Research Paper On The Other Wes Moore

As children age, they often follow others’ footsteps. They take traits from people they like and copy them. This influence within childhood builds habits and beliefs. These habits can either lead you closer or further to success. In “The Other Wes Moore” 2 different kids who are both named Wes go down completely different paths. One Wes becomes famous and successful, while the other ends up serving life in prison. Both Wes’s didn’t have a father since a young age, and so their life wasn’t ordinary or easy. From the beginning, influence is a big part of how people act the way they do. In most instances, the people who influence others don’t force them to do anything, but often lead them in their preferred direction. Starting off, Wes #1 had

As his mom realized, she couldn’t afford to take care of Wes by herself. An article I found illustrates the negatives associated with not having a father figure. It says: “'Overall, this work has documented a negative association between living apart from a biological father and multiple domains of offspring well-being, including education, mental health, family relationships, and labor market outcomes.” Having no father figure can hurt mental health, family relationships, and market outcomes. The biggest impact for Wes and his Mom was labor market outcomes. His mom couldn’t take care of Wes herself and had to move in with her parents to be able to afford a stable living. “People around us didn't think she was coping well with her husband's death. They thought she needed help, not just in raising the kids, but in raising her spirits. Although we were surrounded by her longtime friends from college and my uncles and aunts from both sides of the family, it wasn't enough. She was losing her grip. She needed help only her parents could provide” (Moore, 37). This particular quote greatly solidifies the struggle of being a single parent while trying to support your

This ended up making Wes’s life better as he became a well-known public figure, author, and businessman. As he had a good outcome, the same can’t be said for the second Wes. The second Wes was young, but his dad wasn't there for him at any point in his life. It was just him and his mom against the world. Having no father figure caused young Wes to subconsciously choose his brother as the person he looked up to. This ended up being a big mistake and led Wes to make irreversible mistakes. An article I found shows the different things a dad does for their kids and why they are needed in a kids life. “The meanings or lessons that participants derived from having absent fathers included the importance of being independent, appreciating the people who remained with them, making the best of their situation, and creating a better life for their children. Participants needed their father to be someone to go to for advice, hold them accountable, motivate them, and teach them gender roles”. Fathers help solidify the understanding of what is wrong and what is right, while motivating and leading their