Title Justification Paper #1

Part 1: Fathers and Angels

         Two boys named Wes Moore roamed the streets of Baltimore, Maryland and both lacked fathers. As the boys got older, their stories became less similar but one thing that was prevalent throughout both of the boys lives was the influence of their families and friends. What schools and neighborhoods the boys grew up in was all determined by their mothers, but the activities and social interactions that the boys participated in were influenced by people who did not share their same DNA. The title Fathers and Angels, embodies the role that families and friends played in both of the boys lives and the role that their Fathers played in their lives.

         Wes Moore 1, the author, and Wes Moore 2 both had absent fathers but they both were guided by their other family members and their friends. Both boys had brief memories of their fathers but the absence of their Fathers greatly affected the boys lives. Wes Moore 1had fond memories of his father, a calm radio host, who tragically died of a virus that could have been treated. Wes 1 described his Father as his "protector" and the man that he looked up to. (11) While Wes 1 was only a three year old when his Father suddenly died, the actions of his mother after her husbands death altered Wes 1's life. Joy Moore decided to move back with her parents after the death of he husband because the pain of his death was to hard to deal with along with raising three children. This set Wes Moore 1 in the Bronx: a culturally diverse area of New York that had succumbed to drugs and crime. The death of Wes Moore Sr. changed where his family resided and altered the atmosphere of Wes Moore 1's world. Wes 1 was now surrounded by drugs, murder, and general danger but he was also in the company of his loving grandparents who were advocates for hard work and change and friends like Justin who encouraged Wes 1 to do better in school. Wes 1 also found refuge at the basketball courts.  Wes 1 and his basketball buddies showed one another their, "best and worst, revealing ourselves- even our cruelty and crimes- as if that fence had created a circle of trust. A brotherhood." (45) These people who had become a greater part of Wes 1 life because of his fathers death, helped guide him through life. Wes Moore Sr. in this case, identifies as the Angel in the title and is a positive force in Wes 1's life. In contrast, Wes Moore 2 did not have the pleasure of having pleasant memories of his father. When Wes 2 was just a baby, his father showed up to his ex girlfriends house and was "drunk and crazy." (24) A couple years later, Wes 2 officially met his father at his grandmother's house but little connection was made. Bernard Moore, Wes 2's father, was the reason Mary Moore moved to a different neighborhood. Bernard Moore had no role in Wes 2's life, but he was still considered a negative force. During their first meeting, Bernard Moore could have cared less about his son and was only interested in the way Mary looked. By moving to many different neighborhoods, some dangerous and others not, Wes 2 was introduced to drugs and crime and because he had less of a positive support system than Wes 1 did, he was more vulnerable to participating in criminal acts. Where as Wes 1 had friends who took refuge in playing basketball, encouraged education, and made fun of druggies, Wes 2 had a brother who was a drug dealer, friends who encouraged drugs and skipping school, and violent experiences with playing football with other people. The absence of Wes 2's father helped determine what people were in his life and unlike Wes 1, most of the people in Wes 2's life had a negative affect. The Father portion of the title Fathers and Angels highlights the impact that the boys fathers had on their sons lives and the Angels portion refers to the family and friends that influenced many of the boys decisions.

           The title Fathers and Angels, embodies the role that families and friends played in both of the boys lives and the role that their Fathers played in their lives. While the boys lives were similar at the beginning, overtime Wes 1 and Wes 2 started making different decisions and were surrounded by  people who influenced them to do different things. Even in the first three chapters, it is clear that Wes 1 is headed down the more successful path of life and Wes 2 is not. Regardless of which path the boys are headed on, it is clear that their father's absence impacted many ways in which the boys lived. If Wes 1 traded his friends and family member with those of Wes 2, do you think his choices and general direction in life would change?