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.
No comments:
Post a Comment