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Literary Devices

Literary Devices Used:

Tragic Flaw- This is a literary device used when the protagonist (the good guy) makes a decision or has a certain characteristic that causes their own downfall.  

In the book, an Malachy McCourt, the father has a tragic flaw. He is an alcoholic who causes not only his own downfall but he contributes to the rest of the family's.

“He looses his jobs because he goes to the pubs on the third Friday of the job, drinks all his wages...” (McCourt 145).

Symbolism- Symbolism is the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving them symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense.

In he book, the story of Cuchulain, an Irish hero is symbolic. The story of Cuchulain is mentioned throughout the book by Francis (Frank) because he saw him as a symbol of a father. He symbolized the relationship he wishes he had with Malachy.

According to Francis, Cuchulain is “...greater than Hercules and Achilles” (McCourt 21).

Mood- Mood is a literary element that is intended to evoke certain emotions and feelings through the words and descriptions.

The mood of Angela's Ashes is very inconsistent. A lot of the time it can be dark and sad, while other times the mood is very light.

“I know when Dad does the bad thing. I know when he drinks the dole money and Mam is desperate and has to beg” (McCourt Chapter 8). This example from the text is really sad and it is a good example of how desperate the family is.

Heroism/Hero- (This one was not from the packet we got) Heroism can be defined when the main character (not exclusively, but usually) is a hero for a certain way they are or they can also be some sort of figure that is celebrated in ancient legends.

In the case of this novel, the main character and narrator, Francis (Frank) is a hero to himself. At the end of the book he moves back to New York where he makes a life for himself. That is certainly heroic in a way considering his unstable background.

“It’s lovely to know that the world can’t interfere with the inside of your head” (McCourt Chapter 8). This just shows how he was able to escape from all of the twisted, unrealistic ideas that his father had tried to put into his head.

McCourt, Frank. Angela's Ashes: a memoir. New York: Scribner, 1996. Print.

Important Characters in Angela's Ashes

Angela McCourt: Angela, wife to Malachy and mother to Francis and his siblings.

Malachy McCourt(Father): Malachy is an alcoholic. He says he loves his family, but he does not show it by spending the small amount of money he makes at the pubs.

Frank McCourt: Francis, the narrator of the story is a young boy who watches his family fall apart. He grows up with his father being a major alcoholic and his mother constantly grieving over the deaths of his siblings but still trying to keep the family alive.

Malachy McCourt(son): Malachy, brother to Francis, is the happier, more charming brother. He is very lovable and funny. Malachy is very innocent and is too happy to see the sadness in his family.

Margaret McCourt: Born before the twins, Margaret is the only thing that ever kept Malachy (father) from drinking. When she died as a baby, Malachy became dependent on alcohol more than ever before.

Oliver and Eugene McCourt: Twin brothers who both die before they are old enough to talk.

Michael McCourt: The second living youngest brother. Francis thought that an angel left him on the seventh step of their house.

Alphie McCourt: Franks youngest brother.

Aunt Aggie: Aggie is Angela's sister. She was resentful of the McCourt children for a long time but eventually shows her support to the family.

Pa Keating: Francis’s uncle. Pa Keating is very friendly and loving and helps Francis follow his dreams by supporting him.

The McNamara sisters: Angela’s cousins who live in New York. They are very nosy and bossy.

This is the McCourt family from the movie Angela's Ashes.

The Story of Angela's Ashes

Angela’s Ashes is Frank McCourt’s memoir of growing up in New York and Ireland in complete poverty. The story takes place in the 1930’s and 1940’s when Frank (known as Francis in the book) was young. Francis’ parents, Malachy and Angela meet in New York and Angela gets pregnant with Francis. He remains an only child for only a year before his first sibling joins the family. Already struggling with two children, Malachy and Angela manage to have five more children over the next five or so years. Malachy can't control his need for "the drink" and can't ever seem to keep money in his pocket. Midst these struggles, the family moves to Ireland in hopes to make their worsening financial situation better. Malachy is unable to find or keep work for more than a couple weeks, so the family is constantly moving in and out of the homes of their various family members. Eventually, they find a run down, trashed place to live where the rent is affordable. By now, Angela has had Francis, Malachy (named after the father Malachy), a set of twins, a daughter and two more sons. Both twins and the daughter die of various reasons but the family remains in poverty. Still unable to find employment still, Malachy moves to England in hopes of finding real work. He does, but only send money back for a short period of time. At the age of ten, Francis falls very ill with typhoid and remains in the hospital for months. Francis meets a young girl who is dying of diphtheria and she introduces him to Shakespeare. At 13, Francis leaves school and looks for any possible job. Unable to pay the rent for their house, Angela and the kids are evicted, and once again, living with family. Francis finally raises up enough money to pay for his own ticket to New York where he can start a life of his own.

Important Quotes

"When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I survived at all. It was, of course, a miserable childhood: the happy childhood is hardly worth your while. Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood, and worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood.
. . . nothing can compare with the Irish version: the poverty; the shiftless loquacious alcoholic father; the pious defeated mother moaning by the fire; pompous priests; bullying schoolmasters; the English and the terrible things they did to us for eight hundred long years."

"The master says it’s a glorious thing to die for the Faith and Dad says it’s a glorious thing to die for Ireland and I wonder if there’s anyone in the world who would like us to live. My brothers are dead and my sister is dead and I wonder if they died for Ireland or the Faith. Dad says they were too young to die for anything. Mam says it was disease and starvation and him never having a job. Dad says, Och, Angela, puts on his cap and goes for a long walk."

"I know when Dad does the bad thing. I know when he drinks the dole money and Mam is desperate and has to beg . . . but I don’t want to back away from him and run to Mam. How can I do that when I’m up with him early every morning with the whole world asleep?"

"Mam turns toward the dead ashes in the fire and sucks at the last bit of goodness in the Woodbine butt caught between the brown thumb and the burnt middle finger. Michael . . . wants to know if we’re having fish and chips tonight because he’s hungry. Mam says, Next week, love, and he goes back out to play in the lane."

"I’m on deck the dawn we sail into New York. I’m sure I’m in a film, that it will end and lights will come up in the Lyric Cinema. . . . Rich Americans in top hats white ties and tails must be going home to bed with the gorgeous women with white teeth. The rest are going to work in warm comfortable offices and no one has a care in the world."

Angela's Ashes: A Memoir by Frank McCourt