Fate in The Other Wes Moore Essay Example

In the novel, “The Other Wes Moore,” the author Wes Moore talks about the life and experiences of other Wes Moore to demonstrate the idea of fate and how it can be altered throughout certain parts of one’s life. As we read the book and learn about the experiences that each Wes Moore faced, we learn that outside factors are a big part of our personality and how we carry ourselves when we are older. I believe that when you are born you already have a pre-decided fate, but I also believe that it can be altered through our decisions, outside influences, and expectations set upon us.

First, I believe that our fate can be altered by our decisions throughout our lives. Each day we have to make hundreds of decisions that each slightly affect the outcome of our day. All these tiny decisions build up and create who we are portrayed as. In the novel, Wes Moore states, “The choices we make about the lives we live determine the kinds of legacies we leave.” (Moore 122). This quote portrays the idea that everyday choices we make overall affect our fate and the legacy we leave behind. As stated in the novel, our decisions can be influenced by certain factors like our environment and who we associate ourselves with. The other Wes Moore was surrounded by drugs his whole life through people like his brother, which overall had an effect on his decision to start selling drugs. His decision to start selling drugs permanently affected his life and subsequently led his life down the wrong path. Overall, decisions that we make throughout our lives based on our environment and the people we are surrounded by define our character and shape our fate. 

In addition, fate is not just altered by our decisions, but it can also be altered by expectations set on us by outside influences. Throughout the novel, the expectations of others on both Wes Moore’s had a huge impact on where they ended up and how they lived their life. The author Wes Moore lived his life where he focused more on school so people around him expected him to be very successful while the other Wes Moore sold drugs and hung around on the streets so people expected him to end up in jail and not be very successful. This idea is exhibited through the quote: “We will do what others expect of us… if they expect us to graduate, we will graduate. If they expect us to get a job, we will get a job. If they expect us to go to jail, then that’s where we will end up too. At some point we lose control.” (Moore 82). In this quote Wes Moore repeats the idea that people's expectations of us and where we will end up in life are related. Also, people's expectations of us allows for us to create expectations and goals for ourselves that we want to achieve. For example, when the other Wes Moore expresses, “The expectations that others place on us help us form our expectations of ourselves.” (Moore 82), he is echoing the idea that people's expectations of us give us a starting point for our expectations of ourselves. The author Wes Moore believes that people's expectations of us cause our true selves to come out and show. Altogether, expectations set upon us by outside influences play a big part in altering our fate for the better or the worse.

Decisions we make, expectations set upon us, and outside influences are all things that can change and alter our already pre-decided fate. These three things can change our fate positively or negatively depending on if these influences are constructive and helpful or degrading and harmful. Throughout the novel, the author Wes Moore tells the stories of himself and the other Wes Moore to demonstrate how these three factors can truly change your life in a worthwhile or obstructive way. In summation, I believe that fate is pre-decided at birth, but it can be modified through decisions we make, expectations set upon us, and outside influences.