Outside Reading- Post #2

One thing I need to correct from my last post was the relationship between Malachy and Angela. Although they were in love at one point and had a child, they didn't want to marry, but it was a forced marriage so they had to. Their life in Ireland is harder than they thought it would be. The whole family is still depressed about the death of Margaret. I found it was weird that the family thought they could escape the sadness of loosing a child by moving back to Ireland, and that they thought their lives would be better in Ireland. They didn't want to move at first but then Angela's family sends her money so that they can come "home" to Ireland. When they leave they know their leaving a life of freedom, yet they hope it will soon become better. I think this is a poor decision on their part because everyone is striving to move to America, they had a place to live and just enough food to get by, and they left it for a sceptical life. Once they're there they are not welcomed. In America everyone noticed they were Irish so they didn't fit-in, and now in Ireland they we're referred to as the Yanks so they didn't fit-in in Ireland. Malachy finally found a job that only payed 19 shillings which is worse than the pay he was receiving in America. The house they live in is crowded, and now their family of six was going to have to starve.

I really don't understand their move back to Ireland. They didn't have it that great in America, but it was the land of opportunity and almost all of the other immigrants were in the same situation. In addition if Malachy can't hold a job in the "land of opportunity" how is he going to hold a job in Ireland where money, food, and work is scarce. To make it worse Angela's family wasn't even nice them when they moved back to Ireland. I think the decision wasn't thought over enough and ultimately no one is liking the move so far, hopefully it will get better. This relates to what we were doing in class because JGC and Rawlins moved to Mexico to try and find a better life, but Angela's family was doing the opposite.


McCourt, Frank. Angela's Ashes. New York: touchstone, 1996.

Outside Reading- Post #1

The memoir I’m reading for outside reading this quarter is Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt. This book is about the life of a poor Irish family and their struggles through life. The family’s life is portrayed through Frank’s point of view. The story starts out with the move back to Ireland. The parents had met in New York, both as immigrants from Ireland. Once they met they fell in love and started a family. Their family consists of the mom, dad, frank, his brother Malachy, his twin brothers Oliver and Eugene, and his sister Margaret. They were all born in America, but soon after the twins were born the moved back to Ireland. Although Frank did have a sister, Margaret, she dies before the moved back to Ireland. After this Frank just describes how hard their life in Ireland was, growing up as a poor catholic boy.

After this first chapter of the book I already love it. Frank’s style of writing is so innovative and funny that you really feel as if he were there talking to you in person. I believe he also has a trade mark saying that he says, “Her arse”. He has said it multiple times already and I can’t wait to see if he continues to use this through the memoir. Already I would recommend this book to anyone in the class. I feel this is one of those books you just can’t put down. Hopefully the rest of the book is just as good as the beginning.

McCourt, Frank. Angela's Ashes. New York: touchstone, 1996.