“I suppose it's sometimes difficult to distinguish between second chances and last chances” (Moore 67). This is a powerfully central theme of the book The Other Wes Moore, written by Wes Moore. For the two men this book is about, it all starts with a wide-open future. The mothers who gave birth to them and the influences they exerted, along with their own powerful choices, sealed their fate. People never stop growing or improving and the two Wes Moores are no different. Throughout their lives, they are constantly changing and, in some places, taking the lead. One chose correctly, the other did not. The mothers in this book play an important role in the importance of schooling for both Wes Moores. Joy, AWM's mother, believed in school all the way and was obsessed with ensuring that her children received the best education possible. She sacrificed a lot for AWM to go to the same school as John F. Kennedy, Riverdale. She “worked several jobs, from freelance writer for magazines and television to assistant to a furrier – anything she could do to help cover her growing expenses” (Moore 47). This woman clearly cared a lot about school and wanted her son to be the best he could be. She was also a college graduate, and before her, her parents. On the other hand, Mary, the OWM mother, did not have the chance to complete her college education. Ironically, she left Johns Hopkins. This was because his grant had been withdrawn; this might have had an effect on her because she was nowhere near as obsessed with raising her children as Joy was. It's heartbreaking because Mary grew up in a tough neighborhood in Baltimore and she "made a pact with herself at that point: she would get an education and leave the neighborhood whatever it took" (. ..... middle of paper... Luckily, whether the program wasn't strong or because of its flaws, it didn't work for him and he ended up in the Son drug game. greatest mentor in life was Tony, who initially tried to keep him away, ended up being with him during his fall. Ultimately, these men were similar and different in many ways. You encounter several moments where things really could have gone either way instead of the other. Different things on their path led them to different places, but their mothers and their own choices did. was a big factor in what happened to them However, circumstances are only half the battle, you will create your own circumstances. AWM did it, and OWN didn't. Works Cited Moore, Wes. The other Wes Moore: one name, two destinies. New York: Spiegel & Grau, 2010. Print.