Title Justification Essay Chapters 7-8

    In the book, The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore the author's purpose is to examine the lives of two men who come from similar, difficult backgrounds and how they make different decisions that change the outcome of their lives.  The collection of chapters called, Paths Taken and Expectations Fulfilled, develops many issues related to the authors' purpose.  These chapters describe how each Wes Moore took a different path in his life, the factors that effected each man's life and how each man lived up to the expectations of those around him.

     In the series of chapters Paths Taken and Expectations Fulfilled the author examines the influences that have had an impact on each man's path in his life and how peoples' expectations effect the direction each man took.  For the author Wes Moore his life could have led to a path of destruction but it didn't because his mother removed him from a drug infested neighborhood that was effecting his life negatively.  Once his mother placed him in the military academy the direction of his life changed because he had many role models who had high expectations for his future.  Wes became influenced by these role models and began to realize his life could be different than he first expected.  The other Wes Moore had great difficulty in changing his life's direction.  He continued to deal drugs and did not envision a better future for himself.  At one point he tried to change his path but he wasn't successful. The expectations for a person like Wes in his neighborhood were very low, with most young men becoming drug dealers or ending up in jail.  After a while, even his mother's expectations for him became very limited.

     The author's purpose is to demonstrate how two men from similar backgrounds can end up with such different lives.  This connects to the collection of chapters Paths Taken and Expectations Fulfilled because each man ended up taking a different direction in his life.  Furthermore this influenced each man's expectations and his family and friends' expectations for what he could accomplish.  The book demonstrates how difficult it is for a person to change his direction if life and break free from the difficulties he faces growing up.