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The loss of innocence, the loss of a childhood, a moment parents dread, the moment the child becomes an adult, the moment of accountability. All persons are born innocent, but as they grow, this innocence is slowly lost. Wes Moore writes about his, and another’s, experience with this event in his novel The Other Wes Moore. Wes is forced to grow up at a rather young age due to the unfortunate circumstances.
Wes was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He had two sisters, Nikki and Shani, and lived with both his parents. When he was three or four years old, he playfully punched his sister. His mother was furious, she considered this playful punch to be abuse. However, Wes was confused. He was simply playing around; his innocence did not allow him to understand why his mother was so upset.
Unfortunately, Wes’s father died while Wes was still a child. At first he did not fully understand what was going on, how could he? He was only a toddler. He was still young and innocent. Wes’s mother, Joy, was now a single mother still depressed over the loss of her loving husband.
After a while, Joy could not handle being alone anymore. She finally gave in, and took up her mother’s offer to move in with her. The move to the Bronx was unexpected to Wes and his sisters. He enjoyed going to his grandparents, for they spoiled him. But this is where Wes would completely lose his innocence. Wes lived in his grandparent’s house until he was shipped to military school. On the way to Wes’s grandparents, he writes about seeing a drug dealing in action, but was unaware of what was going on. However he hears his mother ask his grandmother about it; Wes would soon understand what was going on.
Wes was put in a private school in order to avoid the disasters that come with public school. Soon enough, he and his only black friend attending the same school, deciphered the safe routes to get to school and back. They had to take a train, but many rules came with that. They knew which times to take it, how to act on the train, and when to run back home. These measures were taken for their safety. The Bronx was not very safe, and the boys had to try extra hard to be safe.
Wes was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He had two sisters, Nikki and Shani, and lived with both his parents. When he was three or four years old, he playfully punched his sister. His mother was furious, she considered this playful punch to be abuse. However, Wes was confused. He was simply playing around; his innocence did not allow him to understand why his mother was so upset.
Unfortunately, Wes’s father died while Wes was still a child. At first he did not fully understand what was going on, how could he? He was only a toddler. He was still young and innocent. Wes’s mother, Joy, was now a single mother still depressed over the loss of her loving husband.
After a while, Joy could not handle being alone anymore. She finally gave in, and took up her mother’s offer to move in with her. The move to the Bronx was unexpected to Wes and his sisters. He enjoyed going to his grandparents, for they spoiled him. But this is where Wes would completely lose his innocence. Wes lived in his grandparent’s house until he was shipped to military school. On the way to Wes’s grandparents, he writes about seeing a drug dealing in action, but was unaware of what was going on. However he hears his mother ask his grandmother about it; Wes would soon understand what was going on.
Wes was put in a private school in order to avoid the disasters that come with public school. Soon enough, he and his only black friend attending the same school, deciphered the safe routes to get to school and back. They had to take a train, but many rules came with that. They knew which times to take it, how to act on the train, and when to run back home. These measures were taken for their safety. The Bronx was not very safe, and the boys had to try extra hard to be safe.
