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Riverdale Country School, Fieldston Road, The Bronx, NY

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"In the hood, your school affiliation was essential. Even if you weren't running with the coolest clique, you still get some percentage of your rep from your school, and the name Riverdale wasn't going to impress anyone" (Moore 49). Author Wes attends Riverdale after moving into the Bronx but never feels like he truly fits in with the students there. The school is not in his community, and he feels like an outcast too poor for his school but also too wealthy to fit in with the kids in his neighborhood. Although he feels isolated, this is a very important aspect of his life as he was never fully embraced by the drug driven culture of his surroundings.

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"Fear and apathy had become the new norm in what had once been a close - knit community ... My Grandfather told her that the changes had not diminished his belief in the community. He was determined to stick it out and do his part to heal the Bronx" (Moore 42). Joy had brought Wes and the rest of the family out of Baltimore to live with her parents in the Bronx. She had hoped that they would be able to escape the drugs and violence of Baltimore but they find themselves in a similar situation up North. Importantly, although this move didn't escape the violence, it brought Wes into a support system with his grandparents and family. Wes always had a community and family to fall back on in times of need which was something that the other Wes didn't have. His home and family in the Bronx provided him a moral compass to live the rest of his life.

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Riverdale Park, Palisade Avenue, The Bronx, NY

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"Showing one another our best and worst, revealing ourselves - even our cruelty and crimes - as if that fence had created a circle of trust. A brotherhood" (Moore 45). The basketball courts are an extremely important pace for the development of Author Wes. It provides him a community beside the drug trade for him to belong and it doesn't promote a culture of violence that is rampant within his community. Moore was feeling increasingly isolated in both Riverdale and his neighborhood but the basketball courts give him an opportunity to move past those social boundaries and be part of a community. Outside of helping with his social issues, the court provides a healthy outlet, not involved with the violence that was common throughout the community, for any struggles that Moore has. The courts help shape Moore's identity and allow him to stay on a good path in a community that encourages otherwise.

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Valley Forge Military Academy and College, Eagle Road, Wayne, PA

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Moore's mother enlists him in Valley Forge after he is arrested for tagging and her concern for his well being grows. The massive cultural shift from the Bronx to Valley Forged is explained by Moore, "It was a different psychological environment, where my normal expectations were inverted, where leadership was honored and class clowns were ostracized" (Moore 96). Although the transition was initially difficult, the shift in Moore's environment forces him to change his values and gives him a different perspective. Moore witnessed how his peers gave and demanded respect from each other without consideration. He realizes a different perspective that didn't exist in the Bronx because this environment prioritizes discipline and hard work over all else. Rather than respect being earned by fear and violence, it is earned by the actions of individuals fighting for the greater good. This sentiment rubs off on Moore and guides him down a path in life that will greatly differ from the path he was on before Valley Forge.

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"I was also so sincerely fearful of what was about to happen next ... and I couldn't deny that it was my own stupid fault" (Moore 83). After being arrested for tagging, Moore's first thought is the discipline that he'll receive from his mother, displaying how he has a support system of people that actually care about his well being. This support system forces Wes to understand the consequences of his actions and take accountability for his mistakes. Although his fear quickly subsides and he goes back to tagging, his reaction demonstrates how he is able to understand the wrong in his actions and take accountability. Moore still has a good character despite his recent actions that would suggest otherwise. This action and his inability to make a change appears like a step down the wrong path, but it eventually leads to a good outcome as it drives his mother to send him to military school which changes his life.

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Metro Broker Jewelers Ltd, Reisterstown Road, Pikesville, Baltimore, MD

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Moore robbed a jewelry store and shot a police officer as he was escaping before being brought in by police. After he hears his sentence of life in prison, "A sudden apathy sapped him ... He kept his eyes fixed on the front of the courtroom, never once looking behind him to see the family of the police officer or even his own family ... Finally he could see his future" (Moore 186 - 87). Wes' reaction to his sentence and his own crime is one of a lack of emotion or seemingly any remorse at all. Wes understands the scale of his sentence but he isn't very bothered by it and in fact seems somewhat relieved to finally have a determined future. This calm and somewhat optimistic reaction to such an extreme event displays how bad Wes' environment really was. This directly contrasts with the structured and supportive environment for Moore. Also, his emotionless reaction displays how this sentencing is a culmination for Wes' moral descent. He has become so accustomed to the violence of his community that he can't even become affected by his own egregious and brutal offences. Wes' robbery, murder, and sentencing is the culmination of the path that he chose which celebrated violence and fear at every step.

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Moore describes Wes' brother Tony as, "Tony had built a fierce reputation in the neighborhood. Despite his skinny frame and baby face, his eyes were lifeless and hooded, without a hint of spark or optimism. Tony's dead eyed ruthlessness inspired fear." (Moore 27). Wes grew up in a neighborhood and family that celebrated a culture driven by intimidation. Much of the inner city of Baltimore was not concerned with education but rather with the drugs trade and the culture within it. Wes was raised in and amongst these values and was indirectly pushed into becoming involved in the drug trade for his entire life. His support system was non - existent as well, as his mother was mostly absent from his life and his brother Tony set a bad example. Wes ultimately made his own decisions throughout his life, but the environment which he was raised formed him into the person that he became.

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11723 Eastern Ave, Middle River, MD 21220, USA

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In retaliation for being punched in the face, Wes goes home and grabs a knife while being followed by police, which Moore then describes "The police officer yelled at Wes: 'Put Down the Knife'. Wes didn't hear him. Wes continued to move towards the boy. His grip on the knife handle tightened. His forearms flexed. Send a message." (Moore 34). Wes is already exhibiting his agreement with the values that his community has instilled in him. He is obsessed with honor and respect and sees violence as the only avenue to gain this from his peers. At only 8 years old, Wes reaches a defining moment in his life where he now views violence as his only solution to conflict. This is due to the precedent set by his older brother Tony as well as the rest of his peers who all buy into this idea. This mindset combined with Wes' extreme importance regarding respect foreshadows his future decisions and violent actions.

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3803-3833 Bayville Rd, Middle River, MD 21220, USA

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Wes was sleeping with a girl at night before he was confronted by her boyfriend. In retaliation, Wes shot the man and Moore writes about Wes' immediate reaction, "Adrenaline was rushing through Wes' body, followed quickly by fear, but no regret. Ray was a fool for stepping to him like that; he'd started something that Wes had no choice but to finish" (Moore 105). This entire situation draws a very obvious parallel to his earlier action where he pulled a knife at a football game. Despite the large amount of time passing by, Wes' mindset has remained the same as he is still obsessed with respect. Now, he has grown, both physically and in his obsession with honor and violence, and his reaction is proportionally larger than before. As well, Wes seems to have an impersonal relationship with the act of shooting someone as he has become desensitized by the constant violence in his community. He doesn't feel any regret at all and still views his actions as justified despite his obvious escalation. Wes continues to move down the path of violence and towards prison.

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Moore's redemption culminates in his visit to South Africa during his semester abroad at John Hopkins. This trip allows Moore to see a broader perspective of life and maturity as represented by the quote, "The mission has to be to pull up others behind us. That's what Paul White did for me, and it changed my life" (Moore 161). Moore's life and values have come full circle from the beginning of his life in the Bronx. Initially, Moore was infatuated with the drugs and gang culture that was bringing his life down the wrong path. After a culture of discipline and respect was instilled at Valley Forge, Moore's life path completely switched. Now he has grown so much that he drives himself to broaden his education and lift up others around him. He has developed into a beacon for his community; a success story that others can look up to and strive towards. This success and development is entirely attributable to his environment and support system as he matures. Factors like his loving mother and grandparents, and the culture of Valley Forge kept him accountable for his mistakes and praised him for his success, pushing him down the path that led to his future.

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After being arrested for selling drugs, Wes attempts to change his life through the Job Corps but Moore describes his struggles, "He worked ten hours a day and come home with barely enough energy to play with his kids and barely enough energy to clothe and feed them" (Moore 144). Wes was unable to turn around his life despite his immense dedication and hard work. The mistakes he made earlier in life haunt him and make any progress impossible. This impossibility adds to the helplessness that Wes feels in his journey and constantly pushes him back into a life of crime. Once again, Wes finds himself isolated and without any support system to help him through difficult times of struggle. Instead of feeling supported, Wes only feels like his close friends and family are using him for material reasons and don't truly care for him. This is an example of the structural barriers that kept many people like Wes from bettering their lives and instead pushed them back into the crime that they were trying to escape. Feeling hopeless and alone, Wes goes back to the world of drugs and comes to his own realization that there simply isn't another option for him.