Chapter 2

Peri Bright

Theme statement:
Single mothers take risks to keep their childrens life secure.

Literary Device: Diction
"Her protective vigilance for her surving family had overtaken rationality. For the past two years, she'd slept on the couch, listening, waiting, protecting." p.36

Analysis:
The author Wes's mother was always protective of her children, but after her husband died and the neighborhood became more dangerous, she became a serious safe guard for her children. In this quote Wes Moore uses words like "protetive vigilance" "listening, waiting, protecting" to give the reader the feeling that his mother became over protective. This theme and mood is set throughout the whole chapter. The author states that other Wes Moore's mother moves their family from the chaotic Cherry Hill Apartments to a surburben area, Northwood, to keep her family away from the citys imploding center. Since single mothers do not have a partner to help them with the heavy weight of having children, they will often go to any limit to make sure that the absence of a father will not negatively effect their children.