The Irish grew up very differently than Americans. The boys are introduces to bad habits. "She plants the brown stuff in our nostrils and we sneeze so hard the women stop crying and laugh..." (McCourt 64). The Irish women were giving these innocent little boys snuff. In America that would have been looked down upon, but here Angela says nothing about it because that's just how life is. Even though life was hard in America, living in Ireland the McCourt boys were shown new habits and the extreme poverty that the world contains.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Q2 Outside Reading #3
Would life have been better for the McCourts, especially the young boys, had they stayed in America? I think life would have been all around if they had stayed where they were. Life in Ireland was even harder than their lives back in America, which were already pretty crappy. "That's less than four dollars in American money and how are we supposed to live on that?" (McCourt 63). In Ireland, Malachy was able to gets dole, only nineteen shillings. After they pay rent they will have practically no money left for coal, food and clothing. At least in America they had formed bonds with the grocers and were able to get food if they promised to pay them back. In Ireland that won't work.
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5 comments:
I just finished reading this section of the book and I agree with you. The habits and life skills these boys are learning in Ireland are not what kids should be learning. Although their life in America wasn't to good the McCourts still had food to eat and the kids weren't taking drugs! You did a great job of highlighting the important parts of this section, and leaving out the little boring details.
It does seem as if life isn't going as welll for the family as it had been in America. I'm suprised that the boy's mother doesn't step in and stop the boys from bad habbits. I wonder if they will ever move back to America? I think that is what would be best for them.
Wow, this was really surprising. It is interesting to see the differences between the two cultures. What are you saying/ do you think this says about ethics? That in America the people had better ethics at the time?
I think it's really interesting that the McCourts seem to be having a more difficult life in Ireland. I would think that if one was having a hard time in America it would be easier to get by in Ireland. America, to me at least, seems like a more competitive place where it would be harder to find a good job and keep it with so many people. I think the comparison of ethics, like with the snuff, is interesting. I don't normally compare countries in terms of ethics. I think the move to Ireland was probably a real eye opener for the McCourt family.
Wow this is a very interesting plot! You chose a very good quote to represent how bad off their lives were. Living on four dollars is basically impossible. You also brought up a good point when you said if they pay the rent, they will not be able to afford the other living esentials such as food, clothing etc. I was shocked when I read that the boys were introduced to snuff at such a young age. I don't know how that can be seen as "good" anywhere you go. I wonder if the boys will become addicted as they grow older.
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