'"
This quote is also from the first Wes and is very similar to the first quote in that this one experience will scar him forever and leave him with regret and anger. He expresses his anger towards the hospital because they told him to "get some sleep" and did not see his life-threatening but treatable virus. Also, he lives with regret because of the thought that he could have done something to help dad from dying. Both regret and anger will live on with Wes and could haunt him in the future while in other similar situations that could be totally unrelated.
Quote 3: "Wes reluctantly got up from the red plaid couch and turned off the television, but the truth was that he liked going over to his grandmother’s house. He had never met his father, at least not that he remembered."
Quote 1: "That is one of only two memories I have of my father. The other was when I watched him die."
This quote is from the first Wes and is significant because it shows the effect that an absent father can have on a child. In Wes' case, he watched his father die and to this day, he still thinks about that tragic day. He remembers his dad as his "protector" and a calm and collected man. One way this could affect him later in life is that if his mother remarried, he could compare his new dad to his deceased dad and only think of the negatives of his new dad which could cause tension.
Quote 2: "My father was dead five hours after having been released from the hospital with the simple instruction to 'get some sleep.'"
This quote is also from the first Wes and is very similar to the first quote in that this one experience will scar him forever and leave him with regret and anger. He expresses his anger towards the hospital because they told him to "get some sleep" and did not see his life-threatening but treatable virus. Also, he lives with regret because of the thought that he could have done something to help dad from dying. Both regret and anger will live on with Wes and could haunt him in the future while in other similar situations that could be totally unrelated.
Quote 3: "Wes reluctantly got up from the red plaid couch and turned off the television, but the truth was that he liked going over to his grandmother’s house. He had never met his father, at least not that he remembered."
This quote is from the second Wes and is similar to the first Wes' situation but differs in that the second Wes' dad did not die but rather left the family. This also has a big effect on kids because it leads them to question why their father left and if it was because he didn't love them or that it was there fault. These negative thoughts can lead to insanity mentally while trying to answer those hard questions.
Quote 4: "Wes was the man of the house."
Quote 4: "Wes was the man of the house."
This quote is from the second Wes and is significant because it shows the big tasks that these young children with absent fathers feel they need to fill. While Wes' older brother is also absent most of the time, Wes feels as if it is his job to be the man of the house which is ridiculous for a kid who should be watching cartoons and playing and enjoying their childhood while it lasts.
Quote 5: "'Sorry, guys, Mom’s dead,' he finally blurted out, blunt to the point of absurdity."
This quote is from the second Wes and is different because it gives an example of how an absent mother can have its affect on those around her. After their mother's death, her husband falls into a drunken stupor and finally decides to tell her kids that there one and only figure they look up to has died and he does so with no sympathy for the little kids at all. This affects the kids because now they have no one to look up to which could lead to behavior problems or rebellion in their older years.
Quote 5: "'Sorry, guys, Mom’s dead,' he finally blurted out, blunt to the point of absurdity."
This quote is from the second Wes and is different because it gives an example of how an absent mother can have its affect on those around her. After their mother's death, her husband falls into a drunken stupor and finally decides to tell her kids that there one and only figure they look up to has died and he does so with no sympathy for the little kids at all. This affects the kids because now they have no one to look up to which could lead to behavior problems or rebellion in their older years.
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