The Other Wes Moore Character Analysis

Success is dependent on both luck and factors people control. Although people are born into different circumstances, they are responsible for their own actions and decisions. In The Other Wes Moore, both Wes Moore and Wes Moore faced similar obstacles throughout their life, but they lived in two opposite households that affected their road to success. Luck is an important role in a person’s success. Home life, financial situation, location, and other elements are all a part of someone’s luck. If a person originates from a supportive, wealthy family, chances are that the person will grow up to become very successful. On the other hand, someone born into a careless, destitute family, will most likely struggle to find the path to success. In

Work ethic, determination, morality, and other factors are all a part of what a person has control over. A person has the choice to be the best they can be. It is his or her responsibility to make the right decisions that will affect the rest of their life. A strong work ethic proves a person cares about their responsibility, as well as caring for themselves and their families. “When my grandparents moved to the United States their first priority was to save enough money to buy this house on Paulding Avenue… America allowed them to create a life they couldn’t have dreamed of in their home countries of Jamaica and Cuba (38, Source A).” The successful Wes faced some of the same obstacles that the other Wes also faced, but he realized his wrongful actions would hurt him in the future. The other Wes continued to return to bad behaviors, despite his attempt to escape that life at a Job Corps Center. He worked to earn his GED and eventually, learned the skills to become a carpenter that would allow him to earn money in a legal fashion. Sadly, he returned to dealing drugs and soon landed in prison for attempted murder in a jewelry store robbery. For this reason, it is important for a person to be aware of the consequences their decisions might have on their future, as well as their

According to Paul Tough’s book How Children Succeed, non-cognitive skills are just as important to a child’s success as cognitive skills. Schools today focus intently on a child’s intelligence rather than their morality, which leads children to rebel against better choices (Source E). Through an experiment conducted by Angela Lee Duckworth, it was discovered that it was not social intelligence or their IQ that contributed to children’s success; it was grit (Source D). Children with grit are passionate and persevere each day. She learned that the grittier children were significantly more likely to graduate, even children with difficult home lives and poor standardized test scores. Although you cannot teach children grit, they are able to build it themselves through an idea called “growth mindset,” which is the belief that the ability to learn is not fixed, that it can change with your effort (Source D). With this in mind, a good work ethic and good morals are the most important characteristics a person can have to become successful in