Student Question
What is the conflict in "Angela's Ashes"?
Quick answer:
The conflict in "Angela's Ashes" revolves around Frank McCourt's mother, Angela, struggling to keep her children fed while dealing with her husband, a semi-functional alcoholic who squanders his earnings. Angela faces poverty and relies on charity for survival, as her family refuses to help due to their disapproval of her husband. This ongoing struggle against poverty and familial disappointment forms the core conflict of the narrative.
The main ongoing conflict in Frank McCourt's novel Angela's Ashes is his mother's ongoing battle to keep her children from starving while her husband, McCourt's father, a semi-functional alcoholic, bounces from job to job and drinks away every cent of his paycheck on those rare occasions when he actually gets one. McCourt frequently mentions drinking tea out of jelly jars, and eating bread as their only meals. Angela had a sister and mother who refused to help her, because they disapproved of her husband, and she often went begging to charity organizations as her only means of survival.
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