IRA#7 Angela's Ashes

Angela's Ashes: The Ending




Summary : Chapter 11-18


Frankie finds out that the truth of his birth while looking in an old chest. He figures out that he was born before his parents married, and he thinks he's going to limbo when he dies. At eleven, Frankie is learning more about sex and it's temptations which foreshadows sin. The main character finds a job working for a coal factory helping out a neighbor, but has to quit eventually due to his health and his mother. The children's father sends a letter saying that he will be coming for Christmas, but everyone has a bit of a negative attitude when it comes to the father (including me). After going to the train station, they don' find him and expect that he got drunk and fell asleep. The next day, he comes home surprising everybody. The big question, the whole reason Malachy Sr. went to England, "Where's is the money". I believe that by knowing the current knowledge of this book, you would have realized that he spent the money on booze. Later, their no-good father leaves for London. Hopefully he will bring home the bacon! (Expression). Of course he won't this family barely has enough food to feed themselves, there is no way he will bring them money in time because he will be tempted to spend it. Too bad there wasn't an Alcoholic's Anonymous because that guy needs it. The McCourt's continue their poor, poverty-stricken life, bringing sick people and animals home, learning about the difference between lice and flees, figuring out that by helping others ,it affects not only those who are worse off than you, but yourselves., and living in their home on the brink of being evicted. A few days later, the boys were running around and they knocked over the beams that holding the entire house together. Soon they are evicted and forced to live with their cousin Laman , living in his loft obey his every command. I mean what would you do. You are desperate and your own mother can't fit you into her home. Soon Malachy is accepted into the Irish army band,  Frank is encouraged to stay in school, but he rather work and be the man of the house, and Angela is feeling like her children are flying the nest. At the age of fourteen, Frank is out of school and he is working as a telegram delivery boy. There were many who believed that he could be better than this, but this is what he wanted to do. The main character delivers telegrams to various places including a teenage girl who suffers from consumption (TB). Frankie commits his first sin by letting a girl take advantage of him sexually. That moment he discovers his first love, and is scared for the outcome of her condition. A few weeks later, he finds out that Theresa didn't make it. Frank makes a deal with Laman that he will take care of him, but in return he would like a bike to carry his telegrams. He's starting to think that all the abuse he takes from this man isn't worth it.  After being drunk on the job, Frank loses his job and finds a new one working at Eason's , as a paperboy. A few years later, Frankie and Malachy decide to move back to New  York.

Reflection and Recommendation
The main themes covered in this book were religion, hardship, poverty, and alcoholism, and temptation. I will tell you the truth and say that this book was really sad. It makes you be thankful for what you have, and feel bad for those who don't have as much as you do. After reading this story, and picturing the poverty, hardship, and the death of your little children, I don't know if I would be able to take it. This family went through a lot. This reminds me so much of the Joad family in Grapes of Wrath and how they lived through poverty, hardship, and death. These novels sound like they may be the same, but they're not. Angel's Ashes is a memoir written by the author who experienced every word in this book, whereas Steinbeck just talks about the historical period and adds his own characters. Overall pretty sad book, but some the most sad and realistic books turn out to be good books. This book allowed me to see what it was like for the foreign countries during the Great Depression.