Analyse af Frank McCourts 'Angela´s Ashes'

Analytical Essay: Angela´s AshesIt is hard being poor and living in a slum, not knowing when you will have a full stomach, fighting for every penny you can get. Despite the struggles of being poor, and dealing with the problems that can come from it, people have had success stories, stories of how determination has pushed people to “get out” of the misery caused by their surroundings. That is the case with Frank McCourt in his memoir: “Angela´s Ashes” (1996) which tells the story of Frank McCourt´s life while growing up.In the memoir the setting affects Frank in various ways, though mostly in a negative way. One of the main themes in the memoir is poverty and the limitations imposed by class, which has to do with the setting. Frank lived in a couple of poor neighbourhoods in Limerick for most of his early life, and before that a poor neighbourhood in New York. Because of his family´s impoverishment Frank is treated poorly, and according to his mother social snobbery has been the cause of him missing out on opportunities such as becoming an altar boy: “This is my son who knows Latin and is ready to be an altar boy. Stephen Carey looks at him, then me. He says, we don´t have room for him, and closes the door. […] ´Tis class distinction. They don’t want boys from the lanes on the altar.” Frank has spent a lot of time practising Latin to become an altar boy, and the reader knows he would be capable, and yet he is rejected at the door. Frank faces a lot of obstacles because of the social setting surrounding him. But Frank´s natural fighting spirit keeps him working to gain respect and evolve.When Frank comes to Ireland he starts going to school at Leamy’s National School.The school is described as a hard place where you “must not cry” if you want to earn the respect of your peers. School is rough, the teachers can be rough and the other pupils mean. Frank´s master in the fifth class is called Mr. O´Dea, he is described as some sort of a sadist, a man who can always wring tears from his students. When the teachers are not after frank his classmates are: “A big boy sticks his face up to mine. I´m asking ye a question, he says. Are ye gangsters or cowboys?” Frank and his brother Malachy are bullied for being “yanks”. Despite the terrible learning conditions Frank always had a way with words, and teachers noticed. Frank himself was not very excited about school, he is relieved to leave school at the age of fourteen in order to get a job. This is despite Mr. O’Halloran telling Frank and the other students that he is disgusted with the class system that forces smart boys into menial jobs.Religion recurs as a constant theme because of the dominant role it played in virtually everyone´s life during the time of franks childhood. The Clergies were very powerful in Ireland at the time, because of the relative ignorance of the majority of the people when it came to theology. We can see Frank simply accepting the words of priest as fact: “I feel sorry for the beautiful Protestant girls, they´re doomed. That´s what the priests tell us. Outside the Catholic Church there is no salvation.” Frank never questions this, or rather he has no reason to question it because everyone around him has the same beliefs and tells him the same. The poor of Ireland including frank used religion to make their life less miserable, and as the kind Dominican priest that Frank confesses to after stealing fish & chips emphasises: “I hear the sins of the poor. I assign the penance. I bestow absolution. I should be on my knees washing their feet. Do you understand me, my child?” The poor are privileged in the eyes of god. Frank does not understand what the priest is trying to say at the time, but is happy to not get a penance. Having to confess to his sins plays a big part in Frank’s miserable childhood, he is forced to feel terrible about fulfilling basic needs. Because as previously mentioned Frank and the majority of people were ignorant when it came to theology, they felt sinful about certain things because they were told those certain things were sinful. At one point Frank gets annoyed by the behaviour of the church, when he and other poor children were told by priests and nuns they have to Lent: “What are we to give up when we have Lent all year long?” It is the churches lack of sympathy and concern for the poor that annoys Frank. Frank gets more sceptic regarding religion, and his relationship with the church becomes ambivalent. This has to do with becoming smarter, but it could also stem from confusion early in his life, where he was taught different things in school and at home: “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 […]” this left Frank very confused, wondering who he had to die for. It is no secret that Frank had a lot of challenges growing up, he had plenty of struggles and much to do. Frank has grown tremendously from the beginning of the memoir to the end. It is clear to see how Frank has been affected by his surroundings, but without getting stuck in them. Frank continuously worked hard and ended up going to America, achieving his dream, and becoming a success story straight of Limerick.