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"Adroit, McCourt. You have a mind forthe priesthood, my boy, or politics" (288)

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"Adroit, McCourt. You have a mind forthe priesthood, my boy, or politics" (288)

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Adroit (adjective):  clever or skillful in using the hands or mind.
Ex. Alexander the Great was a adroit leader, for he conquered vast lands throughout Africa and the Middle East.

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"I stagger into a chair, just like my father... [my mom] turns away from me and looks into the ashes in the range" (340).

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"I stagger into a chair, just like my father... [my mom] turns away from me and looks into the ashes in the range" (340).

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In one of the concluding scenes of his memoir, McCourt recalls on a regretful moment he shared with his mother on his sixteenth birthday; Frank arrived home drunk, a familiar scene for his mother. The phrase "just like my father" resonates powerfully with the reader. It is in sharp contrast with the majority of the story, which focuses on Frank trying to escape association with his father, who caused him and his family heartache and poverty. The latter half of the quote mentions ashes, which Frank's mother, Angela, was looking at, hopelessly. The namesake phrase "Angela's ashes," refers to both the ashes of her frequent "Woodbines," cigarettes and also they symbolize despair. When Frank emulates his father's behavior, Angela feels hopeless. In addition, the ever present ashes are symbols of Frank's family's constant struggle.

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"What are we to give up when we have Lent all year long?" (318).

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"What are we to give up when we have Lent all year long?" (318).

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Throughout the work, McCourt depicts his family's struggle with poverty; he often describes the lack of food and the necessity to steal, in order to stay alive. In addition, the majority of Limerick, Ireland was Catholic; they believed that god looked over them and cared for them. In contrast, the poor, like the McCourt's lost hope in their religion, due to extreme despair. The above quote is representative of the sadness they endured; they did not have the means to give up anything for lent because they had nothing. The melancholy message is effective in eliciting emotions of pity and sympathy.

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"My mother is a beggar now and if anyone from the lane or my school sees her the family will be disgraced entirely" (250).

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"My mother is a beggar now and if anyone from the lane or my school sees her the family will be disgraced entirely" (250).

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Despite living in poverty, Frank still had a sense of pride in him. Although him and his family struggled with hunger, he was taught from a young age never to beg, in fear of how others will view you. The quote illustrates a turning point in his story, for Angela is so despondent, that she feels her only option is to beg. Begging is viewed as being a member of the lowest class of people, yet Angela has lost all shame. In contrast, then twelve-year-old Frank is heavily influenced by society and considers it disgraceful to be a beggar.

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"They thank God for Hitler because if he hadn't marched all over Europe the men of Ireland would still be at home scatching their arses on the queue at the Labour Exchange" (217).

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"They thank God for Hitler because if he hadn't marched all over Europe the men of Ireland would still be at home scatching their arses on the queue at the Labour Exchange" (217).

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Looking back on World War II, the reader associates that time period with gore, brutality and inhumane actions. However, the Irish, especially the poor viewed Hitler's callous intentions as benefits for themselves. The quote by Frank offers a unique perspective of WWII to his audience. Rather than fearing enemy attack, Frank and his community of people celebrate Hitler's action as an opportunity for their fortunes to change, allowing their fathers and sons to go off to England to work in the factories. Unfortunately for the McCourts, the war does not bring them large amounts of wealth as they imagined, due to Frank's deadbeat father.

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Quote ranges are (217-247), (248-284), (285-326), (327-363)

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"[Dad] makes his way downstairs with the candle, sleeps on a  chair, misses work in the morning, loses the job, and we'e back on dole again.(112).

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"[Dad] makes his way downstairs with the candle, sleeps on a  chair, misses work in the morning, loses the job, and we'e back on dole again.(112).

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The nonchalant yet effective use of pathos is very powerful in illustrating the endless and destructive cycle of Frank's father. It makes the reader feel helpless knowing that Frank and his siblings had a mindset of impermanence; they were never able to have luxuries in life because of their father. Every time they experienced the slightest sign of a change of luck, a week later the father would lose his job. In addition, through McCourt's descriptive language, the reader understands the shame their mom and the boys felt having a disgrace of a father.

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"I wonder what child is lost because we're all here, one two three four of us, not a lost child anywhere" (62)

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"I wonder what child is lost because we're all here, one two three four of us, not a lost child anywhere" (62)

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The quote illustrates Frank's innocence; prior to the deaths of his siblings, the idea of their passing does not cross his mind. The tone also illustrates his curiosity with the world around him. He does not understand the adults who surround him, which results in such a traumatic effect on him when his brothers pass away. In contrast, the tone allows the reader to understand the Frank's worldview; although he holds many responsibilities as the "father figure" of his siblings, he still is a child, proven by how he reasons.

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"And I think, Steam of their piss. I'll keep that for myself... when I go to America some day I'll be the only one who knows it" (162)

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"And I think, Steam of their piss. I'll keep that for myself... when I go to America some day I'll be the only one who knows it" (162)

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The quote from nine-year-old Frank McCourt offers comical relief during his somber childhood. His ambition to go to America and be a "pioneer" illustrates his innocence as well as his optimism for the future. The whimsical tone of Frank's idea is the antithesis of the book, for the book is melancholy and focusing mainly on the hardships he endured. As a whole, McCourt employs both comic relief and pathos to add variance to the overall tone.

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"We know Dad has done the bad thing and we know you can make anyone suffer by not talking to him. Even little Michael... when [Dad] tries to lift you to his lap you run to Mam" (171).

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"We know Dad has done the bad thing and we know you can make anyone suffer by not talking to him. Even little Michael... when [Dad] tries to lift you to his lap you run to Mam" (171).

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McCourt's view on his father elicits feelings of sadness for him and his brothers; especially because Michael, only three at the time, was being conditioned to loathe and fear his father is extremely heartbreaking because Michael is not even given the opportunity to develop his own opinions about his father. The line also depicts the growing tensions within the family; the boys and their mother feel indifferent towards a relationship with their father. As a reader, you pity the author, for he feels that his father is a burden.

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"I think my father is like the Holy Trinity with three people in him... I feel sad over the bad thing but I can't back away from him... If I were in America I could say, I love you, Dad, but you can't say that in Limerick for fear you might be laughted at" (210).

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"I think my father is like the Holy Trinity with three people in him... I feel sad over the bad thing but I can't back away from him... If I were in America I could say, I love you, Dad, but you can't say that in Limerick for fear you might be laughted at" (210).

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The author's reflection on his father illustrates Frank's internal conflict. The audience understands that he yearns for a healthy relationship with his father, but his dream is unachievable due to the "other sides" of his father. From a young age, Frank is taught to resent his father for wasting all the money his family receives from welfare by drinking at the pub. In contrast, he feels an innate connection toward his father especially in the morning; Frank describes touching moments the two share, where his father encourages Frank to work hard and move to America. At the young age of 11, Frank is forced to comprehend his multi-faceted father while struggling in poverty and acting as a father figure for his three younger brothers. The quote is representative of the author's mental journey and his growing maturity.

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"Of course he is, you diddering omadhaun" (154).

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"Of course he is, you diddering omadhaun" (154).

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Omadhaun (noun): A fool, someone who is out of their senses; simpleton. (from Irish)
Ex. Despite being valedictorian, Nora was commonly called an omadhaun by her classmates due to her lack of common sense.

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October 7, 2016; quote ranges are (133-165) (166-190) (191-216)

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"Dad said I shouldn't throw rocks at jackdaws, they might be somebody's soul" (76).

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"Dad said I shouldn't throw rocks at jackdaws, they might be somebody's soul" (76).

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Jackdaw (noun): a common black and gray bird of Eurasia that is related to but smaller than the carrion crow.
Ex. The jackdaw fed her young in their nest on the roof of my house.

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[Eugene 's] up in the sky in heaven with Oliver and Maragaret where they have plenty of fish and chips and toffee and no aunts to bother you, where all the fathers bring home the money from the Labour Exchange and you don't have to be running around to pubs to find them" (90).

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[Eugene 's] up in the sky in heaven with Oliver and Maragaret where they have plenty of fish and chips and toffee and no aunts to bother you, where all the fathers bring home the money from the Labour Exchange and you don't have to be running around to pubs to find them" (90).

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Eugene, Oliver, and Margaret are the narrator's fallen siblings. The quote illustrates the profound sadness and grief Frank had to endure. The description of the fish and chips and toffee demonstrates the author's innocence, for he longs to have the luxury of food. Likewise, it can be perceived that Frank is jealous of his dead siblings, which truly illustrates his misery. The quote elicits feelings of pity for the reader as the story of Frank's childhood progresses; due to the vivid imagery, the reader is able to understand how Frank felt growing up in poverty with dying siblings and an alcoholic father.

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September 30, 2016; quote ranges are (48-78), (79-109), (110-132)

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DUE DATES:
9/23- pg. 47 (Chapter II) ✔
9/30- pg. 132 (Chapter V) ✔
10/7- pg. 216 (Chapter IX) ✔
10/14- pg. 363 (End) ✔

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September 23, 2016

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"Open your lovely blue eyes, my little leanv" (35).

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"Open your lovely blue eyes, my little leanv" (35).

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Leanv (noun): a baby, infant; child (from Irish).
Ex. The leanv slept contently in the crib until the sound of the doorbell woke her.

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"Dad is out of bed in a second... making sounds like a mother. Now he cries over Margaret and has no smell of drink on him" (30).

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"Dad is out of bed in a second... making sounds like a mother. Now he cries over Margaret and has no smell of drink on him" (30).

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The quotation illustrates a supposed turning point in the story. Author, Frank McCourt, opens his piece describing his father as neglectful and an alcoholic; however, following the birth of his sister (Margaret), the dad begins to change. As a result, the reader gains hope that McCourt's childhood was not as miserable as his opening quote describes it: "Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood, and worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood" (11). Early on, McCourt's use of repetition sets the morose tone for his work, hence why the quote is a contrasting element, eliciting feelings of hope in the reader. Unfortunately, reader's hope was short lived, for the story took a devastating and somber turn.

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I enjoy reading pieces about one's life experiences, especially detailing a difficult journey he/she has overcome. As a result, I chose the memoir Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt. The heartbreaking recount of his childhood is told through the eyes of McCourt, adding a dimension of humor and sadness to the text.