The theme of chapter two is escaping negative situations. Here are five quotes that support that theme:
"The first [move] was from Pennsylvania Avenue to Cherry Hill to get away from Wes's father." (Moore 28)
This one is pretty self-explanatory: Wes's father had become an extreme problem with drug and alcohol issues, and Mary didn't want her family to be exposed to him. So, she moved her family out of the neighborhood where Wes's father had a lesser chance of influencing the family.
"Mary... was plotting her escape from Cherry Hill almost as soon as she got there." (Moore 29)
Cherry Hill was a dump. Moore calls it a "breeding ground for poverty, drugs, and despair." So, similarly to the way Mary moved to Cherry Hill to escape Wes's father, she moved from Cherry hill to Northwood to escape Cherry Hill.
"Wes broke into a sprint, running right past the kid.... Wes was running home." (Moore 32)
This one is on a more immediate level, because once he got home he grabbed a knife and chased back after the kid who hit him. However, as soon as he gets hit, one can imply from Moore's language that the immediate sprint home was to get away from the scene that angered him.
"'Mom, if it's still all right, I think we need to move up there. I can't do this alone anymore.'" (Moore 37)
Switching to the author Wes Moore. This is a quote of Moore's mother, Joy, speaking to her mother about moving to the Bronx to live with Wes's grandparents. This move was to escape the memories associated with Wes's recently deceased father.
"I got permission to play basketball at a park five blocks from our house." (Moore 43)
Wes played basketball to escape his troubles upon arriving in the Bronx. After realizing his grandparents are very strict, Wes gets antsy and uses basketball as an escape. This chapter as a whole was about a series of moves, all with the intent of escaping troubles.
Monday, February 24, 2014
Monday, February 17, 2014
Chapter One
The theme of chapter one involves the facing and overcoming of challenges. Here are five quotes that support this theme:
"When my mom first landed in the Bronx, she was just a small child, but she was a survivor and learned quickly." (Moore 8)
Moving to an entirely new country is a huge event for a small child, who faces the challenge of a cultural barrier. In the case of Wes' mother, Joy, she overcame this challenge by working extremely hard to fit in: she studied the other children "like an anthropologist" and mimicked their behavior.
"Together, they left Bill for good." (Moore 10)
Bill was Joy's first husband. Her time with her was challenging and painful because Bill was a violent alcoholic and drug addict. One night got especially scary and Joy pulled an knife on him. She overcame this challenging period of life by moving out with her daughter, Nikki.
"When Mary told her mother that she was pregnant, at age sixteen, Alma said, 'I don't care! You are going to finish school and go to college.'" (Moore 21)
Mary is the other Wes' mother. At sixteen, she faced a common challenge among teen mothers: whether or not she could continue her education. With support from her mother she was able to raise the child and attend Johns Hopkins University, successfully overcoming the challenge of being a mother and attending school at the same time.
"Mary was the first of the kids to leave home. Education was her escape in more ways than one." (Moore 23)
Mary faced many challenges at home, including her pregnancy. Her college education was an escape from home that allowed her to get away from her problems.
"Despite the fact that her son had nothing to do with Wes, Mamie didn't want Wes punished for the circumstances through which he was brought into the world." (Moore 24)
Mamie, the other Wes' grandmother, loved him a huge amount. Similar to the way Mary escaped her problems by going to college, the other Wes escaped his problems as a young child by going to Mamie's house. While her love provided no long-lasting solution, it certainly aided him in overcoming early challenges.
"When my mom first landed in the Bronx, she was just a small child, but she was a survivor and learned quickly." (Moore 8)
Moving to an entirely new country is a huge event for a small child, who faces the challenge of a cultural barrier. In the case of Wes' mother, Joy, she overcame this challenge by working extremely hard to fit in: she studied the other children "like an anthropologist" and mimicked their behavior.
"Together, they left Bill for good." (Moore 10)
Bill was Joy's first husband. Her time with her was challenging and painful because Bill was a violent alcoholic and drug addict. One night got especially scary and Joy pulled an knife on him. She overcame this challenging period of life by moving out with her daughter, Nikki.
"When Mary told her mother that she was pregnant, at age sixteen, Alma said, 'I don't care! You are going to finish school and go to college.'" (Moore 21)
Mary is the other Wes' mother. At sixteen, she faced a common challenge among teen mothers: whether or not she could continue her education. With support from her mother she was able to raise the child and attend Johns Hopkins University, successfully overcoming the challenge of being a mother and attending school at the same time.
"Mary was the first of the kids to leave home. Education was her escape in more ways than one." (Moore 23)
Mary faced many challenges at home, including her pregnancy. Her college education was an escape from home that allowed her to get away from her problems.
"Despite the fact that her son had nothing to do with Wes, Mamie didn't want Wes punished for the circumstances through which he was brought into the world." (Moore 24)
Mamie, the other Wes' grandmother, loved him a huge amount. Similar to the way Mary escaped her problems by going to college, the other Wes escaped his problems as a young child by going to Mamie's house. While her love provided no long-lasting solution, it certainly aided him in overcoming early challenges.
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