Anglea’s Ashes Essay, Research Paper

Reading a number one best-selling novel, then seeing a screenplay based on the same story can be somewhat disappointing. Angela’s Ashes is no exception. The story is told in two versions, the author’s point of view, and how the screenplay writer tells the story.

The author, Frank McCourt, takes you on a vivid journey of his youth in Limerick, Ireland. He is so detailed about the scenery, that you can actually feel the dampness of the Shannon River. McCourt’s ability to tell his story puts you in the lanes of Limerick. You can see the sadness that poverty and alcoholism brings to a family. The father was an alcoholic who showed little or no emotions towards his family. The mother a strong women, whose pride would not interfere with the survival of her family.

Allen Parker, the screenplay writer, tells the story of Angela’s Ashes in his own way. The father is portrayed as a drunk; however, he is also shown a man who truly cares about his family. The mother is shown more as a lazy slob, who sat around all day smoking cigarettes. Parker did not put the viewing audience in the scenery as strongly as McCourt did. The feeling of being in the lanes is missing. He mainly focused on the characters of the story, forgetting about how the surroundings added to the feeling of the novel.

However, there were some similarities in both the novel and the screenplay. The story was told through the eyes of a young boy who grew into a brilliant young man. Both stories showed the sadness of growing up in poverty, and how it effects a child.

Angela’s Ashes, the novel, is an excellent story of what life was like for Frank McCourt growing up in Ireland and living in poverty. However, the screenplay does not portray the detailed effects of the surroundings, which brought the novel to life.