Chapter 3: Foreign Ground AND Justification Paper #1

Theme: Overcoming Obstacles

Quote 1 : "My mother saw Riverdale as a haven, a place where I could escape my neighborhood and open my horizons. But for me, it was where I got lost." (pg.48)

Analysis 1: This quote is a foreshadow of the obstacle that Wes Moore would have to overcome later on the book. The obstacle would be him having to readjust and fit in both Riverdale and his friends in the Bronx that don't attend Riverdale. Wes Moore attending Riverdale would be considered an obstacle because Riverdale is known as a dominantly-white school. Therefore most of the people there he might have never seen and also because he is Black they may judge him and he might not be able to get along with them so well.

Quote 2 : " 'Nah, for real, what's up with Riverdale?' Pariis asked, bringing the topic back. His voice rose on the last word, as he made his best attempt at a proper British accent. I had to admit that Riverdale sounded a little like something out of Archie Comics. It was embarrassing." (pg49)

Analysis 2: The facr that Wes Moore now attends a private school across town from his neighborhood creates a social obstacle for him and his friends. Because his friends go to a public school in the area and the fact that Wes Moore doesn't creates a separation from his friends. His friends are able to make fun of him and pick on him because of that. 

Quote 3: "Justin lived a few train stops away from me, and taking the train home after dark was a different journey than the one we'd made earlier in the day.Justin knew the rules." (pg51)

Analysis 3: This introduces some of the obstacles that Justin has to go through sometimes when he has to get to his home. For Justin, his community is a little more on the violent side. So when he's going home, he has rules that he lives by while traveling back home especially in the dark.

Quote 4: " Every time I looked around at the building and the trees and the view of the river, I was reminded of the sacrifices my mother was making to keep me there. And every time I looked to my fellow students, I was reminded of how little I fit in." (pg52)
Analysis 4: This quote also puts an emphasis on Wes Moore's obstacle of trying to fit in with the rest of the kids at his school, Riverdale. The only thing that was really keeping him there at the time and pushing him to overcome the obstacles was his mother's sacrifices she made for him to be able to attend that school.

Quote 5: " I was becoming too 'rich' for the kids from the neighborhood and too 'poor' for the kids at school. I had forgotten how to act naturally, thinking way too much in each situation and getting tangled in the contradictions between my two worlds." (pg53-54)
Analysis 5: What Wes Moore was saying was that he wasn't the average kid in either his school where he came from a more poor community compared to the rest of the kids at his school. But at the same time because he was able to attend this rich school in Riverdale while the rest of his friends in his community attended a regular local school, he was considered rich compared to them. Because of this difference, Wes had a hard time balancing the way he should act that it was almost hard for him to be himself because he had to overcome the obstacle of balancing the way he associates with his friends from both school and those at home."

Justification Paper #1

     In part one, Fathers and Angels, we are introduced to the setting of the story and are acquainted to the different characters in the book. We soon learn that there are 2 stories being told at once in the book. We have the narrator, Wes Moore's story being told as well as another character name Wes Moore as well being told. We then later see that these two stories have both similarities yet differences in terms of their lifelong story.  The title, Fathers and Angels is appropriate with the authors purpose of introducing the role of what father's play in this book as well as how these father's had made a big impact on their son's life. 

   In chapter 1, pages 14-16 we see that Wes Moore #1's (our narrator)  father had passed away. We then later start seeing how his father's death had made a big effect on the family in chapter 2. The result was that on pages 36-38 the narrator's mother decides that she can't take care of her children alone anymore so she decides that they move up to New York with their grandparents. This decision to move later impacts Wes Moore's educational and social life. In chapter 1, starting from page 16 we are also introduced to the other Wes Moore, Wes Moore #2. We learn that he too, also has no father living presently with him and that he lives with his single mother, Mary Moore. In Chapter 3 starting from page 55,We then see the later side effect of Wes Moore2 not having a father which is him beginning to start messing with drugs. 

   In conclusion, the title Fathers and Angels is appropriate with the authors purpose of introducing the role of what father's play in this book as well as how these father's had changed the lives of their sons Wes Moore. The fathers part of the title ties a tie to the authors purpose by introducing how the father's nonexistence had made the short and long term impact of their families life. And more specifically to their son's.  The angels part of the title more so focuses on Wes Moore #1 and how the death of his father had changed from where him and his family now live to the type of people and situations Wes Moore #1 has to go through in the Bronx.