"Angela’s Ashes" is an evocative memoir by Frank McCourt that presents an intimate and poignant journey through the harsh realities of poverty. The narrative is imbued with moments of both despair and resilience, capturing the essence of McCourt's childhood in Ireland and the indomitable spirit that sees him through. McCourt's storytelling is marked by rich humor and honesty, transforming his harrowing experiences into a narrative of survival and hope.

The Painful Reality of Poverty

Poverty is a recurring theme in literary history, often depicted as both an affliction and a source of profound insight. Frank McCourt's "Angela’s Ashes" situates poverty at its core, dramatizing the destitute lives of its victims. The memoir is a testament to the ridicule, crime, and chaos that poverty often breeds, yet it also reconciles these harsh realities with humor and an enduring memory of the heart.

The opening sentiment of the memoir encapsulates this paradox: "When I look back on 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 worst yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood.” This candid reflection sets the tone for McCourt's narrative, which, despite its bleak beginning, ultimately affirms life.

Life in Limerick

The McCourt family endures unimaginable hardship in Limerick. The memoir’s early pages are suffused with sadness, where even basic sustenance like bread becomes a symbol of deprivation. Frank's father, Malachy McCourt, is a complex figure whose addiction to alcohol perpetuates the family’s poverty. His infrequent contributions from his wartime munitions factory job deepen the family's struggles, yet his imaginative tales provide Frank with an escape from their grim reality.

The McCourts' living conditions reflect their destitution. Their home is divided into "Ireland," the damp, foul-smelling downstairs, and "Italy," the warmer upstairs, a place of temporary solace for the family at night. Despite frequent grief, such as the death of Frank's siblings and his own battle with typhoid fever, moments of humor and comfort shine through, as when Frank converses with the angel on the seventh step, finding solace in simple imaginings amidst their suffering.

Finding Solace in Stories

While hospitalized with typhoid, Frank's love for language blossoms through interactions with Patricia Madigan, another patient, who introduces him to poetry and Shakespeare. This awakening to literature becomes a lifeline, offering Frank a refuge from his physical and emotional environment. Despite restrictions imposed by the hospital staff, Frank immerses himself in the world of words, embracing the freedom and joy they provide.

Frank's reflections throughout "Angela’s Ashes" are tinged with a mature perspective, as the adult McCourt imbues these childhood memories with wisdom and wit. His astute observations about life, death, and faith reveal the depth of his inner world, as when he contemplates the glorification of dying for faith or country and wonders, "if there’s anyone in the world who would like us to live."

The Unraveling of Family Dynamics

Frank’s relationship with his father is central to the memoir. Malachy McCourt is portrayed as a trinity of personalities: the morning man with his newspaper, the storyteller at night, and the man who succumbs to alcohol. This complex dynamic reveals the intricate layers of familial love and disappointment, capturing the ongoing tension between Frank’s admiration for his father’s stories and his resentment of Malachy’s failures.

As Frank grows, he confronts the realities of his family history. He learns of his birth out of wedlock, a discovery that intertwines with his Catholic upbringing and superstitions about legitimacy and sainthood. Conversations with peers further illuminate Frank's understanding of his circumstances, adding layers to his narrative of self-awareness and identity.

Emerging from the Ashes

The memoir's trajectory changes as Frank transitions from childhood to adolescence. He takes on various jobs to support his family, gaining a sense of self-worth and independence. His role as a telegram boy introduces him to new experiences and deepens his longing for a better life, symbolized by his dreams of America while gazing over the Shannon River.

Through these experiences, Frank’s character is shaped by resilience and ambition. The kindness of strangers and mentors, like Mr. Hannon, offers glimmers of hope amidst the pervasive gloom. These relationships foster a sense of community and possibility, underscoring the memoir's theme that connection and compassion can transcend circumstances.

A Bittersweet Conclusion

The final pages of "Angela’s Ashes" capture Frank's departure from Ireland, a culmination of his dreams and struggles. With an unexpected inheritance from Mrs. Finucane, he seizes the opportunity to leave for America, a land he has long envisioned as a place of promise and renewal. His journey across the Atlantic is marked by poignant reflections on his past and a cautious optimism for the future.

Frank's arrival in America is both a literal and metaphorical new beginning. His encounter with a priest and the subsequent experience in a brothel highlight the contradictions and complexities of his newfound freedom. As Frank gazes at the lights of America, his final word, "’Tis," encapsulates a mix of relief and anticipation, signaling the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.

"Angela’s Ashes" elevates the memoir genre through its intricate depiction of adversity, humor, and hope. McCourt's narrative invites readers into a world where the resilience of the human spirit shines brightly, even amidst the darkest moments.

Memoir Genre

The 1990s saw a significant rise in the number of personal memoirs, and the genre itself evolved greatly. Traditionally, memoirs were autobiographical narratives, usually penned by notable individuals, focusing not on the author's personal experiences but on the important people and events they had witnessed or been part of. However, in the 1990s, personal memoirs began to be written by both famous and unknown individuals. Many of these memoirs concentrated on a specific period in the author's life, differentiating them from the broader scope of autobiographies. Often, these memoirs detailed the journey from childhood or adolescence to young adulthood, frequently highlighting environments marked by deprivation or vices such as poverty, alcoholism, or sexual abuse.

One of the most popular memoirs from the early 1990s was Darkness Visible (1992), in which writer William Styron recounted his battle with mental illness. Susanna Kaysen's Girl Interrupted (1994) became a bestseller, detailing her life in a mental institution. In 1995, Mary Karr released the highly successful The Liars' Club, a memoir about growing up in a dysfunctional family in Texas. That year, around two hundred memoirs were published. Commentators attributed the genre's explosive growth to the popularity of confessional television shows and the "tell-it-all" nature of contemporary culture. James Atlas, in his article "The Age of the Literary Memoir Is Now," remarked on the openness that defined the 1990s:

In an era when 'Oprah' reigns supreme and 12-step programs have become the new mantra, it's perhaps only natural for literary confession to join the parade. We live in a time when the very notion of privacy, of a zone beyond the reach of public probing, has become an alien concept.

It was in this literary and cultural climate that McCourt began writing Angela's Ashes in 1994. The memoir, with its story of a family devastated by an alcoholic father, tormented by bereavement, and living in extreme poverty, fit well into the genre as it was being redefined at the time. Thus, when Angela's Ashes was published two years later, its immense success was perhaps not surprising.

England, Protestantism, and Ireland

Even a casual reader of Angela's Ashes would quickly notice that the Irish in Limerick harbor a deep-seated hatred for the English and a strong disdain for Protestants. The roots of this animosity stretch far back in history.

The English first invaded Ireland in the twelfth century, which explains the recurring complaint in the book about "what the English did to us for eight hundred long years."

Protestants are associated with the English, as it was the Protestant forces of Oliver Cromwell in the seventeenth century, followed by the Protestant army of William of Orange in 1690, that subjugated the Catholic Irish.

Following years of struggle, most of Ireland achieved independence in 1922. This era in Irish history is closely linked to Eamon de Valera, who became the first president of the Irish Free State. In Angela's Ashes, Frank's father considers de Valera to be the greatest man in the world.

After 1922, the six predominantly Protestant northern counties of Ireland remained under British control. As a result, in Angela's Ashes, anyone from Northern Ireland, even a devout Catholic and Irish nationalist like Malachy McCourt, is viewed with suspicion.

Style

Angela's Ashes is narrated in the first person, with the exception of the initial section of chapter one, and is told in the present tense. This choice effectively captures the immediacy of the child's experiences and avoids the impression, which past tense might give, that the story is an adult reflecting on his childhood.

The language throughout is colloquial and earthy, frequently incorporating slang, Irish idioms, and vulgar expressions. These elements authentically represent how people spoke in Limerick during the author's youth. For instance, having a "fine fist" means possessing good handwriting, and to go "beyond the beyonds" means to behave outrageously.

Some terms may be unfamiliar to American readers: "gob" is slang for mouth, and "fags" refer to cigarettes. Calling someone an "eejit" is an insult, and the phrase "diddering omadhaun," used by a schoolmaster to describe a boy, is clearly not a compliment.

The Irish manner of speaking is evident in phrases like "That's a great leg for the dancing you have there, Frankie," a compliment on Frankie's dancing skills. Some expressions are more colorful. For example, Mrs. O'Connor, the dance teacher, tells Frankie to stop frowning "or you'll have a puss on you like a pound of tripe." Irish pronunciation appears in phrases like "fillum star" (film star), and there are occasional glimpses of what Frankie's father calls Limerick slumtalk, as in Uncle Pat's words, "That's me mug and don't be drinkin' your way oush of ish." The last three words mean "out of it."

An unusual stylistic choice is the absence of quotation marks for direct speech throughout the book, even during conversations. This may subtly remind readers that all dialogue is filtered through the child's perspective. It is always Frank who reports the speech, whether it is direct or indirect.

Tone

The tone of the book is often humorous, rarely descending into anger, despite the many reasons Frankie might have to be upset.
The humor is not only found in funny situations and events but also in young Frankie's attempts to understand the world around him. For example, when he is eleven or twelve, he discovers his parents' marriage certificate and learns they were married on March 28, 1930. This confuses him:

I was born on the nineteenth of August and Billy Campbell told me the father and mother have to be married nine months before there's a sign of a child. Here I am born into the world in half the time. That means I must be a miracle and I might grow up to be a saint with people celebrating the feast of St. Francis of Limerick.

As the book nears its conclusion, Frank's growing maturity brings about a compassionate tone, reflecting his increased awareness of others' hardships.

1930s: Limerick, Ireland, faces severe economic hardship, with significant areas of extreme poverty and high unemployment rates.

Today: Boosted by the rise in tourism and the high-tech industry, Limerick is thriving. "Combat poverty" groups have been established, funded by the European Union.

1930s: Tuberculosis is a leading cause of death in both Limerick and Ireland overall. The disease is widespread due to poor living conditions and widespread malnutrition.

Today: Medical advancements have transformed tuberculosis from a fatal disease into a curable one. In 1998, Ireland recorded 424 cases of tuberculosis, a significant drop from 640 cases in 1991.

1930s: Though Ireland is independent, it remains part of the British Commonwealth. When war erupts between Britain and Germany in 1939, Ireland stays neutral and eventually leaves the Commonwealth in 1948.

Today: Ireland and Britain enjoy friendly relations. Both governments collaborate to maintain peace in Northern Ireland and are members of the European Union.

Angela's Ashes has been released on audiotape, narrated by McCourt, in both abridged (1996) and unabridged (1997) editions, published by Simon and Schuster.

In 1999, Angela's Ashes was adapted into a film, directed by Alan Parker and featuring Robert Carlyle and Emily Watson.

Sources

Ascheron, Neal, “Ceremony of Innocence,” in New York Review of Books, Vol. XLIV, No. 12, July 17, 1997, pp. 24-26.

Atlas, James, “The Age of the Literary Memoir Is Now,” in New York Times Magazine, May 12, 1996, pp. 25-27.

Elson, John, “Reliving His Bad Eire Days,” in Time, Vol. 148, No. 15, September 23, 1996, p. 74.

Foster, R. F., “Tisn't: The Million-dollar Blarney of the McCourts,” in New Republic, November 1, 1999, p. 29.

Jones, Malcolm, Jr., Review in Newsweek, Vol. 128, No. 10, September 2, 1996, pp. 68-69.

Kakutani, Michiko, “Generous Memories of a Poor, Painful Childhood,” in New York Times, September 17, 1996.

Further Reading

Donoghue, Denis, “Some Day I'll Be in Out of the Rain,” in New York Times Book Review, September 15, 1996, p. 13. This review of Angela's Ashes includes Donoghue's reflections on his own upbringing in Ireland, which bear similarities to McCourt's experiences.

“Fighting Irish,” in National Review, October 26, 1998, p. 40.
This editorial discusses how the release of Angela's Ashes has sparked a renewed interest in Irish culture across America.

Hughes, Carolyn T., “Looking Forward to the Past: A Profile of Frank McCourt,” in Poet and Writers Magazine, Vol. 27, No. 5, September-October 1999, pp. 22-29.
This profile delves into the creation of Angela's Ashes and explores McCourt's perspectives on writing and teaching.

Sullivan, Robert, “The Seanachie,” in New York Times Magazine, September 1, 1996, pp. 24-27.
A seanachie is a traditional storyteller, and this profile highlights the wealth of personal anecdotes McCourt can share. He is portrayed as someone who finds humor even in the darkest situations.