The Other Wes Moore Analysis Of The Two Major Characters In The Book (Book Review Sample)

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The Other Wes Moore Analysis
The Other Wes Moore is a book that focuses on two characters that share a lot of similarities but take different steps in their lives. The two came from the same neighborhood, share a name, and family upbringing among other aspects. Despite the similarities the choices made changed the direction of their lives. One became a criminal while the other character became a scholar. “I guess it’s hard sometimes to distinguish between second chances and last chances” (Moore 67). This statement forms a cornerstone in the analysis of the novel. The paper will focus on the many influences that they experienced personality, and actions.
The family has a major influencing in shaping the life of an individual. The two characters lacked a father figure in their lives as they were raised by their mothers. Author Wes Moore's (AWS) mother believed in education and worked hard to ensure that his son succeeded. The mother "worked multiple jobs, from a freelance writer for magazines and television to a furriers assistant- whatever she could do to help cover her growing expenses" (Moore 47). She graduated from college and believed that this was the chance for the son to succeed. On the other hand, the Other West Moore's (OWM) mother did not finish college as her grant was taken away. This made her less concerned with her children's education.
Moreover, the second influence is the events taking place in their neighborhood. The two characters grew up in the slums of Baltimore city where they were exposed to violence, crime, drugs among other vices. The immediate family member of OWM Tony was a drug dealer. The actions of his brother had an influence in his life as he also began selling drugs in the same streets. Moreover, the AWM looked at the situation around him and choose a different life. "Baltimore had a 70% dropout rate...." (Moore 57). He purposed to work hard not to join the statistics. He understood that following the easy path of becoming a criminal had repercussions that would destroy his life. The AWM indicates that Tony, who was not only a brother but also a close friend tried to OWM tried to direct him in the right direction to no avail (Moore 71). This is an indication that personal choices play a major role in influencing the direction we take. People can only direct but they cannot force us to make decisions.
According to Hirschi, the social control theory indicates that the society has placed controls through various institutions like family, school, and churches among others. These controls tend to shape the characteristics and behaviors of an individual preventing them from becoming criminals (108). In the book, the AWM came from a home where hard work, respect and perseverance were inculcated in him through his mother's actions. Moreover, he had an opportunity of growing up with his father before he died. His father was a hardworking person who provided him with advice and was he regarded him as a protector (Moore 19). At a young age, he had identified a role model to emulate and this reminded him that despite the actions of his peers he had to take control of his life. He joined the army and became a war hero, graduated as a Scholar from Rhodes school and had a successful political career.
On the other hand, the OWM had a poor role model that is his mother who was using drugs and his brother who was selling them. His family did not have the controls to enforce morals and values (Moore 68). He became reckless and strong minded in pursuing what he wanted despite the people around her. Additionally, everyone in their family had dropped from school. He also joined the bandwago...