Q2 Outside Reading #2

The beginning really goes into detail on Frank's life.He and his brothers spend most of their days at the park across the street. His mother is always taking care of Margaret, his little sister, and doesn't have time for him and his brothers. They go to the park to play and are yelled at if they come back before she tells them. We also see another side of Frank; he beats up his neighbor, Freddie. Before this I always thought of him as a scrawny, pathetic little boy but here he is beating up kids. Another tragedy hits them and Margaret dies. Margaret had brought many good changes to the family- Malachy had stopped drinking and the family got along better. Once she died, Malachy was gone for days drinking and Angela lost it mentally. She spent her days laying in bed not talking. Angela's cousins come and help her out and end up shipping her off to Ireland with her family.

The family arrives in Ireland with practically nothing and no money. They go to Malachy's parents house in Northern Ireland and spent the night, but his parents don't want them staying. Then they travel to Dublin to see if Malachy can collect his money he's owed for having served in teh army. They won't give him the money and so they are stranded. Finally they make it to Angela's mother's house. It's very crowded there and her mom makes it clear they aren't very welcomed.

Outside Reading Post #1

I am reading the book Angela's Ashes. It's a memoir of Frank McCourt, a little Irish boy that grew up in poverty. His life was a constant struggle. Frank's life was harder than it would have been had his parents not been forced into their marriage. The McCourt's grew up in a poor neighborhood. Because his father was a drunk, his siblings and he suffered. His father, Malachy, was never able to hold a job. Angela questions, "Are you coming home so that we can have a bit of supper or will it be  midnight  with no money in your pocket...?" (McCourt 26). When Malachy knocked Angela up, he was not prepared to be a father or husband. He was constantly drunk and knew he wouldn't be able to support his family. Angela's cousins forced him to marry her when she could have done better. She could have married someone else who held a steady job and would bring his wages home. Malachy spent all his wages in the pubs and as a consequence his family never had enough food to eat or even clothes to wear. 

He also suffers because his mother is weak. She's not physically weak, but emotionally. Angela grew up poor in Limerick, Ireland, and traveled to America in hopes of a better life. Angela's cousins chides, "That's what you get for being such a fool" (McCourt 19). Angela hooked up with Malachy right after arriving in New York. She let the excitement of being in a new city, being around new people, and being free from her old life, influence her to do something rash. She ended up paying for it dearly and it affected her children too.  Angela resented being tied down to a drunk and having five children on top of it. She was never really a caring, loving mother that young children need. Had Frank grown up with a mother that truly cared for him, he would not have been so self-conscience. Both his parents made poor ethical choices; he drank himself stupid and she was too weak to say no.