The Two Wes Moore Analysis

The two Wes Moore boys have almost inconceivably nothing in common except their names. As the boys continue to mature their paths in life take two diverse directions. The reader begins to see how the; support of family and friends, who their role model is, and expectations set for them all play a role in forging the two different futures of the boys. The support of family and friends is essential to the growth and development of the two boys. Without the support you have no one to push you further than what you thought you were capable of. The reader witnesses how the author is pushed and supported by those around him. The author’s mother forces him into a military school, which he hated. He wanted nothing more than to escape “I had never

The author at the military school lived in an environment where he was required to do his best each day, “It was a different psychological environment, where my normal expectations were inverted, where leadership was honored and class clowns were ostracized”(page 96). The author is expected to be exceptional at school and follow exemplary behavior. After meeting this expectation “’no excuses, no exceptions’,” Wes became a better man “my back stood straight, and my sentences now ended with ‘sir’ or ‘ma’am’’(page115). Wes on the other hand is expected to make money by any means possible. Because Wes had no boundaries for what he could do this led him down a criminal path of dealing drugs. He knew how the drug game worked “…the streets would get him that money back, and more”(page 74). Wes without any expectations, but to make money gets himself into trouble, and “getting arrested was starting to feel routine”(page 114). Since Wes has no expectations for him, he doesn’t fulfill his true potential, while the author was pushed to his limits and beyond allowing him to exceed everyone’s