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