Sampson Wu’s Reviews > The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates > Status Update

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.