Angela’s Ashes: a Memoir

Lankford 1 Michelle Lankford Angelas Ashes A record 10/06/2012 Antagonists in Angelas Ashes Philomena Flynn was Angelas cousin. Philomena was one of the people who pressured Malachy McCourt older to espouse Angela Sheehan by and by their mishap when Angela first came to the arrive together States resulting in a pregnancy break of wedlock. Instead of Philomena helping her cousin she introduce drop Malachy to generate the pregnancy Malachys problem. Philomena tracked down Malachy McCourt at a stop. Philomena stated to Frank McCourt, Our cousin no sooner gets polish off the boat than you be at her.We bring morals in Limerick, you know, morals. Were not like jackrabbits from Antrim, a place crawling with Presbyterians, (McCourt 16). Philomena also commented on how Malachy had an odd manner (McCourt 16). After the expect of Angela and Malachys first son, a party was minded(p) at Philomenas house. Philomena do a statement to Angela, Id make sure theres no more children. He get int digest a job, so he dont, an never go out the way he drinks. So no more children, (McCourt 19). Philomena had her fill with her cousin after Angela gave birth to another child.Philomena and her family do it clear, they cute no intimacy to do with Angela until she came to her senses, (McCourt 19). Years afterward Philomena intervenes in Angelas life again. Philomena gets in contact with Angelas mother, Marg atomic number 18t Sheehan, asking for money to send Angela and her family back to Ireland (McCourt 45). Philomena even goes as ut some as buying a steamer trunk and hiring a forefront to take the family to Lankford 2 the pier (McCourt 46). As Francis McCourt states, It was good-bye and good riddance, (McCourt 46).Angela McCourt, mother of the 7 McCourt children, en equald her husband Malachy McCourt senior to be a drunk. No where end-to-end this memoir does she sick her foot down, encouraging Malachy older to part drinking. Throughout the memoir, Angela ra nts and raves about Malchy older , not providing viands and money for his family. Angela states legion(predicate) clock though out the business relationship, Theyre asleep(p) to bed half hungry because you control to fill your belly with whiskey, (McCourt 25). Angela goes as far as taking her children down the streets of Brooklyn and Limerick, loss from pub to pub seeking her husband.When the family returns to Ireland, Angela spends more cadence in bed collect to illness and or own first gear oer the loss of 3 of her children quite of taking attending of the ones who are alive. Angela takes to her oldest children down a road in chase of ember to light a squirt (McCourt 69) instead of demanding Malachy Sr. find remunerative role. Angela allows her eldest son, Francis McCourt to be the one who departs the care to his younger siblings. When Malachy McCourt Sr. , goes apart to England to work, Angela shacks up with one of her cousins, Laman Griffin, and has an extram arital affair eyepatch her children are in another room.The children mind them talking, grunting and moaning, (McCourt 291). Angela also has no problem allowing her eldest son to find gainful employment to help embolden the household art object Malachy McCourt Sr. is in England sending no money. Angela receives welfare and charity most of the score instead of finding employment herself to support her family. Angela spent most of her time fixating on her losses rather than trying to phase out keeping her family together. Lankford 3 Malachy McCourt Sr. , from Toome, County Antrim (McCourt 12) was an Irish drunk. Malachy Sr. pent most of his years in a bar or pub spending whatsoever money he earned. Even after he married Angela and had seven children, he couldnt put out the alcohol. The eldest child, Francis, knew his breed was always out looking for work, came kinsperson with smell of whiskey on his breath, and sing songs about Ireland suffering,(McCourt 22). Angela always has hopes that Malachy Sr. could resist the pub and bring home his give birth to support his family (McCourt 95). There comes a time in the story when the McCourts have their last child and Malachys Sr. s male parent sends five pounds. Malachy Sr. cashes the money order and spends the money at the pub, (McCourt 183). Even though Malachy Sr. is a chronic alcoholic his children and Angela love him. It is stated by Francis McCourt, I think my father is like the Holy Trinity with third people in him, the one in the morning with the paper, the one at shadow with the stories and prayers, and then the one who does the bad thing and comes home with the smell of whiskey and urgencys us to die for Ireland, (McCourt 210). Malachy Sr. , has a ambitious time finding working in Limerick, Ireland because he as a northern Irish accent.Northern Irish people arent accepted in Limerick due to their non-catholic holiness and affiliation with the English. Malachy Sr. eventually leaves his family and heads to England for work. Malachy Sr. seldom sends his pay, causing his family to have to knock from charities. It was said by Mr. Downes, Malachy McCourt is gone clear mad with the drink, that he squanders his wages in pubs all over the Coventry, (McCourt 230). Towards the end of the novel, Francis McCourt makes the statement, Hes not coming, Mam. He doesnt care about us. Hes just a drunk over there in England, (McCourt 269). Malachy Sr. s many years of frequenting the pub have caused his family to starve, move to one room shacks, and to intrust on others to help support his family. Lankford 4 The McCourt family belonged to low social class. They were poor. They lived in want. The McCourt family was rejected on many things because of their social class. Angela McCourt was more or less denied assistance from St. Vincent De Paul Society because they are Yankees and theres barely teeming charity for the poor people of Limerick, (McCourt 63). Francis McCourt is denied exis tence an altar boy, as Angela states, Ill regularise you what it is, she says. Tis class distinction. They dont want boys from the lanes on the altar, (McCourt 149). The McCourt boys are constantly made fun of because of the rags they wear for clothes, shoes that have holes in them fixed with rubber tires by Malachy Sr. McCourt (McCourt 105) and even as far as having to eat a atomic number 29s head for Christmas and carrying it through the lanes dapple other kids point and laugh and make jokes (McCourt 98). Poverty is the biggest antagonist in this memoir. The McCourts lived in one-room shacks that contained a fireplace, table, 3 chairs and 1 bed which had to accommodate six people. McCourt 59). around of the McCourts meals consisted of tea and bread (McCourt 24) spot Malachy McCourt spent his earnings in a pub. The McCourts were so poor that they change the infants bottles with sugar and urine (McCourt 36). While in the get together States, many of the McCourts neighbors wo uld bring extra food over to support the McCourt household (McCourt 41). In Ireland, Malachy McCourt Sr. goes to the Labour Exchange for the dole to provide some type of income for his family (McCourt 63). Angela McCourt comeback to go to St. Vincent de Paul to get assistance.Angela is given a docket for a weeks worth(predicate) of groceries (McCourt 66). The McCourts have to search down roads in order to find coal to have a fire and rut (McCourt 69). In one of the dwellings the McCourts watch at, they must share a toilet with the whole lane (McCourt 103). Angela McCourt is ashamed of how her family looks with the Lankford 5 dirty old torn shirts, raggedy ganseys, humble shoes, and holes in their stockings, (McCourt 231). Angela McCourt is forced also to be a beggar, as stated by Francis McCourt, This is worse than the dole, The St.Vincent de Paul Society, and the Dispensary. Its the surpass kind of Shame, (McCourt 250). Many times throughout the memoir Francis McCourt hims elf has stolen food such as stealing bananas from the Italians in Brooklyn (McCourt 32), stealing tip and chips from a drunken man (McCourt 184), getting lemonade from pubs for his mother (McCourt 236), and stealing food off peoples front doors (McCourt 238) to provide food for his family while his father is away in England not supporting his family. The poverty the McCourts faced caused illnesses and deaths in this family.It caused hospitalizations for Angela and Francis. This family was advance starvation most of Francis McCourts childhood to jejune years. Francis McCourt is what held the family together. Francis McCourts life began in the joined States and in the end of this memoir he ended up back in the U. S. Francis McCourt had many struggles while growing up. Francis had to dish out with poverty, deaths of his younger siblings as well as friends, typhoid and conjunctivitis, his alcoholic father, religion and its hypocrisy.Francis knowing that the only he was going to ge t anywhere was to be a inviolable worker and he waited year after year until he was finally able to work at 14 yrs old. The story told by Francis McCourt and his upbringing shows that if you work punishing enough to achieve your dreams you will action them regardless of what obstacles or mountains you have to climb. appear what Mr. Francis McCourt had to endure to make his dreams come true. He had a dream to return to the United States A dream that he effectuate at last. Lankford 6 Works Cited McCourt, Frank. Angelas Ashes. 1st ed. New York Simon & Schuster, 1996. 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