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.
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5 comments:
I agree with you that the family's move to Ireland is confusing. I mean, I suppose they would want to be with other family members in Ireland and they were sent money, but besides that, what is the pull? I think you're right in thinking that they are just trying to escape the death of Margaret, which I don't think they will be able to do.
I like how you share your opinions so openly. I agree, they shouldn't move back to Ireland, but some people gotta do what they gotta do. Immigration books always are interesting because the characters have to go through so much just to get a better life in AMERICA, where some people don't enjoy their lives already. GRRRRRRRREAT JOB PAIGE
I can not imagine living like that with the agony of a child death on top of the hard life in Ireland. I agree with you that it may not have been the best decision for the family, but the way you described it it seems like they had no choice. I think you have done a good job of letting us know what is happening but i would try using more quotes from the book; such as Angela actually saying how uncomfortable it was for her. :)
I think this is a very common thing for people to associate the past with safety, so that when they are struggling, the only thing they know to do is go back to what once was. In this case the family's move back to Ireland shows that they found security in their old life even though their ideas may be a bit too rosy. This association between safety and the past could probably be tested with our own peers today. For instance, if someone was given the option of braving a new school next year, or getting the chance to repeat a year of their life at the same school, my guess would be that many people would choose to experience what they know they have already survived.
I thought teh relationship betceen Malachy and Angela was wack and I also agree that it was wierd how they thought a move back to Ireland woul ease the pain of losing a child. I hated the aunts as they set up the trip back to Ireland and were responsible for the setup of the forced marriage. I like your opinions and how you write because we see your emotion and feeling come through all your descriptions. Very nice work Paige.
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