Sampson Wu > Recent Status Updates

Just finishing the Epilogue, I’m reeling from how abruptly the lives of the two Wes finally settled. The whole story is full of "what if's." For example, "what if the other Wes didn't do what he did and instead went on the correct path like the author?" The other Wes spends his days as a carpenter earning fifty-three cents a day. The author served as a White House Fellow and is happily married to his wife, Dawn.

The other Wes was caught and arrested for a murder and theft crime. He said he was not there at the crime, but a jury found him guilty based on witness testimony and a necklace found with his DNA, receiving a life sentence. On the other hand, the author Wes was very successful. He was interning for Mayor Kurt Schmoke. He got encouraged to apply for the Rhodes Scholarship, and later went on a trip to South Africa.

There is a huge shift in the author Wes' attitude. He was especially influenced by Cadet Captain Ty Hill, a person whose command of respect offered Moore a new aspect of military and man. Wes got inspired and he wanted to be like him. Wes became the Platoon Sergeant and the youngest senior officer in the corps. He also became the Regimental Commander. Wes was responsible for training over seven hundred people.

Wes tried to escape from the Valley Forge Military Academy but he failed. After that, he went on the route. He was motivated and promoted to do well in class, starting to learn hard and taking pride of the leadership. He had a huge change here. He realized that the rules that he once hated is benefiting him. The rule gave him a clear path and things to do and not to do. Thus, he won't be lost like the other Wes.

In part 2, I could see how certain choices can affect the future of someone. The other Wes Moore repeatedly makes choices that helps him get quick money rather than in the long term. He life then fully changed. Also, the tone in this part is very interesting. The tone was like a memoir and the author talked about two kids with the same name who went on different routes.

I feel bad for the other Wes Moore. He himself did not do anything wrong pretty much. But the environment he was in changed him. I had some support by his grandparents but that was not enough. He was exposed to drugs and crimes every day. The other Wes Moore survives violent events and the risky decisions put him on a path to become a drug dealer, going on the wrong path.

I think the author Wes Moore's mother had an important role in the path he took. She was afraid he would fall into the same cycle as kids in his neighborhood, drug dealing, fighting, etc. The mother wanted to give him a place where he would not be destroyed. At first, Wes Moore's reactions were very realistic. He felt angry because he think he got betrayed by his mother and she had abandoned him to the strict rules.

It is really interesting how the author Wes Moore, who looks up to his mother after losing his father, is compared to the other Wes Moore, who looks up to his brother Tony, a drug dealer. Tony then became a huge influence on the other Wes Moore. Later, the author Wes Moore was sent to a military school. That was one of the reasons he did not choose the "wrong way" and eventually succeeded in his life.

After finishing the book, I think the main question is, if we live in a good world, why do we still feel unsatisfied? I think it is because, as humans, food, money, routine, and peace are not just what we want. We also want purpose and meaning to things that we do. Not having to go to school or work every day seems to be nice, but it could get boring after a while and the connection with other people.

I think how Mosscap asks questions so directly and straightforwardly is very interesting. We think of robots and AI as the database that knows everything. However, Mosscap seems to be very innocent and naive. His perspective on asking the questions makes normal human behavior seem strange, like why certain traditions exist and why humans behave emotionally. These are things special to humans that robots do not have.

In this chapter, Mosscap seemed to have a purpose in his journey out of the robots' home. He knows exactly why he is there and he has a clear goal or mission. Thus, Mosscap feels secure in its role as a representative of the robots. However, Dex does not know what they are doing. Dex was searching for crickets but they don't exactly have a clear goal. That makes me think of the question: what do humans actually need?

It was very interesting when Mosscap said that the robots were studying humans from a distance for many years. The robots used to be tools and things to make human lives easier, but now, they have developed so much that they could study humans without getting noticed. They did not revenge on humans or attack humans like the movie Terminator. The robots were actually very autonomous and had their own boundaries.

Going a little bit back into the plot, the reason the author gave about Dex leaving Panga is that there were no crickets. However, I think the crickets represent something bigger, a new thing or a conflict. Things are going too well for Dex, so he needs a thing to get out of the perfectionist routine which is also the reason why he left Panga. The extinction of crickets was not natural. Humans killed all of them.

It is really interesting how the robots left Panga, and then Dex chose to leave as well because the city is too peaceful. The robots chose freedom long ago, but now, one robot, Mosscap, has returned. This is the first time a human and a robot have met in a long time, meaning that there might be a huge event and the story plot is going to be on these two characters. They both chose a different route from their peers.

It is really interesting how the robots left Panga, and then Dex chose to leave as well because the city is too peaceful. The robots chose freedom long ago, but now, one robot, Mosscap, has returned. This is the first time a human and a robot have met in a long time, meaning that there might be a huge event and the story plot is going to be on these two characters. They both chose a different route from their peers.

At the end of the book, Changez and the American were leaving the coffee shop. I felt like it was really awkward or the American was very nervous. Later when they were walking to the hotel, a group of people walked by them. The American's reaction was very interesting. Even if Changez said they are not harmful, he was still ready to defend himself. But Hamid stopped the story there, an ending for us to guess.

When Changez returned from his trip to Chile, everything felt different and New York didn't feel like home to him. People were looking at his huge beard and it can connect to his identity as a Pakistani because of 9/11. He felt like he was left out and an outsider of a place that he was originally part of. It feels bad. This shows how America has changed and how Changez is going to change his perspective on America.

After reading chapter 10, I realized how important Juanis is towards Changez. He is the mentor of Changez and he values the things other people don't in Underwood Samson. Juan sees people/things more than numbers on a chart and the profits. Juan also tells Changez about the janissary. He can see the internal conflict Changez has, since Changez was fully committed to work and he seems to be distracted by something.

When Changez watched the Twin Towers fall on TV, he had an unexpected smile on his face. I think the reason for that might be that he still has a hidden resentment toward the US, since the US dominates so many things. And he has an internal conflict within himself. He knows he isn't part of the US, and as a Pakistani, it is even harder to be part of it. This might be the turning point in his loyalty towards the US.

Erica disappeared for a while in the book. Before, I thought Changez and Erica were going to have a romantic relationship. However, Erica is still trapped by Chris, her ex-boyfriend. She is not just simply sad. More importantly, she is emotionally paralyzed by Chris leaving. I feel really bad for Changez because the girl he likes might not actually like him. He might be a replacement for Erica.

After reading the 9/11 incident in the book, I felt nervous for Changez's future at Underwood Samson. Being a Pakistani, it is very hard for others to not have a filter when they are looking at Changez. His different identity does not match the American dream he is trying to achieve in New York. People might think he is a terrorist or a spy from Pakistan and Changez might be planning for another terrorist attack.

When Changez got sent by Underwood Samson to Manila, he was impressed. That made him relate to his hometown, Lahore. Even a place like Manila, Philippines, looks more fancy and modern than Lahore. I think it made Changez want to be more "American" and wanted to adapt to a more American style. This creates an interesting comparison of how he respects Pakistan for not looking at the looks of things, but now, he is.

When Changez and Erica got more and more familiar with each other, Changez visited Erica's home for dinner. It is really interesting when I see Changez finding even more information about Erica and her family. Her dad even made a comment on the corruption of Pakistan (stereotype), while Pakistan has some good technology. That is quite similar to what we were thinking before we made researches on Pakistan.

The author describes in the book how Americans moslty focuses on the image and looks. However, Pakistan focuses more on the thing and the purpose itself. For example, Princeton tried to make its campus beautiful with the "fake" ancient buildings. On the other hand, it is pretty ironic that Changez was attracted to the looks of Erica. He considers himself not as a facade person, but he kind of is.

At the end of the book, Davy had grown a lot especially from Wes and Frank. He realized that his dad doesn't need to be the "tough guy" and carries a Cot .45 around all the time like in the movie to be a good sheriff. Battling between justice and family members can be even harder than whatever the stereotype for sheriff is. The justice in Bentrock is limited and shaped by power rather than fairness.

At the end of the book, Davy had grown a lot especially with Wesley and Frank. He realized that his dad doesn't need to be the "tough" sheriff and carries a Colt .45 around all the time like in the movie to be a good sheriff. It is a hard job when people has to deal with justice and emotional conflicts. Davy learned that justice in Bentrock is limited and often shaped by power rather than FAIRNESS.

At the end of the book, Davy had grown a lot especially with Wesley and Frank. He realized that his dad doesn't need to be the "tough" sheriff and carries a Colt .45 around all the time like in the movie to be a good sheriff. It is a hard job when people has to deal with justice and emotional conflicts. Davy learned that justice in Bentrock is limited and often shaped by power rather than FAIRNESS.

Frank's death wasn't such as surprise to me. Although it is almost the end of the story, but it is a huge turning point of the story. Frank's assault towards Marie was spreading in the society, and the Hayden family really want a good reputation. So Frank didn't want to live with accusations. He would rather die than getting imprisoned, and that shows how he relied on his status and power to protect his actions.

When Wes decided to arrest Frank, the community kind of started to know something happened in the Hayden family. However, the society was not that easy. I feel bad for Marie because she was getting discriminated since she was a Native. Bentrock people didn't want to accuse Frank, a white male, for a Native woman. This also shows how corrupt the society was, how the Hayden family's power was greater than justice.

Towards the end of part 2, David realizes how unfair the world can be. That stood out to me because just 50 pages ago, David was a naive, 12 year-old boy knowing nothing in the adult's world. Marie's situation completely changed his perspective. I think people just don't know what they should do. Lying or not being justice is obviously not good. But sometimes, doing the right things can cause huge consequences.