The Loss Of Innocence In Wes Moore's Short Stories

Words: 2026
Pages: 9

Wes Moore, the author, says, “The chilling truth is that his story could have been mine. The tragedy is that my story could have been his.” Two stories that could have had a different outcome and could have been switched at any point of their life. It is true, but at the same time otherwise; he knew how similar their lives were and how easily he could have been living in the other Wes Moore life.
Both Wes come from similar background such as not having their fathers in the picture yet it wasn’t the same type of loss of a father figure since the absence was because of different reasons. Wes says, “I was taught to remember, but never question. Wes was taught to forget, and never ask why. We learned our lessons well and were showing them off to a tee. We sat there, just a few feet from each other, both silent, pondering an absence” (Wes 6). In other words, both had the absence of a father figure growing up, but both grieved that loss in a different way, so how it affected them growing up was nothing similar to one another than most would see. Both lost someone who could have
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Wes says, the cop had to him, “.. I see kids like you every day. If you don’t get smart, I am certain I will see you again. That’s the sad part” (83). Although he went back to tagging a week later, this is something Wes knew that was true. It could have been possible that he had remembered this event during the time of him being in military school. Wes knew he wasn’t going to be better than anyone else he grew up with if he never got away from that lifestyle. Words like that doesn’t much meaning, but when someone grows into an adult; it has more meaning and can impact a life in a stronger way. Even if Wes at the time didn’t know what it meant, he was already learning his