TOW # 8 - "The Other Wes Moore" (IRB)

            In the captivating biography The Other Wes Moore, Wes Moore tells his and another man of the same name’s life story. Through the use of visual images and unusual point of view Wes Moore tries to show his audience that one’s upbringing does not determine one’s future.

            Towards the middle and end of the book Moore includes pictures of his and the other Wes’s childhood and present. Photos of family members, childhood home’s, and important events make up these sixteen pages. The use of these photos not only presents a clearer image to the readers of what each character looked like, but it also enlightened the reader of when their lives really began to differ. The photos first show two young boys with school issues and family problems, but then they begin to reveal differences in their paths. The Valley Forge Military Academy was Wes Moore’s savior, allowing him to escape the life he thought was inevitable, whereas the other Wes Moore never truly left the life he was born into. The photos then begin to highlight Wes Moore’s military accomplishments, which are juxtaposed by the other Wes’s criminal activity. The inclusion of these pictures allow the reader to visually see that someone’s life is determined by the attitude and actions a person has towards opportunities that present themselves. 

            Point of view is used in an unusual way throughout the entire book, and was both helpful and unhelpful it achieving Moore’s purpose. It switches from first person to third person omniscient in order to tell the life stories of both Wes Moore’s from an unbiased perspective. At first this type of point of view was helpful in the characterization and character development of both Wes’s. However, the organization made reading the book more difficult. Meaning, because each chapter was a different Wes’s story it was difficult to remember where the last Wes’s story left off. This made the story less cohesive and therefore less enjoyable. Nevertheless, without this odd use of point of view it would have made understanding the other Wes Moore harder. Therefore, it was helpful because without understanding the characters the reader cannot understand the point of this book, which is to show why two people, who had similar upbringings, have such different lives today.

            In the book The Other Wes Moore, Wes Moore uses photographs and unusual point of view to help him achieve his purpose. It was an inspiring story that shows each reader that they can choose which path they want to take in life, and that they are not trapped by the misfortunes of their childhood.