Angelas Ashes

Erin Koonz November 13, 2005

English Period 5

Angela's Ashes is the memoir of Frances McCourt. Born in Brooklyn his parents were recent Irish immigrants who were forced to return to Ireland because of their lack of money and the death of their daughter. Things at Ireland were no better, over the course of 21 years of Frank's life his father Malachy drinks away all his earned wages leaving them without any money. Frank loses two of his brothers due to malnutrition and gets Typhoid and a very bad eye infection that leaves him nearly blind. When his father leaves for England he has to provide for his family and working various jobs he saves enough money to travel back to America by himself.

In Ireland religion is very important. Frank's family never attended mass but at the school that Frank and his brother's went to, it was based solely on the Catholic Church. Communions and Confirmations were very important to their family, it was an easy way to get some extra money for them from the collection money people would donate to the children. All the working men in Ireland would go out for a pint at the pub after their week of work. Most men would have one or two drinks while others, like Frank's father Malachy, would drink away their entire week's earnings. Poverty was a very standard lifestyle. Angela was constantly going to the St. Vincent de Paul Society for money and secondhand clothes for the family.

It is probably very surprising how much their culture has changed since the time of this book. I am curious if religion is still such an enormous part of their daily lives. I also wonder if the men go out and drink as regularly as they used to. Since Christmas was such a celebrated holiday and Easter is a very catholic holiday I wonder how it is celebrated. I'm sure the role of women has changed and that they work more consistently than they did. There is still poverty since we can never completely get rid of it, but there are most likely a lot more job opportunities available for people to make good lives for their families.

Most people probably wouldn't like the book Angela's Ashes. It really is a very sad and depressing book. But to me it was a wake up call, as to how easy we have it and how hard immigration was for most families. If you want the