fighting, influenced by his training and discipline. Robert Frost chooses one path over the other. Both texts introduce the theme of choices to not only allow the reader to communicate with the text by inferring personal thoughts and opinions into each choice, but to also use the experienc-es and aftermath of a choice as an opportunity to better apply reasoning skills to their choices as well, using any wisdom acquired from their interpretation of choices made in literature. However, the context in which both books present choices is very different. For one, the decision made by Frost in “The Road Not Taken” hardly even qualifies with the significance and possible conse-quences of a real choice, like the life-altering choices mentioned above in The Other Wes Moore. Both paths are equal, and much of Frost’s trepi-dation-like uncertainty of which to choose is dramatic and intellectually overanalyzed. Also, the consequences of choosing a path are mainly fabri-cated in this poem as well. Frost describes himself telling others that he took the path that more so had an impact on his life, when he knows himself of this lie because he had already predetermined the simple fact of similarity between the two paths. This drawn-out choice Frost makes carries little gravity in his near future, while in contrast, spontaneous deci-sions like other Wes attacking Ray with a gun in The Other Wes Moore will alter the path of Wes’ life forev-er. A similar theme of choices under-cuts both pieces, but the context in which decisions are made in each float like oil and water overtop in their variation from the makeup of each other.
In conclusion, we are introduced to two seemingly very different piec-es of literature but discover much more than what’s on the surface of each when we read between the lines and compare the two. The Other Wes Moore and “The Road Not Taken” challenge us to utilize them in our own lives, for making our own deci-sions, which begin when we make our choice to abstract from the obvi-ous enough to benefit as readers from literary elements shared by each. Each has a unique approach to the aspects of choices in our lives. Each seeks to inform us of what we do not see regarding the delicate fabric of choice, and challenges us to see past what we think we know about how to control the choices life presents us with. By completely delving into both, we choose how much infor-mation we resurface with, how intel-lectually abstract we go. These works, though different in so many ways, continue to help us balance choice in our worlds through the messages they send unique to them-selves yet similar to a general point.
Our lives are riddled with choices; our very existence was a choice of others, our upbringing followed a path of choices made for us. But as we grow older and begin to more often make our own choices, to take more control of the path of our lives, we also come to realize the true meaning and gravity behind some of the choices we make, and more often must we use the wisdom acquired from our lives thus far to make decisions that may forever alter our courses of life. For person-al benefit in making choices, we are forced to expose ourselves to the realities we are hidden from- or choose not to see. Versions and situations of life we warp in our minds to fulfill a fantasy of full comfort and happiness, ways and cultures tucked away from our sight in a dark corner of the world by others; in order to make the choices
most true to ourselves and most closely aligned to the destiny God has laid out for us. The Other Wes Moore, a book by Wes Moore, and “The Road Not Taken”, a poem by Robert Frost, both present situations of live-altering choices as well as the factors that influence decisions. The Other Wes Moore follows the rivet-ing memoirs of two boys, both with the name Wes Moore, who grow up in almost identical lifestyles yet end up taking paths in life almost com-pletely divergent from each other. “The Road Not Taken” expresses in poetic stanzas the indecision the author encounters as he is faced with diverging paths, with no obvious reason to take one over the other. These pieces of literature present a similar theme to us, yet contrast in many ways as well.
The Other Wes Moore begins as a tale introducing us to two boys; both named Wes Moore, and having been born in the same year, just a few blocks away from each other in Balti-more, Maryland. Both Wes’ single mothers attempt to create better lives for them, and both receive outside influences from the streets and their avid drug trade. As both grow up, their paths of life begin to diverge. Other Wes, the author’s namesake currently in jail, gets swept up in the drug trade from a young age, largely due to the influences of his dealing-famous brother Tony. Other Wes begins to deal drugs on his own as an occupation, and eventually takes a turn for the worse, sleeping around causing his girlfriend’s unplanned pregnancy, getting arrested for deal-ing, and getting arrested for attacking a man in a fit of rage. Meanwhile, Author Wes’ struggles in school and social life on the streets after moving to the Bronx finally take a toll enough on his mother for her to send him to military school. After a rough start, Wes becomes a natural leader in his academy, quickly advancing through
the ranks. Eventually, Other Wes is arrested for murder after robbing a jewelry store at gunpoint with his brother and receives a life sentence in jail, and Author Wes is offered the Rhodes Scholarship to attend Oxford University.
“The Road Not Taken” describes the author’s indecision as he is faced with a fork in the paths he is walking, and must choose which to take. After comparing both, its seems as if he is making a choice between identical paths- they are equally trodden and carry the same appearance. His at-tempts to convince both himself and the reader that either is a better choice double back to his observation of the similarity of both paths, and the truth in knowing that choosing one over the other will be an insignificant decision as he walks through the portion of path he can see- so similar to both. Soon, the author decides to take the second path, stating that he will take the first in a future day, while at the same time being aware that chances of
him returning to the same fork in the future are very slim. Later, Frost admits that as he will tell his tale of the fork in his paths for ages to come, he will say he took the one less trav-eled by and that it has had a profound impact on the course of his life- when in reality, the paths showed no differ-ences, and such an impact on choos-ing one is simply a façade created by the narrator to persuade himself and others of a unique, special character; easily dissolved into the fact that any lasting impact is fabricated as a quick fix of excuse-ridden confidence.
The Other Wes Moore and “The Road Not Taken”, though each is presented in a very different context, both share common elements as well as have very obvious differences. The themes and formats of both pieces of literature compare and contrast in ways that connect both to each other and to a deeper meaning we can discover by exploring each. A similar underlying theme in each piece is that of making choices; not only making them, but being faced with them, our influences when deciding, and how our choices came to be. Other Wes makes the choice to disobey Tony’s words and follow in his brother’s legendary way of dealing, under the influence of his brother’s actions as well as the streets of Baltimore and their expectations for a boy like him. Joy Moore accepts the fact that she needs help raising her children and chooses to move to the Bronx with her parents. Wes is attacked and humiliated at military school and chooses to back down instead of
The Other Wes Moore & “The Road Not Taken” By Wes Moore By Robert Frost
The
Bal t imore
Sun
The Other Wes Moore
O c t o b e r 3 1 , 2 0 1 6 L u c y W a s k i e w i c z
Articles:
The Other Wes Moore
& “The Road Not
Taken”- an essay com-
paring and contrasting
the content of both
texts
Resource Guide; a
researched informative
on an organization
(National CASA)
benefiting underprivi-
leged youth and a self-
evaluation on commu-
nity service
Rhodes Scholarship
researched informative
Citations
C
P a g e 2
Cecil Rhodes,
founder of the
Rhodes
Scholarships
The Rhodes Scholarships
The Rhodes
Scholarship is known
for being one of the
most distinguished and
selective international
scholarships in the
world. Established in
1902, its founding was
due to the will of South
African politician and
British mining tycoon
Cecil Rhodes after his
death the same year.
The Rhodes’ Scholars
committee selects stu-
dents from about 20
countries around the
world to attend the
U.K.’s prestigious Ox-
ford University on the
all-expenses-paid
scholarship.
The distribution of the
Rhodes Scholarship
and plans for its fund-
ing is run by the
Rhodes Trust admin-
istration, who choose
yearly recipients based
on a criteria suggested
by the late Cecil
Rhodes. This criteria
includes academic
achievement, success
or interest in sports,
moral character and
leadership, as well as
qualities like truth,
courage, devotion to
duty, kindliness, un-
selfishness, fellowship,
and protection of the
weak.
Some notable recipients
of the Rhodes Scholar-
ship include Bill Brad-
ley (2-time U.S. Olym-
pic basketball team
member, Senator of
New Jersey for 17
years), David Souter
(Supreme Court Justice
for over 18 years), and
Susan Rice (first black
woman to become a
U.S. ambassador to the
U.N.). The Rhodes
Scholars class of 2016
was announced Novem-
ber 21, 2015.
T h e O t h e r W e s M o o r e
P a g e 3 L u c y W a s k i e w i c z
ful volunteers to regularly
monitor children and to
intervene in case of a bad
situation. CASA volun-
teers are normal citizens
screened for protective
reasons before being ap-
pointed by judges to
abused or neglected chil-
dren. There are CASA
programs to screen, train,
and organize assignments
for volunteers all over the
nation.
During high school, I
plan to use volunteer
hours to more introduce
myself to the service op-
portunities in my society
to have a positive impact
on my community. I
would like to seek out
opportunities that appeal
to me as well as those
that push me out of my
comfort zone and can in-
troduce me to new people
and environment. With a
required amount of hours
to complete, I hope I can
find an organization or
type of service that appeals
to me as a lifelong or con-
tinuing project after high
school. When I get older,
before I begin a family if I
do, I can get experience
with children as a CASA
volunteer for Pittsburgh.
This opportunity may also
increase my awareness for
child abuse and make me
more careful in how I raise
my children.
The National Court Ap-
pointed Special Advocate
program, or National
CASA, is a program dedi-
cated to the wellbeing of
abused or neglected chil-
dren. CASA gathers vol-
unteers who are appointed
by judges as “advocates”
for these underprivileged
children, acting as a sup-
portive and protective fig-
ure to watch over and
guide these children
through the child support
and foster care system.
CASA takes into account
the strenuous legalities in
the child support system
and some undetected abu-
sive or inappropriate foster
home conditions, and
backs the belief of the val-
ue of a constant adult pres-
ence in a child’s life. In
this way, CASA’s program
uses protective and watch-
National CASA Organization “CASA ...back
s the belief of
the value of a
constant adult
presence in a
child’s life”
Citations 1. National CASA Association. “About Us” CASA Court Appointed Special Advocates for
Children. National CASA Association 2015. 29 October 2016. <http://
www.casaforchildren.org/site/c.mtJSJ7MPIsE/b.5301303/k.6FB1/
About_Us__CASA_for_Children.htm>
2. The Rhodes Trust. “Oxford and the Rhodes Scholarships” The Rhodes Trust Office of the
American Secretary. The Rhodes Trust 2016. 20 October 2016. http://
www.rhodesscholar.org/
3. Greer, Jeff. “Famous Rhodes Scholars”. U.S. News and World Report. U.S. News and
World Report L.P. 2016. 20 October 2016. <www.usnews.com/education/slideshows/
famous-rhodes-scholars>
4. Moore, Wes. The Other Wes Moore, Spiegel and Grau, 2010.
5. Frost, Robert. “The Road Not Taken” The Poetry of Robert Frost. New York: Holt, Rine-
hart, and Winston Inc., 1969. Print