Angela 's Ashes, By Frank Mccourt

Many people have been misguided about whether or not alcoholism is “disease” that attacks a person’s good health. A key suggestion of those that believe alcoholism is a disease is that a disease is uncontrolled. This is not so. When people develop an addiction to alcohol they tend to push everything of importance out of their lives: family, friends, and sometimes even jobs. People with addiction to alcohol throw

Alcoholism is a demon, a disease, something reached for out of desperation. It helps with a person 's problem by deadening their senses, and increasing his problems at the same time by destroying his character. When you drink, you don 't have to think about all your problems, you can just let the alcohol wash them away from your mind. But it can never take away all your problems—they still remain, just your sense to care for them is gone. Alcoholism has a great chance to pass on to later generations, but sometimes growing up in an alcoholic family will make the children swear off the drink because they have seen what it can turn people into. It turns them into the basic raw human emotion of grief. They are miserable for alcohol is the only thing that can make them feel normal after awhile, their entire bodies ache for it. Even when they have given up drinking, their bodies can revert back after having just one drop again. Yes, alcoholism is truly a terrifying disease of the mind and body—not just to the addict, but also to the loved ones

“Ashes” by Susan Beth Pfeffer is about a girl who is caught in a situation in which her father attempts to bribe her to do something immoral. One message suggested in this story is how misdirection and trickery can negatively affect relationships between a parent and their child.

Laughter and tears follow the journey of those who faced immense hardships and prevailed. One such individual is Francis McCourt, who wrote Angela’s Ashes, and gave readers a recollection of stories and lessons learned through his difficult childhood. The story starts in New York City, where his parents, Malachy and Angela, married and started a family with five children: Francis, Malachy, twins Oliver and Eugene, and Margaret. Seven weeks after Margaret is born, she passes away, sending Angela into a crazed hysteria causing her and family to move back to Ireland and resettle in her hometown, Limerick, a town known for hating those that seem different. Tragedy strikes again with Eugene and Oliver passing away, causing Malachy to fall back into his alcoholic and neglectful habits, leaving Angela and Francis to financially support the family even with hostile discrimination. Along with that, two more children are born, Michael and Alphonsus. However, over time Francis manages to save enough money to stabilize his family and to go back to New York City. Francis’s success story is a result of overcoming trials and tribulations, showcasing how society was hypocritical and discriminatory of any person that was not Irish, white, Limerick Catholic during the 1930’s and 1940’s

Many people, including alcoholics, are not fully aware of the devastation caused by alcohol abuse. Not only does alcohol have an impact on physical health, it causes a host of problems from a mental and emotional standpoint. This addiction is not only harmful to the body, it tears families apart, leads to job loss, and often causes isolation for the person who drinks.

Alcohol is the most abused licit psychoactive drugs that affect one 's ability to think rationally and distorts their judgement if consumed excessively. Alcohol addiction is an illness arising from prolonged and excessive intake of alcoholic drinks. An alcoholic is a person suffering from alcohol addiction. Prolonged excessive use of large quantities can eventually lead to chronic health diseases like cirrhosis of the liver, anaemia, cardiovascular disease, dementia, depression seizures, gout and alcohol related accidents and crime. Statistics show that 9 million people in England drink more than the recommended daily intake while an estimated 8.697 died of alcohol-related deaths in 2014. According to the WHO worldwide alcohol causes 1.8 million deaths (3.2% of total) and 58.3 million (4% of total) of Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). Alcohol beverages with varied percentage content are consumed globally during religious, social, cultural events, festivals and other occasions. The use of alcoholic beverages has been an integral part of many cultures for thousands of years (McGovern, 2009). Over the centuries, there have been ongoing measures, research, interventions and policies which are aimed at promoting the moderate use of alcohol with a particular emphasis on preventing or reducing undesired outcomes. This essay will outline the key components of brief interventions in alcohol, the difference in approach with traditional methods of treatment and in conclusion, the

Alcoholism is one of our nation’s largest social issues to date, and carries with it many negative aspects, the most dire being death at the hands of this disease. Alcohol and alcoholism have been part of societies for centuries. This habit was brought over to the new world when the first settlers landed on the shores of what was to become America. Furthermore, in bringing alcohol to this new land an entire nation of Native American Indians were introduced to a product that has affected them more negatively than any other to date, and continues to suffer from today and probably well into the future.

Alcoholism is a problem experienced in many societies and covers issues associated with intake of alcohol (Schneider, 1978). In most cases, it is used to refer to addictive and uncontrolled use or abuse of alcohol such that the health, relationships and social status of a person is eroded. Due to its negative effects on users, it is considered as a bad practice in the society. Alcoholism is contributed by many social issues concerning users as well as society and is largely accepted as a social deviance behavior. However, according to Schneider (1992), deviant drinking has been

“When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I survived at all…the poverty; the shiftless loquacious alcoholic father [and] the pious defeated mother moaning by the fire” (McCourt 1). This is how Frank McCourt introduces his memoir, Angela’s Ashes. He tells the story of his growing up in a poverty stricken world, brought on to them by the alcoholism of his father. Being the recollections of a person’s memoires it is sometimes difficult to believe in all the poverty, abuse and family which Franck claims existed and were caused by alcoholism. Alcoholism is the root of all problems in the book as it leads to poverty, abuse and family tensions. By comparing Frank’s testimony of how alcohol ruined his childhood to other real world scenarios it will be possible to determine if Frank’s case is the norm for alcohol taking this kind of effect or is his story just an extreme case of alcohol abuse.

The term “alcoholism” describes a drinker who is mentally and physically dependent on alcohol, and who would most likely have withdrawal symptoms upon trying to quit. This dependence prevents most alcoholics from being able to control when they drink and how much they drink. For that reason, alcoholics usually drink to excess despite the consequences. Alcoholism, like any addiction, is a chronic disorder which involves continued use despite negative consequences and requires ongoing treatment and management. This research paper will cover many aspects of alcoholism including the causes and effects of drinking and different treatment approaches.

Alcoholism is a primary, chronic disease with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. The disease is often progressive and fatal. Alcoholism is a complex disease with physical, social and psychological consequences, but it can be treated through detoxification and anti-anxiety drugs. What will be explained in this essay is basically the history of alcohol, signs of one possibly being an alcoholic, possibilities to why one becomes an alcoholic, and treatments for it.

“When I look back at 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” (McCourt 11). These now famous words are some of the opening lines of Frank McCourt’s critically acclaimed memoir Angela’s Ashes. Through his memoirs, McCourt depicted his journey from a poverty-ridden emigrant to a widely recognized literally star. McCourt’s life was that of a true American success story that captured the hearts of many (Gèbler). Frank McCourt “lived a life that many Irish emigres to the U.S. have dreamed of, but few have managed to achieve” (Gèbler). While his life concluded with great fame and fortunes, McCourt’s early life was not nearly as luxurious.

Angela’s Ashes is an autobiographical memoir written by Irish-American author Frank McCourt. McCourt is the oldest of five brothers and one sister. He along with four of his sibling were born in America in Brooklyn, New York and lived there until he was four and then moved back to Ireland because they had a hard time surviving in America. His family and moved back to Ireland in the midst of the Great Depression finding it hard for his father to get a job because of his alcoholism and his Northern manner. Throughout McCourt’s childhood he was caught in the middle of all the hardships his parents endured. Although, his family endured much struggle, that did not stop them from fulfilling his religious duties, such as First Communion. It also did not stop him and his brother, Malachy from going to school to learn more about their religion. In his early teens, he realized that his father had abandoned his mother and his siblings when he said he would go look for a job. At the age of 14, Frank stopped going to school and got odd jobs to help support his mother and siblings. He remembers his childhood as the miserable Irish Catholic childhood. He himself decided to move back to America when he was 18 to get away from the poverty in Ireland.

A Scottish proverb says “Do not judge by appearances; a rich heart may be under a poor coat.” Frank McCourt, the author of Angela’s Ashes, lost many opportunities because he was a poor boy who lived in the lane. McCourt depicts how society, appearance, and social classes label a person and their abilities. “Delia says something has to be done about Angela and those children for they are a disgrace, so they are, enough to make you ashamed to be related” (44-45). For this woman obviously appearance is a great deal.

The people of Northern Ireland have been surrounded by violence for years, many have added to it, and many more have been hurt by it. These wounds are not always physical they are also mental as well, and that type of wound is much harder to heal. It is because of violence in that the people in Northern Ireland have turned to self medication. One of the most common forms of self medication is the consumption of alcohol. A 2010 study found that the average