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"His normally strong features sagged in exhaustion, as if he were in the final hours of a battle he had been fighting for years. I stared at him, looking but doing nothing" (13)
This was Wes' first life changing event when his dad died right in front of him. This was also significant because he was released from the hospital in the morning and died later that night.

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"Three weeks later, Nikki, Shani, and  I all stood outside our car, staring with something like disbelief at our now empty home. This was it. We were actually leaving Maryland...It already felt like past life" (37).
This is a little while after Wes' dad's death. His mother decides to move in with her parents in the Bronx. This is important because they are living their past experiences and almost "starting over" in the Bronx.

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In this chapter, Wes' Uncle Howard suggests having a baseball game between Riverdale, Wes' new school, and Wes' neighborhood. This game ends in 15 minutes after conflict between the two teams. This is important because it shows how Wes is an outlier, and is struggling with his life at the moment.

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In Chapter one Wes meets his father for the first time since birth and he is 6 years old. When he meets him, his father is drunk and doesn't recognize. This moment proves that Wes' absent father is having a great effect on his life.

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"He tried to plead his case to the police officer as he closed the second cuff on Wes's eight-year-old wrists" (35).
This was Wes's first encounter with the law and showed that early on in his life he was already headed down the wrong road. After an altercation during a football game in the neighborhood, Wes tried to attack a kid because he was taught by his brother to always stand up for himself and "send a message." This shows how much of an impact Tony has on Wes's life, as he is his biggest role model.

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"Simply wear a headset, hang out with new friends, notify people when you see police coming, and get paid by the end of the day" (58)
This shows how appealing the drug business was during the 80s. All Wes has to do is put on a headset and watch for police to make money. This job is a gateway for being more involved with the chance to make more money.

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"I was terrified. I had no idea what was next. A thought raced around my head—my mother was going to have to pick me up from jail" (82)
After Wes drew graffiti on a wall, he got in trouble with the police. This is a very important moment as Wes realizes his fate and if he continues down this path, he might actually be arrested or worse.

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"Wes was stunned. He went back to his room and desperately tried to devise a plan. He owed money but had no drugs to sell—he had to figure out how to make that money back quickly" (74)
This was significant because it shows how easy it is to get involved in the drug business. And, once you get involved it is almost impossible to get out of it.

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"Finally, I sat down on a rock that I could have sworn I had just tripped over ten paces back and began to cry. I was defeated. I had never wanted anything more in my life than to leave that school, and I was slowly coming to the realization that it was not going to happen" (93).
This quote was shortly after Wes tried to run away from military school. Wes realizes he is stuck and knows he has to change.

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"But I had to let this one go. I had to look at the bigger picture. My assailant was unknown, unnamed, and in a car. This was not a fair fight, and the best-case scenario was nowhere near as probable as the worst-case scenario" (121).
While in military school, Wes and a friend decide to go outside campus to go only to be met with a couple drunk teenagers that are trying to pick a fight. Wes chooses to play it safe and not get involved which is the first sign that he is taking steps in the right direction.

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"I looked down at the trees waving in the distance, and the gorgeous brown Alabama soil that seemed to be rising to meet me. My equipment was functional, my training was sound, my faith confirmed" (136-137). This quote took place during Wes' first skydiving in the military. This is so important because, unlike the other Wes, he still has faith not only in God but in himself and his future.

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"To him this chance to see South Africa less than a decade after the end of apartheid was the perfect preparation for a real understanding of the Rhodes experience and legacy" (162).
This quote takes place in Mayor Schmoke's office just before Wes takes a trip abroad to South Africa. This is important because the Rhodes scholarship he earned shows Wes; success. In fact, he is incredibly successful and the Mayor of Baltimore gives him a scholarship.

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"Adrenaline was rushing through Wes’s 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" (105)
This moment was significant because it shows how little Wes cared and emotionless he was right after he shot a man.

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"Getting arrested was starting to feel routine. Wes wasn’t shocked or afraid anymore, just annoyed. Why him? Why now? Why couldn’t they just leave him alone? He had enough to worry about" (114). After Wes decides to sell drugs to a man that he suspects is a police officer, he gets arrested. Wes is seemingly unbothered by his arrest proving that he no longer cares what happens in his life.

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"As the baking soda swirled in the rapidly heating pot, Wes held the plastic bag with both hands and poured in nine ounces of cocaine" (145). This is significant because even though Wes tries to get a job and get off the streets, he fails to do so, leading him to crack. This proves Wes' failure to provide for himself and his family and shows that Wes no longer cares about his future.

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"Before Wes could even react, a half dozen plainclothes officers were on top of him the barrels of their guns trained on his head and the lights from their flashing blinding him" (154).
This moment serves the purpose of establishing when Wes has met his final fate. Being arrested after being involved with the death of an officer. This arrest leads to the life sentence he receives later on.