IV Chapter 4

Themes:
1. Parallel Biographies
2. Crimes
3. Life Choices

Quotes

Parallel Biographies
1. "Mary was not the least bit concerned about her son's new dilemma... 'I don't want to hear your sob story about how much money you owe"(P. 74). (Wes 2)
"'Well your grades obviously aren't bad because you can't pick this stuff up or because you are stupid, you are just not working hard enough" (P.76). (Wes 1)

• In the first quote, Wes 2's mother is scolding him for bringing drugs into their house and telling him that she does not care about how much money he owes people, since she flushed the drugs down the toilet. In the second quote, Wes 1 also finds himself in trouble with his mother because he is doing poorly in school.
• These quotes reflect the theme of parallel biographies because both of the Wes Moores are beginning to disappoint their mothers, who used to always be on their side and support them.
• Both of them are screwing up and their mothers are getting tired of it. 
• Right now both of the Wes Moores are going through the same thing and we will have to see if they eventually shape up and begin to behave well.

Crimes

2. "He owed money but had no drugs to sell- he had to figure out how to make that money back quickly. The only way to do that was to go see his connects and hit the street again" (P. 74). (Wes 2)

• This quote is talking about how Wes 2 is trying to figure out how to earn the money he lost back, as a result of his mom flushing his drugs down the toilet.
• Wes 2 figures that the only way for him to earn the money back is to hit the streets and sell more drugs.
• This ties into the theme of crimes because doing drugs and selling drugs is a crime. If Wes were caught, he could get in serious trouble with the law.
• Him getting involved with selling drugs at an early age, could seriously damage his future because he could be arrested or end up in the violence that comes with being in the drug game.

3.  "Now I understood what was going where this was going. I was being arrested" (P.81). (Wes 1)

• This quote is talking about how Wes 1 was being handcuffed after he vandalized a city wall with graffiti.
• This ties into the theme of crimes because Wes 1 was being punished for a crime he had just committed.
• In this case, Wes was let off the hook, but if he keeps misbehaving and committing crimes, he could get into serious trouble one day. He could actually be arrested and face worse consequences for breaking the law.

Life Choices

4. " 'You have the potential to do so much more, go so much further. You can lead a horse to water but can't make him drink, right?' "(P.72) (Wes 2)

• Here, Wes 2's brother Tony, is trying to tell him that he could do so much more with his life than getting involved in the drug game. However, Tony recognizes that he cannot make his brother's choices for him.
• No matter how hard Tony tries to steer his brother away from drugs, it all comes down to the choices Wes 2 makes and whether he will get involved in the drug game.
• This relates to the theme of life choices because now Wes 2 is left with a decision to make. He must decide whether he will get out of the drug game and start turning his life around or if he will remain in the drug game and endanger his future.
• By the end of the chapter, it seems evident that Wes 2 chooses to stay involved in the drug game, and this could again, jeopardize his future because he could get involved in the violent cycle that comes with the drug game, get arrested, or even die.

5. "The cops gave us a gift that day, and I swore I would never get caught in a situation like that again" (P. 84). (Wes 1)

• After Wes 1 was nearly arrested for vandalizing public property, he reflects on how he was lucky to be let off the hook by the cops and vows to not get into another situation like that again.
• Unlike Wes 2, Wes 1 seems remorseful of his actions and realizes that the trouble he is getting into is serious. 
• This relates to the theme of life choices because Wes 1 decided that he would never get caught in a situation like that again, which shows that he might try to shape up and get his life together. 
• At the end of the chapter however, it suggests that Wes began vandalizing public property again, so it is questionable whether Wes actually did learn from his mistake.
• Hopefully Wes 1 will shape up and will not go down the wrong path, as a criminal.

III Chapter 3

Themes:
1. Parallel Biographies
2. Drugs
3. Importance of Education

Quotes

Parallel Biographies
1.  "...I allowed my standards at school to become pathetic" (P. 54). (Wes 1)
"He wasn't exactly excelling in the classroom, and his disenchantment with school was beginning to wear on him"(P. 58). (Wes 2)

• The first quote here is talking about how Wes 1's grades began to slip in school while the second one is talking about how Wes 2 was not excelling in school.
• At the time, both the Wes Moores were struggling in school and beginning to lose interest in learning. This is a clear example of a parallel between the two of them because they are going through similar situations.
• Both the Wes Moores are currently facing the challenge of succeeding in school, which shows that when they were children they led similar lives in one aspect. However the future of these two boys might be very different depending on how they will choose to face this challenge.
• In this chapter Wes 1 talks about how his mother may send him to military school if he does not do better in school, while Wes 2 has begun to take interest in drugs. This may be the start of how the two Wes Moores will begin to lead different lives.
• With these two boys coming from similar situations, we will see how their lives begin to differ and take different paths through the way the book is set up in the "parallel biography" style.

Drugs

2. "Besides watching Tony, Wes's first real interaction with drugs had taken place a few months earlier, just before the move out to Baltimore County" (P. 59)

• This quote is talking about the first time Wes 2 had interacted with drugs when he skipped school one day.
• Wes 2's first time doing drugs occurred at a young age. This could pose a huge problem for him in the future and could be the start of his downfall.
• Once you get involved in the world of drugs it is quite difficult to get out of it, especially at such an early age. If Wes 2 continues to use drugs he could become addicted to them , think irrationally, be expelled from school, get arrested, etc. There are endless amounts of negative consequences that could result from Wes 2's early drug use.
• This first encounter with drugs may not have seemed like a big deal to Wes 2 at the time but it may have been what ruined his whole future.

3. "He knew what this game was, the same game that had consumed Tony and put a bullet or two in him. The same game Tony continually urged Wes to stay out of" (P. 58)

• This quote is referring to when Wes 2 decided to work for a group of drug dealers in his neighborhood by warning them whenever cops passed by.
• This ties into the theme of drugs because it shows how drugs began to infiltrate into Wes 2's life. 
• From this, the reader can predict that Wes 2 might fall into the dangerous downward spiral of drugs that his brother Tony had once fallen into.
• Wes 2's early involvement with drugs may ruin his life.

Importance of Education

4. "...my mother had begun to threaten me with military school if I didn't get my grades and discipline together" (P. 54). 

• Here, Wes 1 talks about how if he does not start receiving better grades in school or behaving right, his mother will send him to military school.
• This ties into the theme of the importance of education in this book because it is evident that Wes 1's mother takes education very seriously.
• Wes 1's mother wants what is best for him and wants him to have a bright future. That is why she worked multiple jobs to send him to Riverdale Country School, an affluent private school.
• Wes 1's mother knows that education is the key to her son's bright future and success, so she does everything in her power to get him on the right track. If Wes cannot succeed in the Bronx, she may be forced to take what seem like extreme measures and send him to military school.
• Wes 1's education is very important to his mother because she wants to give him a good life and she realizes that the way to help her son succeed, is to get him to succeed in school.
• The persistence of Wes 1's mother for him to succeed in school and the importance of education to her might be one of the leading factors for Wes 1 to become successful later on in life.

5. "Baltimore City had a 70 percent dropout rate at the time. Tony had already joined that statistic; Mary wanted to keep Wes away from the same fate" (P. 57)

• This quote is talking about one of the reasons why Mary Moore decided to move her family out of their previous neighborhood in Baltimore, to one called Dundee Village. 
• Wes 2's mother, Mary wanted Wes to succeed and graduate high school and she was willing to take large measures to try to help her son do this.
• This quote ties into the the theme of the importance of education because if Wes 2's mother felt the need to move her family to a different neighborhood to help her son succeed in school, she obviously valued education.
• Like Wes 1's mother, Mary values education and wants the best for her son. She wants him to have a bright future and she sees education as the gateway to his success.
• The question is whether moving to a different neighborhood will be enough for Wes 2, to overcome the challenges of emerging successfully from his background.
• Although both the Wes Moores' mothers see education as very important, and want the best for their sons, the Wes Moores will lead different lives because of other factors.

Title Justification Paper #1

        Some authors choose to divide their books up into different parts and others do not. The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore, is a book divided into three parts. Part one of the book includes three chapters and is titled "Fathers and Angels". Part one of The Other Wes Moore is titled "Fathers and Angels" because it describes how the mothers of both the Wes Moores also served as their guardian angels and fulfills the author's purpose by setting the scene for the tragedy that will occur later on in the book.

        Both Wes 1 and Wes 2 were forced to grow up without their fathers. Wes 1's father had died when he was young. Wes 2's father on the other hand, was abusive and did not wish to be part of his son's life. Wes 2's father "...hadn't found a steady job. He spent most of his time searching for himself at the bottoms of liquor bottles" (P. 23). With both of their fathers gone or uninvolved in their lives, the Wes Moores only had one parent to raise them and that was their mothers. The author's purpose for this part of the book was to set the stage for the reader to understand the background of both the Wes Moores. Part 1 paints a picture of what type of environment the Wes Moores had to grow up in as kids. In the first part of the book we learn the essential things to know about both of the Wes Moores in order to make sense of why their paths diverged in such drastically different ways. We learn that they grew up without their fathers, we learn where the two of them live, we learn that both of them are struggling in school, and we learn that Wes 2 has begun to get involved in drugs while Wes 1 has not. The author is providing us with this information because it is vital when it comes to understanding why the two of them came to lead different lives. When reading the title of part 1, "Fathers and Angels" you would think that the title would actually read "Fathers and Mothers" because fathers and mothers are both parents. The fact that the title of part 1 is "Fathers and Angels" may suggest that the mothers of the Wes Moores are not simply mothers. They are the guardian angels for both of them. For instance both the mothers of the Wes Moores want the best for their children. They both want to make sure their sons receive a good education. For example Wes 1's mother "... decided soon after [their] move to the Bronx that [Wes] was not going to public school" (P. 47).  Instead Wes 1's mother worked multiple jobs, so that she could send her son to an affluent private school where she thought he would succeed. Wes 2's mother also valued her son's future and tried to provide him with the chance to receive a better education by moving her family out of their previous neighborhood. This shows that both the Wes Moores' mothers were strong women who only wanted the best for their sons. They would do anything to provide them with a chance to have a bright future. The Wes Moores' mothers were their protectors and angels throughout their early lives and they supported them as much as they could, with their fathers being gone. The title of part 1 "Fathers and Angels" shows that the mothers of the Wes Moores were more than just mothers, they were angels. This first part of the book sets the stage for the tragedy that will occur later in the book for Wes 2, because it provided us with details on the early lives of both the Wes Moores.

          Part one of The Other Wes Moore is titled "Fathers and Angels" because it describes how the mothers of both the Wes Moores also served as their guardian angels and fulfills the author's purpose by setting the scene for the tragedy that will occur later on in the book. The Other Wes Moore is a book divided into three parts, so it will be interesting to see what the other two parts of the book will encompass. When writing biographies it is best to divide the story into different parts?

II Chapter 2

Themes:
1. Mentoring
2. Drugs
3. Poverty

Quotes
Mentoring
1. "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"(Pgs. 32-33).

• Wes 2's older brother Tony, feels the need to be a role model for Wes and toughen him up.
• This relates to the theme of mentoring because Tony had become a mentor for Wes 2 throughout his childhood.
• Wes 2' brother Tony, may be serving as his mentor but this might not be the best thing. For instance in chapter 2 when Wes 2 gets punched in the face, he runs home and thinks of what his brother Tony would want him to do. He immediately grabs a knife and goes to hunt down the boy who punched him in the face.
• Tony had taught his younger brother to "send a message" to anyone who tried to cross him. Luckily, Wes 2 was caught by a cop before he could harm the boy who punched him.
• At a young age, Wes 2's mind has already been corrupted by Tony's mentoring. Although Tony may have good intentions for his brother, he might not be giving him the best advice, seeing as to how he is a violent drug dealer. 
• Tony wants Wes to succeed and does not want him to go down his same path. Nevertheless, Wes looks up to Tony and it probably will not be good for Wes to look up to a person like Tony who has gone down the wrong and dangerous path. It will be interesting to see how strong Tony's influence will be on Wes 2 and whether it will inadvertently lead Wes down the wrong path as well.

2. "The shopping excursion was the first of many encounters between my grandfather and this man, who would become a mentor, teacher, and friend to him" (Pg. 41). 

• Wes 1's grandfather is an example of someone who had a good role model and mentor in his life.
• This ties into the theme of mentoring because it directly says that this man, Kwame Nkrumah, became a mentor and teacher for Wes 1's grandfather.
• Contrary to Tony, Wes 2's mentor, Kwame Nkrumah, held a good influence over Wes 1's grandfather. In the book it talks about how Kwame Nkrumah mentored and clothed Wes 1's grandfather. With such a good influence in his life, Wes 1's grandfather was able to pursue his dream of becoming a minister and being successful.
• The people around you in your life can be the difference in you being successful or unsuccessful. Because Wes 1's grandfather received good advice and lessons from his mentor, reaching his dream was made easier. Tony may pose a threat to Wes 2's future because of the bad influence he holds over him.
• Now Wes 1 is living with his grandmother and grandfather who have raised children that have turned out well, so it is likely that Wes 1 holds an advantage over Wes 2 when it comes to succeeding in life.
• The theme of mentoring will most likely play an important role throughout the book because the people involved in both the Wes's lives can be all the difference between them succeeding and failing in life.

Drugs

3.  "Tony had started dealing drugs in those shadowy hallways of Murphy homes before he was ten" (P. 27)

• Wes 2's older brother Tony had gone down the wrong path at an early age when he joined the drug business at ten years-old.
• Throughout the book, drugs have proven to be a force of ruin and destruction in the Wes Moore families. 
• In chapter 2 the narrator says that Tony wishes he could go back in time before he got "so deep in the game, and do it all over". Tony feels that his life has already been destroyed by drugs and he cannot go back. He cannot escape the drug world.
• Throughout this chapter we see that drugs have not only destroyed people but they have destroyed entire neighborhoods and futures.
• Both the Wes Moores see their neighborhoods collapsing because of the influence of drugs. Wes 2 sees it with his brother and in the Murphy Homes, while Wes 1 sees it occurring in the Bronx, a neighborhood that used to be somewhat prosperous and full of diversity.
• Wes 2's older brother Tony dealing drugs at such a young age, ties into the theme of drugs because it shows that from an early age, Tony's life had been ruined and his innocence had been corrupted. 

Poverty

4. "Over half of the eight thousand residents lived below the poverty line" (P. 29)

• This quote is referring to how many of the residents in Wes 2's old neighborhood, Cherry Hill lived below the poverty line.
• Poverty is a recurring theme throughout the book because both the Wes Moores are exposed to poverty at an early age because of its prevalence throughout their neighborhoods.
• While it does not seem like either of the Wes Moores live below the poverty line, they are surrounded by many people who do, which could pose challenges for them and their futures.
• It can be difficult for children living in impoverished neighborhoods to do well in school or make it out of their neighborhoods successfully, so we will have to see how these two boys adapt and react to the challenge of living in neighborhoods struggling with poverty.

5.  "With every step on those cracked sidewalks, I passed a new signifier of urban decay" (P. 43)

• In this quote Wes 1 talks about how whenever he walked the streets of the Bronx, he was watching his neighborhood collapse due to poverty, drugs and other forces of ruin for the neighborhood.
• This quote ties into the theme of poverty because it shows how poverty is bringing down Wes 1's neighborhood and its residents.
• This quote does not only refer to poverty because poverty is not the only "signifier of urban decay". You could also argue that drugs were a signifier of urban decay in We's neighborhood, meaning this quote ties into the theme of drugs as well.
• Poverty will most likely be a barrier and challenge for both the Wes Moores to overcome if they want to succeed in life.
• Both the Wes Moores are growing up in similar and difficult situations, so it will be interesting to see if they will react to their situations similarly or not.

I Chapter 1

Themes:
1. Absent Fathers
2. Single Mothers
3. Importance of Education
4. Drugs

Quotes

Drugs
1. "Bill was too strong, too determined, too high."(Pg. 10)

• With both the Moore families, drugs seem to be one of the factors that tears their families apart
• In this scene, Joy's husband Bill was physically abusing her. The drugs he had taken made him too strong and determined to the point where he was out of control, and ended up hurting his wife physically and emotionally.
• Consequently, Joy is forced to take extreme measures and leave Bill and take the children with her.
• This shows that drugs can ruin families and destroy relationships. Bill was too involved with drugs, therefore the family was forced into separation.
• With the families separated, the children are forced to live without their biological fathers, which one can infer could be quite damaging to the development of a child and the family as a whole
• With the mothers forced to leave their husbands, they too face a road of hardships, and challenges with having to raise a family on their own

Importance of Education

2. "Mary was only a kid, but she made a pact with herself at that moment: she would get her education         and leave the neighborhood no matter what it took." (Pg. 19)

• The narrator talks about how Mary makes a pact to get an education.
• The fact that Mary makes this pact, to get an education, shows that it is a huge deal to her. She realizes that education is the key to making a better life for herself and moving out of her bad neighborhood.
• Because Mary realizes that education is her key to a better life, she is determined to get an education and it becomes an important part of her life and aspirations.
• The mothers of both the Wes Moores see education as a path to guide them to success, whether it be in helping them receive a job to support their families, or to stand up to conventional ways of thinking. Perhaps it is a way for them to object to the idea that black people cannot become educated or successful.
• In chapter 1 both the mothers of the two different Wes Moores strive to become educated, and education is of high importance for both of them.

Absent Fathers

3. "That was the last time he tried to see his son." (Pg. 24)

• This quote is talking about We's father, Bernard (the one who had him with Mary). Bernard was an alcoholic and was not present for We's birth. He only tried to be involved with his son's life once, and that was when he came to Mary's house drunk, demanding to see his son. When Mary did not let him in, he left for good.
• Bernard no longer tried to be a part of his son's life, which ties into the theme of "absent fathers". He did not wish to take part in raising his son. 
• A child being forced to live without their father can be emotionally damaging. So far, in chapter 1 there has not been much talk about how the absence of We's father has affected him but at the end of the chapter Bernard met Wes for the first time, when Wes went to his grandmother's house.
• It will be interesting to see how Wes reacts to meeting his father for the first time. It will also be interesting to see whether his father will indeed try to be part of his life or if he will still be the irresponsible, absent father he was for so long.

Absent Fathers Single Mothers, and Drugs

4. "My father was dead five hours after having been released from the hospital...." (Pg. 14)

• Here, Wes Moore talks about how his father died. In chapter 1 we learn that both the Wes Moores will  live or have lived without their fathers for much of their lives.
• In this particular case, Wes Moore's father died of epiglottis and because he died, he was absent throughout We's life. However, the other Wes Moore's father was absent in a different way. He was absent because he was not interested in being part of his son's life and more interested in taking drugs (this ties into the theme of drugs).
• In both cases, we see that the fathers of the Wes Moores are absent throughout their lives. One can assume that the difference in the way the fathers are absent, will have a different effect on the childrens' development.
• In both cases the children probably experience pain from their fathers' absences. However one Wes Moore is left with good memories and thoughts about his father while, the other is left in the dark. The other Wes Moore has not met his father until the end of the chapter, which may mean that he might not think too highly of his father or have the best relationship with him.
• This quote also ties into the theme of single mothers because with the fathers of their children gone, these mothers are forced to try and raise a family on their own.

5. "Mary was left with two alcoholic, abusive men who shared the DNA of her two children but no             husband or dad for her boys." (Pg. 23)

• Here, the narrator talks about how Wes Moore's mother, Mary, was stuck in a very difficult situation with two men who were alcoholics and abusive, but also were the fathers of her children. Neither of these men were suited to be her husband nor the father of her children because of their irresponsibility.
• This quote ties into the theme of "drugs" because it talks about how both of Mary's boyfriends were alcoholics and not suited to be fathers nor husbands. Because these men are more interested in using drugs, they are not involved in the lives of their children, and Mary is forced to raise a family on her own.
• Mary's having to raise her children on her own ties into the theme of "single mothers" because now she does not have a husband to support her, and her children do not have a father to raise them. 
• The children not having fathers, evidently ties into the theme of "absent fathers", because they are not involved in their children's lives.
• Being raised without one of your parents can take quite toll on a child and their development. It can affect them for the rest of their life. 
• In addition, raising a family without your husband can be one of the greatest challenges a woman faces because it takes a toll on the family financially and emotionally.