At this point in The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore, the author and his interviewee are discussing their life in relation to how they grew up. Both agreed that they had to grow up before they were even teenagers, and how they knew they had to “provide for others” in their own way. For both kids, mistakes they make are monumental and seem larger than ones they should be making for such a young age. We find out the previous chapters that the other Wes starts to deal drugs in his preteen years; what a “pretty unforgiving” situation to put yourself in. When you have such little experience in the world, and have not yet overcome a major mountain, you tend to think of every little thing going on like it’s the end of the world. It’s safe to say that growing up on the streets forces you to make incredible decisions unfathomable to me, who has led a fairly respectable and safe life. In addition, I believe this quote summarizes the overarching moral of the story. That is, that life can be unfathomably difficult at times, which leads to mistakes, and mistakes can mean the difference between life stories.

Quote: “In 2008, there were 417 homicides in New York City. In 1990 there were 2,605. Those murders were concentrated in a handful of neighborhoods… In some neighborhoods, young (black) men would have been safer living in war zones.” Excerpt from The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore on page 51

Analysis: This quote from The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore shows a staggering statistic about New York City from the time that he grew up in New York City. Because this is a statistic, this appeals to logic in the reader’s brain to realize how unsafe his life was as a child in New York City. When Wes Moore makes the last comment that, “in some neighborhoods” it “would have been safer living in war zones”, shows the reader how critical the situation was during that time. For reference, in 2008 the was 1 homicide every 21 hours but in 1990 there was about 1 murder every 3 hours and 22 minutes which is scary to think about. This appeal to logic adds a wonderful statistic to the book that I enjoyed because it gave me something to compare present day status to Moore’s time status. I think that this statistic is significant in showing the reader how terrible his situation really was growing up, and reinforces the underlying negative uncomfortable tone that was found in the previous section.

“The streets had become a fixture in my life. Whether it was playing ball at Gun Hill Projects basketball courts…”

In many places throughout The Other Wes Moore, a detail from a section of the chapter is repeated in the other section. For example, both Wes Moores describing the city of Baltimore, or other cities in which they live, in the same chapter. In this case, “Gun Hill Projects” is first mentioned in the convict Wes part of the chapter, but this quote comes from the author’s part of the chapter. The author uses this to help conveys the similarities in both of the boy’s lives. It demonstrates how many people probably share the same story, and how one store could easily become the other, whether it be for better or worse. This is a critical aspect to the novel as a whole. Wes the author attempts conveys that people have to choose the life they want and choose wisely as to end up where they want to be. Thus, detail such as the above quote are in important part of the underlying ideas in the novel. 

Analysis:
Moore’s use of metaphor in this chapter has some undeniably symbolic undertones, as well as elements of foreshadowing. When he writes, “We laughed at the panhandler on the block, but he wasn’t just an object of ridicule, he was an unsettling omen,” Moore is obviously alluding to events to transpire later in the chapter, in addition to further expressing his message. Moore carefully places metaphors throughout his story in order to more clearly explain the points he is trying to make. This particular example not only hints at Wes running into trouble, but also expresses how Wes already knows about the dangers of the drug game and how it will most likely affect his friends and possibly even him.

Analysis: Wes Moore begins chapter 4 with this quote, and it appeals to almost any audience that could read this book because almost every person who is able to understand a language hears the phrase “I’m going to ask you one more time” at least once in their life. Oftentimes when this phrase is heard, it brings with it a sense of tension and negativity because it usually means that someone knows the truth about something and they want a person they know is involved to fess up about it (even though the person who knows the truth might not actually want to believe it). I have learned this from experience as my mom has told me this same phrase many times when she confronts me with a question about something that broke in my house or about how someone got hurt. The tension that is brought with saying “I’m asking you one more time” is due to the fact that the one who is asked the question realizes that this is their last chance to come clean before their are [severe] consequences. This realization often leads to the one being questioned to resent the one asking it because they’re backed into a corner with no easy or painless way out. But the resentment can actually go both ways. If the accused continues to deny their involvement in the “crime”, then the accuser may feel resentment towards the one they are accusing because the accusers believe that they aren’t being told the truth. By starting the chapter off with this quote said by Tony and directed towards the other Wes Moore, Moore sets the tone for the rest of the chapter because it hints that some of the characters are going to get into trouble, have their tempers flare, and get hurt. Moore also directs this message towards the audience through this simple quote; If you get into trouble, admit to the truth because it will result in less pain and it will allow others to trust in you again.

Wes Moore uses a lot of pathos in his writing to make you feel sorry for him and to relate to him on some levels. You may not be able to relate to the fact that Wes Moore had to grow up without a father, but you most likely know the feeling of not fitting in at least once in your life. “I was becoming too “rich” for the kids from the neighborhood and too “poor” for the kids at school.” In school it can be hard to find your place or your clique, and Wes Moore explains his experience with not being able to bond with his neighborhood kids or his school friends because he was either too “rich” or too “poor” for them. As all people do, Wes Moore will eventually be able to find people he can “fit in” with but it might take time as he grows older. The fact that Wes Moore uses this common pathos of not being able to fit in, draws us closer to the author so that when the author shares his message, we are more likely to listen because he is a relatable person.