Review of Angela’s Ashes
By Jamie, Shane, Meredith, and Erin
All Frank McCourt ever wanted to do was grow up and have a normal life like every other child. This was one dream that Frank would never see come true. He is forced to constantly beg and plea for food from other people because his father cannot keep a job, and he believes that he has too much pride to be begging for food. Frank McCourt tells what it is like growing up in Ireland and living in poverty in the book Angela’s Ashes.
Even though Frank’s dream will never come true, all is not lost because he doesn’t have to go through the hard times by himself. Frank has five other brothers and sisters. Through out the story you come to realize how close Frank is with his younger brother, Malachy McCourt. Together these two work together to help their family out in their time of need.
One of the biggest problems through out the book is poverty. It wasn’t just the McCourt family that had money problems. There were many families that struggled to find jobs for their fathers, and make enough money for them to live on. While reading you learn some of the history of what the families had to go through in order to survive.
One major problem that has arrived now in the year 2002, is that many of the people who lived in Limerick, the city where Frank grow up, are saying that Frank has lied about what it was like living in Limerick. They believe that the living conditions weren’t actually that bad, and that Frank made some of the stuff up.
While reading this book you can’t help but become emotional, and feel sorry for the McCourt family. One can only wonder just how frightening it must have been for the kids to go through life having to beg and plead for food, and getting made fun of because their shoes were so worn-out. The emotional aspect of the book keeps you from putting it down. It makes you want to continue to read so you can figure out what will happen next.
Poverty, the fight to survive, the ups and downs, and remorse- Angela’s Ashes tells a story containing all of these things and many more. Reading this book will bring many emotional and sorrowful feelings to you. It will force you to ask yourself, just how bad do I have it. It will make you grateful for everything you have.