Angela’s Ashes

Although life presents you with many obstacles, if you continue to persevere, eventually you will achieve success. Angela’s Ashes, by Frank McCourt, is a good example of this. Frank is constantly limited by his poverty. We watch him stick with his goals and eventually accomplish them in the end. He also watches his mother continually try to stretch the family budget in order to get meager amounts of food. Death is also very prevalent in this book as Frank and his family have to adjust to the death of loved ones.

People always say, you can’t judge a book by it’s cover, and Frank McCourt is certainly an example of this. Throughout the book, he is constantly denied access to opportunities that will help to better his life because of his indigent appearance. His failed attempt to become an alter boy is one example of this. Yet he keeps fighting and striving to succeed, instead of just giving up. He also had to deal with the fact that his brother, Malachy, who he was closest to, was better looking and received more attention than him. Although this confused Frank as a young child, he coped very well, and was able to believe in himself, even as the less attractive brother. Because he had to deal with all of this, he appreciated his minor achievements, like when his team, “The Red Hearts of Limerick”, beat a team of wealthy boys in a soccer game. Frank scores the winning goal, and thinks this can only mean good things because “God or the blessed Virgin Mary would never send such a blessing to one who’s doomed”(257). This is what helps to build Frank’s self-confidence and enables him to keep his long-term goals in sight, to get to America, where he feels his talents will be rewarded despite his impoverished youth.

Throughout Frank’s childhood, there were very few times when feeding the family was not a challenge. Even when Frank’s father was working, he would very often drink his paycheck instead of bringing it home to his family. Frank remembers a time when his father did bring home his paycheck, and took notice at how proud his mother was when she was finally able to pay the man for her groceries. She was able to “hold her head up again because there’s nothing worse in the world than to owe and be beholden to anyone”(23). This is where Frank learns that the ability to pay brings dignity and self-respect. He draws a connection, that when he has food, his family is prospering. Later on in life, when Frank begins to earn his own wages, he loves the feeling of independence, and dreams of providing for a family of his own. He works for Mr. Hannon, delivering coal, and makes