In Frank McCourtÃÂs incredible and poignant memoir "AngelaÃÂs Ashes" McCourt explains, with a bit of a cynical sense of humor, how the childhood of an Irish Catholic is one of the most, if not the most, difficult childhoods for a person to live through. But goes on to say that difficult doesnÃÂt necessarily mean bad in every way, because ÃÂ...the happy childhood is hardly worth your whileÃÂ (McCourt 11). As indescribably miserable and problematic as FrankÃÂs childhood is the fact that he is forced into being his houseÃÂs ÃÂfather figure,ÃÂ always has a lot to aspire to and the fact that he is surrounded by seemingly failed lives in Limerick, Ireland all help him escape that lifestyle and grow up to be an amazingly successful adult.
With his father Malachy always out drinking away the money he earns at work (when he has a job) Frank is forced to be the father figure in the McCourt household and even to his own father at times while also learning strength and ability through independence.
A childhood as unhappy as McCourtÃÂs, however, is so rich in the sense that he always has a lot to look forward to; dreaming and aspiring to any life that is not his. Frank only sees failed lives of people who gave up or just became ÃÂsafeshotsÃÂ as Pa Keating calls them (McCourt 335). Frank was able to take this in and use it as fuel for his dreams. Similarly, while Malachy was away and drinking, Frank had many other ÃÂfathersÃÂ to look after him such as his Uncle Pa Keating, Mr. OÃÂHalloran, Mr. Timoney and Mr. Hannon. Uncle Pa Keating told Frank ÃÂÃÂTis your life, make your own decisions and to hell with the begrudgers,ÃÂ (McCourt 335) while Mr. Hannon said to go to school...
Thanks!
Well done I really need this for class tomorrow. Thanks for including quotes too!
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