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Angela`s Ashes
作者Author  /  Frank  McCourt  法蘭克麥考特

Angela’s Ashes

Frank McCourt

 Issue

 Background / Setting

 Characters

 Plot (in general)

 Related Reference & links

 

 Issue

 

Frank McCourt's memoir of his miserable childhood brought out some general issues:
1. Autobiography; genre of memoir
2. Father-Son/ Mother-Son Relationship
3. Irish-American immigration / American Dream
3. Irish Catholicism/ Nationalism
4. Brotherhood/ Catholic Church and Education
5. Alcoholism/ Unemployment in the 1930s-- its relation to the Great Depression

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 Background / Setting
  1. Tenement, Brooklyn, NYC, USA (1930)
2. Slum, Limerick, Ireland (1930s-1950s)
3. NYC, USA(1940s-1950s)

 

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 Characters of the McCourts
  Malachy McCourt: Frank's father
Angela McCourt : Frank's mother. Formerly Angela Sheehan
Frank McCourt : the eldest child of Malachy and Angela McCourt, the narrator of the story
Malachy McCourt: Frank's brother,one year younger than Frank
Margaret McCourt:Frank's sister, died in infancy in Brooklyn.
Michael McCourt :Frank's borother, six years younger than Frank
Eugene McCourt: Frank's younger brother, Oliver's twin, died of pneumonia at age two
Oliver McCourt :Frank's youngest brother and Eugene's twin,died of pneumonia at age two.
Alphie McCourt: the youngest of Frank's brothers; he is nine years old when Frank leaves for America.

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 Plots (in general)
  1. The origin of his family and relatives in NYC and Limerick; the way home to Limerick
2. The poverty of the McCourts in the slum of Limerick; the irresponsibility of father(alcohol and unemployment)
3. The McCourts' connection to the Catholic Church/ Brotherhood-- Frank's First Communion / His first visit to the cinema in the city
4. Frank's school days--Irish Dance Lessons-- Days in the cinema-- Serving as an altar boy in the church
5. Delivering newspaper for Uncle Pat; Peeping-tom; Illness of typhoid fever.
6. Angela's seeking helps from relatives and the brotherhood;
7. Assisting is neighbor John Hannon deliver coal; the departure of the Father--(Christmas);
moving to Uncle Griffin
8. Frank's leaving--School/moving to live with Uncle Pat
9. Frank's working days/working as an telegram boy; distributing newspaper; writing letters for Mrs. Finucane.
10. First beer with Uncle Pat; Hitting his Mother; Frank's Dream of Immigration to USA
11. Frank's leaving for New York.

"Angela's Ashes," in Nonfiction Classics for Students, Vol. 1, The Gale Group, 2001.

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 Related Reference& Links

 

1. Film Adaptation: Alan Parker's Angela's Ashes (1999)
2. An Online Guide to Angela's Ashes: The Limerick of Angela's Ashes
3. "Angela's Ashes," in Nonfiction Classics for Students, Vol. 1, The Gale Group, 2001.
4. Through Irish Eyes: A Visual Companion to Angela McCourt's Ireland. NY:Smithmark, 1998.

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