The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore: Rhetorical Analysis

The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore demonstrates an array of rhetorical devices. Prevalent examples are imagery and foreshadowing. Imagery is visual or figurative descriptions, seen especially throughout literary work. Moore displays this through; “The Bronx was in its post-apocalyptic phase. Whole blocks were abandoned, buildings blackened and hollowed out by fires set by arsonists — many of whom were employ of landlords looking to cash out of the deteriorating ghetto. I didn’t have much of a frame of reference back then, though. I didn’t know that drug fiends were still making use of those abandoned buildings for activities that would’ve blown my mind, or that the swollen hands on the man leaning against the telephone pole by himself — eyes flickering, head nodding — were telltale signs of needle injections. I walked past neighbors whose eyes overflowed with desperation and depression, people who watched their once-proud neighborhood become synonyms with the collapse of the American inner city.” This aids growth within the story because it allows us to fully visualize the living conditions of character, as well as the troubled surroundings he is placed in the middle of. It also adds an element to both of the main themes, growing up and success. This places the character in a setting of drugs and strong gang presence, this applies more and different pressures than the average child would face. On the contrary, this emphasizes the theme of success the character achieves in his life. Much like imagery, foreshadowing is a frequent rhetorical device within the novel. Wes Moore presents this through; 'He knew what the game was, the same game that had consumed Tony and put a bullet or two in him. The same game Tony continually urged Wes to stay out of. But Wes rationalized. I am not selling drugs...He didn't bother thinking about Tony's warnings, that no matter what job or position you took within it, this was a game for keeps.' This example allows the author to influence the theme growing up through the rhetorical device of foreshadowing. The quote helps us to assume the next point within the story. Foreshadowing, allows for an educated guess of the future of the story.

Adding on the abundant amount of rhetorical devices seen within, The Other Wes Moore, are allusion and metaphors. Though some are seen only a couple of times throughout they still aid style with in novel. Wes Moore presents allusion through; “It was The Shawshank Redemption, and I was Andy Dufresne.” Allusion is also displayed through; “Just recently off my first encounter the movie The Godfather, I pulled a Sonny Corleone and flew out the door to find Latishia.”

The author used allusion by drawing an analogy from a fictitious character and their personality. By doing this he is indirectly leading the reader down a path to draw conclusion of who he is as a person. This helps bring deeper meaning to the story, as well as, adding to the style of the novel. This is also brought into the novel by the use of metaphors; “In West Baltimore, white people were a rare sight, so White Boy took the brunt of constant teasing. Despite clowning him about it, they loved him. Wes would always say, 'the only thing white about him is his skin. Everything else is black. He's a real black dude.’” The quotation shows how stereotypes and expectations are broken and not followed for many reasons. For example, this proves that the white boy in the story, even though the color of his skin is white, which doesn't represent the normal behavior of a white boy that was assumed within the community. The author uses the metaphor to exemplify the surrounded stereotypes of race. This also bring up the theme of growing up and allows us to see inside the stereotypes around race that Wes often came in contact with throughout his life. Whether it was the backlash from going to a “rich white school” and living in a black neighborhood or being the “poor black kid” at the wealthy school. He was in a place where both racial and economic stereotypes surrounded him.

The novel also uses several rhetorical devices to support themes and style. Diction and personification are just some displayed. Diction, the choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing; “The burn consumed the entire left side of my face. Not willing to show fear or weakness, I stood there looking back at her. I guess she was expecting tears or apologies. When neither came, she reached back and unloaded another slap to my face. She looked at me again, waiting for a reaction. My jaws clenched, and my hands balled into fists. By this time, I was five ices taller than she was, and my recently defined shoulders, biceps, and triceps made me look older than my age. Every reflex inside said to strike back, but I didn't. How could I? She was my everything, the person I loved and respected most in my world. I had no idea what to do. Neither did my mother, it seemed. Her almond- shaped eyes were overflowing with anger, disappointment, and confusion, and maybe even a little fear. I would never hit my mother.'

In chapter five, the author hits his sister in the face, and she ends up telling their mom. The mother storms into Wes's room, screaming and scaring Wes, which provokes yet another theme of how love can conquer all. The author uses diction, in the excerpt, like the words slap, clenched, balled, strike, and overflowing to evoke inner emotions of fear within the reader. The quote also supports the theme statement because the author Wes Moore is saying that he loves his mom more than anything therefore he decided not to hit her. This allows advances within the plot because the reader sees how the author reacts to other characters, in this case his mother.

Personification is also used several times throughout the story. This can be shown through; “I realized that I had to make sure these schools knew my name regardless of what I did on the ninety feet of hardwood that had brought me to their attention. Just as military school had slowly grown on me, so had academic life. I actually liked reading now... I was riveted by that book. The characters jumped off the page, and I felt myself as engulfed in their destiny as I was in my own.' The author Wes is in military school within chapter 7. He learns many lessons and that inspires him to do more with his life. The author uses personification to show how Wes has really learned from this school because he says: 'just as military school had slowly grown on me.' This is personification because a school cannot grow on you, therefore using human characteristics to define something. This also exemplifies how seriously Wes really took military school and it's a part of his life.

In this essay we have analyzed different rhetorical devices used in the novel The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore.  Prevalent examples were imagery, foreshadowing, allusion, diction and personification.