The other wes moore essay example

Wes Moore as well as the other Moore grew up in the same neighbourhood. The neighbourhood was surrounding by various moral atrocities. Some of the atrocities that surrounded the social setting in which these two character grew in include drug abuse and negative peer pressure. Though both Wes Moore and the other Moore grew up in the same neighbourhood they grew up to become very different individuals that exhibited different interests and attributes. This paper intends to answer the question; what happened in the life of each of the two characters that led to different outcomes in terms of their destinies? There are four important passages that clearly illustrate the cause of the differences between Wes Moore and the other Moore. This paper seeks to use these passages as being a base to support the fact that led to differences between Wes Moore and the other Moore.
I First Cause of difference: Nature versus Nurture (Chance /opportunity)

Quote “… And the truth is that I don’t know.  The answer is elusive.  People are so wildly different, and it’s hard to know when genetics or environment or just bad luck is decisive.  As I’ve puzzled over the issue, I’ve become convinced that there are some clear and powerful measures that can be taken during this crucial time in a young person’s life.  Some of the ones that helped me come to mind, from finding strong mentors to being entrusted with responsibilities that forced me to get serious about my behaviour.  There is no one thing that leads people to move in one direction or another.  I think the best we can do is give our young people a chance to make the best decisions possible b providing them with the information and the tools and the support they need.” (Moore 179)

Explanation

This is a clear indication that though both Wes Moore and the other Moore grew in the same neighbourhood and were exposed to the same chances and opportunities, both characters utilized these chances differently. The fact that these two characters exploited the same opportunities in different ways resulted in different outcomes. Moore also explains in this passage that even the people that surrounded these two people were important entities that shaped the destiny of Moore and other Moore. This is because these people influenced the behaviour of these two charters as well as acting as role models for each character. Behaviour as social construct contributes greatly to the kind of future that a character realizes. The people that surrounded these individuals include peers. The other Moore was surrounded by peer groups that were not geared towards progress. This is the reason as to why the other Moore ended up being less successful that Wes Moore. Wes Moore was utilized peers who had an academic drive making him to end up getting a scholarship to Rhodes. On the other hand, the other Moore ended up being swayed by peers to commit crime. He was arrested for purportedly killing a police officer and for other incidences like armed robbery.
II. Second Cause of Difference: Education Setting

Quote “ When it is time for you to leave this school, leave your job, or even leave this earth, you make sure you have worked hard to make sure it mattered you were even here”(Moore 64).

Explanation

The above quote brings out the second difference between Wes Moore and the other Moore. The second cause of the difference, between Wes Moore and the other Moore, is that the two characters experienced different education setting. In the case of Wes Moore, he was brought up within family that had a great value for education. They encouraged the young man to continue working hard if at all he wanted to have a bright happy future. Wes Moore had a driving force that kept him going in terms of not giving up in his academic endeavours. His family provided a setting that made him understand that unless he obtained quality education then his life would be in jeopardy. This notion helped him achieve a lot in terms of academics including securing a scholarship to Rhodes. On the other hand the other Moore did not enjoy a setting that motivated him to value education. Instead, the other Moore was exposed to moral decadence that eventually landed him in prison which means that his life was affected in a negative way.
III. Third Cause of Difference: Poverty Levels
Quote “ Just stand next to the white people. They’ll get off by Hundred and Tenth Street.” Justin broke down his strategy for securing a seat as we shoved ourselves onto the crowded Number 2 train heading uptown.” (Moore 145).

Explanation

This quote brings out a theme of poverty that surrounded the other Moore. This brings us to the third cause of the difference between Wes Moore and the other Moore; the fact the two individuals experienced different levels of poverty in their lives. The above quote clearly shows that the other Moore was brought up in a family that lacked the money. He had to live a humble life in that he did not have the means to live a wealthy life. The scarcity of essential resources in the life of the other Moore caused him to miss out on opportunities that would have shaped his life in a better way. He could not be in a position to earn good education or methods that would help him earn money. This caused him to be hopeless in life which eventually caused him to embrace moral evils like armed robbery. On the other hand, Moore was brought up in a family that though not well equipped; he did not lack basic resources. The availability of these resources enabled Wes Moore to accomplish a lot in life including accessing quality education and receiving a scholarship at Rhodes.
IV. Fourth Cause of Difference: The Role of Family

Quote”… the way governors projected the numbers of beds they’d need for prison facilities was by examining the reading scores of third graders. Elected officials deduced that a strong percentage of kids reading below their grade level by third grade would need a secure place to stay when they got older” (Moore 36).

Explanation

The fourth cause of the difference between Wes Moore and the other Moore is that the family as an institution played a great role in shaping the lives of two individuals. The families of both Wes Moore and other Moore had different interests and goals. The focus of life in the families’ perspective helped shape the future of each of the two individuals. Moore explains that the family of Wes Moore kept advising Wes Moore to work hard in terms of school work. Wes Moore’s parents motivated him to work hard. The words in the above quote are very inspirational in that the words clearly explain to Moore that for any man to be successful in life, they have to be educated. Failure to do so would cause them to not only live poor lives but they would also cause future generations to lead a poor life. This allowed him to work harder so as to avoid this. On the other hand, the other Moore lacked a motivation from family. This caused him to make wrong decisions in life that lead him to Prison
V. Conclusion: Summary of the Four Causes of Differences

In conclusion, though both Wes Moore and other Moore were raised in the same neighbourhood they had different outcomes in terms of their future lives. These differences were caused by the fact that both characters utilized the chances and opportunities they had in different way thereby reaping different fruits. Secondly both Moore and the other Moore did not have the same education setting. Wes Moore had a better education setting compared to other Moore. This accounts for the reason as to why Wes Moore was more educated compared to the Moore. The third cause of the difference between Moore and the other Moore is because is that the two characters experienced different levels of poverty. This caused the two characters to have different access to resources thereby causing them to attain different levels of success. The final cause of the difference between Wes Moore and the other Moore is the fact that Wes Moore’s family aided him in discovering his goals and striving towards meeting them. On the other hand, the family of the other Moore offered him very little inspiration if any.

Works Cited

Moore, Wes. The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates. New York: Random House
Publishing Inc, 2010. Print.