Angelas Ashes Essay, Research Paper

Angela s Ashes

In Pulitzer Prize winning, Angela s Ashes, a memoir, Frank McCourt demonstrates his ability to provoke healthy and thoughtful laughter throughout his seemingly depressing work. How, as a young boy, Frank survives – is still a phenomenon that plagues and questions even the most spiritual of readers. Whether it be by act of God, or sheer luck and good fortune, the reader is wholeheartedly listening and learning as Frank teaches his childish art of thoughtful laughter.

As a youth, Frank, lighthearted and as innocent as ever, looks at his portion of life in a day to day journey. Frank takes the smallest things to heart, instead of looking at the whole picture. He looks at personal triumphs and mischievous acts in a boyish sense. Instead of recognizing the entire picture, like the ramshackle houses and the deteriorating surroundings. Frank looks at Angela ( his mother) distantly throughout the novel. She loves Frank, and relies on Frank later during the novel, but there always remains a certain distance that is present in their relationship. She always puts her family and herself in strenuous positions by having another child, being ill and useless, by being submissive to other men ( Laman Griffin) or not taking charge of her home.

I want ye to go back down to that pub and read him out of it.

I want ye to stand in the middle of the pub and tell every man your father is drinking the money for the baby. Ye are to tell

the world there isn t a scrap of food in this house, not a lump of coal to start the fire, not a drop of milk for the baby s bottle.

For a long period of time, Frank would pray to the angel on the seventh step for well-being, attention, and his family. He easily made light of their rummaged house when it flooded every winter, and the family had to relocate to Italy .

Otherwise, when it wasn t involving Frank s family, the situation made comical sense. Frank, one of Mickey Spellacy s good friends, was very aware of Mickey s family dropping like flies to the consumption. Mickey had yet another dying family member his sister, Brenda. When fate twists, and Mickey dies not Brenda , Frankie is upset because Mickey doesn t deliver his promise of cake and cookies at Brenda s wake.

We ll go back to St. Joseph s and pray that from now on everyone in Mickey Spellacy s family dies in the middle of the summer, and he ll never get a day off from school again for the rest of his life.

One of our prayers were surely powerful, because next summer Mickey is carried off by the galloping consumption himself and that will surely teach them a lesson.

Frankie s innocence never plays too deeply into his reasoning. A child s mind evokes thoughtful laughter , not taking in to the consideration the fact that his friend just passed away. Frankie is angry that Mickey didn t follow through with his promise.

Frank, however, continues with his goal to reach America, and he strives for that American dream of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness – mainly trying to escape the ever dampening surroundings of Limerick. When he reaches the U.S. shores , the first night on the coast, Frank stirs up trouble immediately. The thoughtful laughter takes hold of the reader. Frank, foreign to this country ( therefore na ve and innocent once again) experiences his first act of casual sex on American soil. When invited to a nearby house with the Priest and the Captain – Frank is seduced into an upstairs bedroom. While the reader chuckles as Frank explains the experience with such a voice as in disbelief or amazement. His ingenuous tone renders the thoughtful laughter and puts the reader into a state of recognition of their own adolescent encounters. Not so much as casual sex is reminisced about, but the same excitement of new beginnings and rebel, youthful experiences. Frank s entire strain of emotions seemed to be wound up in this one last quote of the novel.

Tis. This is truly where Frank let s it sink in that America is where he wants to be. He agrees with the Priest when all is said and done, and Frank s contentment displays his new found opportunity and happiness.

Angela s Ashes takes hold of each one of those feelings that Frank possessed and plays them back in a comical ( but unfortunate) situation in Frank s life. As easily as he amuses the reader, Frank grows into his surroundings, adapts to situations, and learns ( or subconsciously) makes light of any situation.

Angela s Ashes

In Pulitzer Prize winning, Angela s Ashes, a memoir, Frank McCourt demonstrates his ability to provoke healthy and thoughtful laughter throughout his seemingly depressing work. How, as a young boy, Frank survives – is still a phenomenon that plagues and questions even the most spiritual of readers. Whether it be by act of God, or sheer luck and good fortune, the reader is wholeheartedly listening and learning as Frank teaches his childish art of thoughtful laughter.

As a youth, Frank, lighthearted and as innocent as ever, looks at his portion of life in a day to day journey. Frank takes the smallest things to heart, instead of looking at the whole picture. He looks at personal triumphs and mischievous acts in a boyish sense. Instead of recognizing the entire picture, like the ramshackle houses and the deteriorating surroundings. Frank looks at Angela ( his mother) distantly throughout the novel. She loves Frank, and relies on Frank later during the novel, but there always remains a certain distance that is present in their relationship. She always puts her family and herself in strenuous positions by having another child, being ill and useless, by being submissive to other men ( Laman Griffin) or not taking charge of her home.

I want ye to go back down to that pub and read him out of it.

I want ye to stand in the middle of the pub and tell every man your father is drinking the money for the baby. Ye are to tell

the world there isn t a scrap of food in this house, not a lump of coal to start the fire, not a drop of milk for the baby s bottle.

For a long period of time, Frank would pray to the angel on the seventh step for well-being, attention, and his family. He easily made light of their rummaged house when it flooded every winter, and the family had to relocate to Italy .

Otherwise, when it wasn t involving Frank s family, the situation made comical sense. Frank, one of Mickey Spellacy s good friends, was very aware of Mickey s family dropping like flies to the consumption. Mickey had yet another dying family member his sister, Brenda. When fate twists, and Mickey dies not Brenda , Frankie is upset because Mickey doesn t deliver his promise of cake and cookies at Brenda s wake.

We ll go back to St. Joseph s and pray that from now on everyone in Mickey Spellacy s family dies in the middle of the summer, and he ll never get a day off from school again for the rest of his life.

One of our prayers were surely powerful, because next summer Mickey is carried off by the galloping consumption himself and that will surely teach them a lesson.

Frankie s innocence never plays too deeply into his reasoning. A child s mind evokes thoughtful laughter , not taking in to the consideration the fact that his friend just passed away. Frankie is angry that Mickey didn t follow through with his promise.

Frank, however, continues with his goal to reach America, and he strives for that American dream of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness – mainly trying to escape the ever dampening surroundings of Limerick. When he reaches the U.S. shores , the first night on the coast, Frank stirs up trouble immediately. The thoughtful laughter takes hold of the reader. Frank, foreign to this country ( therefore na ve and innocent once again) experiences his first act of casual sex on American soil. When invited to a nearby house with the Priest and the Captain – Frank is seduced into an upstairs bedroom. While the reader chuckles as Frank explains the experience with such a voice as in disbelief or amazement. His ingenuous tone renders the thoughtful laughter and puts the reader into a state of recognition of their own adolescent encounters. Not so much as casual sex is reminisced about, but the same excitement of new beginnings and rebel, youthful experiences. Frank s entire strain of emotions seemed to be wound up in this one last quote of the novel.

Tis. This is truly where Frank let s it sink in that America is where he wants to be. He agrees with the Priest when all is said and done, and Frank s contentment displays his new found opportunity and happiness.

Angela s Ashes takes hold of each one of those feelings that Frank possessed and plays them back in a comical ( but unfortunate) situation in Frank s life. As easily as he amuses the reader, Frank grows into his surroundings, adapts to situations, and learns ( or subconsciously) makes light of any situation.