Antagonist In Angela's Ashes

The first and most important antagonist in Angela’s Ashes is Malachy McCourt. Frank McCourt described his father, Malachy, as “the Holy Trinity with three people in him, the one in the morning with the paper, the one at night with the stories and the prayers, and then the one who does the bad thing and comes home with the smell of whiskey” (210). While Malachy was an important and influential antagonist in the story, he was not always the best role model for his children. Mr. McCourt was said to be known for abandoning his family for multiple days at a time without warning or any way for them to provide for themselves. Often times Malachy would spend the majority of his paychecks on feeding his addiction, rather than feeding his children.

In the book Ashes, by Laurie Halse Anderson, there is an African American girl named Isabel. Isabel is NOT the normal respectful young lady people would think she might be. Instead, I think of her as being quite opposite of that. She is nice, but I like to think of her as a tomboy. Something to remember though is they are in a war with the British. She doesn’t know who she wants to fight for at first, but then learns what either side has to offer to her.

The Grandma is prim and proper and self-acclaimed to be very ‘lady like’ yet is extremely crass in her mannerisms. From the very beginning of the story the grandmother begins to show her selfish ways. “…and headed toward Florida and you read here what it says he did to these people. Just you read it. I wouldn't take my children in any direction with a criminal like that aloose in it. I couldn't answer to my conscience if I did." (O’Connor 1). Though the grandmother is not specific in her selfishness, it seems her indirectness is what gets her nowhere in her statements. As a result of this, neither her children nor her grandchildren do not show reverence for her. Without the parents respect for the Grandmother, there is no possibility for her to gain the grandchildren’s respect. Here again we have another character whose role was not the main role, but one who has a lesson to teach if the reader is willing to dig deep enough to find

     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

In Angela's Ashes, the theme of struggling to get through life's obstacles is shown using character. In paragraph 4, McCourt writes, "You can look in people's windows and see how cozy it is in their kitchens with fires glowing or ranges black and hot everything bright in the electric light cups and saucers on the table with plates of sliced bread pounds of butter jars of jam smells of fried eggs... the mother crisp and clean in her apron everyone washed and the Sacred Heart of Jesus looking down on them from the wall suffering and sad but still happy with all that food and light and good Catholics at their breakfast." This quote shows, that the protagonist has been peering into the houses of the rich and realizes that the rich has everything they want and more. This theme shows that the main character is jealous of the rich lifestyle because they have more struggles than the rich do. In addition, this theme is also presented using events. In paragraph 5, "In a second I have two bottles of lemonade up under my jersey and i saunter away trying to look innocent," (McCourt). This quote is

5. How is life for the McCourts when Malachy brings home his wages? How do things change when he doesn’t?

Theme. A lesson in a novel or story that is not directly stated in the book. Between the excerpts Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt and The Street by Ann Petry is a common theme. The theme that desperate times call for desperate measures.

The case study of Angela and Adam describes a situation in which a Caucasian teenage mother, Angela, does not appear to have a bond with her 11 month old son, Adam. According to Broderick and Blewitt (2015) Angela and Adam live in the home with Angela’s mother, Sarah. Angela’s relationship with her own mother is described as a bit dysfunctional as Sarah is reported to continue to be angry with Angela for becoming pregnant in the first place. Sarah’s anger has caused her to deny Adam’s father the ability to come to the home and play an active role in Adam’s life, therefore putting more of a strain on Angela, who has already had to drop out of high school in an attempt to take care of Adam on her own. Angela has openly admitted to aggressive behavior towards Adam such as grabbing his face and handling Adam in a rough manner. In return, Adam has reacted by being avoidant of his mother and he is reported to not respond to his mother as an 11 month old child should and he is not reported to have an appropriate bond with his mother.

She knows the Mrs. McGrath will try to scam the people, but Nora catches her in the act and makes her feel guilty by telling her that with her “little accident there the way your hip pressed against the paper and you didn’t even know the paper was pulled down a bit.” (67) Nora through her sincerity helps out Angela who is currently struggling with getting over the grief of losing a child. The Italian grocer was also a stranger who took pity on the McCourts and did an act of good deed by giving them “bag o’ fruit. I don't give it to you I trow id out” (32). The grocer does this act of kindness just for the sake of helping them out. He even gave them credit so that they don’t go to sleep on a hungry stomach. Altruism is also developed into the theme: altruism causes the strengthening of family bonds. When Malachy Sr. brings home the box of chocolate, the piece of chocolate Frank got had a nut in it. Although his younger brothers were originally complaining about not having a nut, when Angela told them the nut will help his eyes, they say that “If I had another nut I’d give it to him for his eyes.” (271). The concern Frank’s brother have for Frank further develops altruism causes the strengthening of family bonds

Frank McCourt’s Angela's Ashes is a memoir consisting of various memories and stories from Frank McCourt's childhood. As a child, Frank was deprived of many opportunities because of his social class; these limitations are what make Frank so determined to gain people's respect.

“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 a memoir written by Frank McCourt discussing his and his families life while he was growing up. Frank and his family lived in a time where both America and Ireland were countries facing depression. The McCourt family also faced discrimination in both countries as well: in america they were discriminated against for being Irish, and n Ireland they were discriminated on for being Yankees. In my opinion the three most important themes of Angela's Ashes are: destructiveness of alcohol, importance of religion, and struggles of poverty.

The novel opens with Frank’s mother, Angela, and father, Malachy, meeting in Brooklyn, New York and being forced to get married out of wedlock. His parents later have his younger brother Malachy and twin brothers Eugene and Oliver. Their father struggles with alcoholism, and spends all of his wages on alcohol until Frank’s sister is born. But his sister Margaret dies and the family decides to move back to Ireland. When they arrive, their father returns to his constant drunken stupor and the family struggles financially. Soon after their arrival the twins pass and Angela has a miscarriage. They spend much of their time

The television show and the books show that the Ingalls family is very honest and the girls are obedient. When the girls are fighting Ma says "Laura!" and that is enough warning for them to stop fighting. Laura and Mary mind their Ma and Pa because they have been taught to. When they don't they know that they will get a punishment. They have time to play but are expected to help out where they can. Laura and Mary are well behaved and grew up in a loving family.

Frank McCourt in Angela 's Ashes described the hard times and pain in his life, pain that no person should have had to endure. After losing his baby sister Margaret and twin brothers Eugene and Oliver, to disease and bad parenting, McCourt went