Angelas Ashes :: essays research papers

The McCourt family leaves their apartment in Brooklyn to set sail for Ireland, leaving behind an apartment with indoor plumbing and the memory of a dead sister in hopes of finding a better life amongst â€Å"the poverty, the shiftless loquacious alcoholic father, the pious defeated mother moaning by the fire, pompous priests, and bullying schoolmasters† of Ireland. This tragic story is told from the point of view of a child, Frank McCourt, whose father is a driftless alcoholic and whose mother does moan by the fire. McCourt is able to use humor, irony, and point of view to make the tale of Angela’s Ashes one which will never be forgotten. The humor used throughout the novel breaks the tension of what would otherwise be a very depressing story. When confronted with fleas in the mattress of the bed, the father is instructed to by a man on the street to â€Å"confuse the little buggers† by turning the mattress upside down. Obviously, this is not going to rid the mattress of fleas, nor will it confuse them. The reader is aware of this, and the incident is humorous. Another example of humor that can be found in the novel occurs on the day of Frank’s first communion. He becomes sick and his communion wafer finds its way into his grandmother’s back yard. She then sends him to confession and instructs him to ask the priest what can be done to fix the problem. The big deal she makes about having â€Å"God in my back yard† is humorous to the reader, who knows that the communion wafer is not really God. Irony also plays a large role in keeping the story interesting. There is a poem that Mam recites to a neighbor about Ireland that states: â€Å"And Limerick town has no happier hearth than mine has been with my man from the North.† Pap is from the north and is of no use to the family. He does nothing to make them happy or to make life easier on them, so this poem does not work with the situation Mam is in. Another situation that may not be considered to be fortunate in these days is the wake. Wakes are considered to be good because there is food and warm shelter while one is mourning the dead. It is once commented that, â€Å"there is nothing like a wake for having a good time. Angelas Ashes :: essays research papers The McCourt family leaves their apartment in Brooklyn to set sail for Ireland, leaving behind an apartment with indoor plumbing and the memory of a dead sister in hopes of finding a better life amongst â€Å"the poverty, the shiftless loquacious alcoholic father, the pious defeated mother moaning by the fire, pompous priests, and bullying schoolmasters† of Ireland. This tragic story is told from the point of view of a child, Frank McCourt, whose father is a driftless alcoholic and whose mother does moan by the fire. McCourt is able to use humor, irony, and point of view to make the tale of Angela’s Ashes one which will never be forgotten. The humor used throughout the novel breaks the tension of what would otherwise be a very depressing story. When confronted with fleas in the mattress of the bed, the father is instructed to by a man on the street to â€Å"confuse the little buggers† by turning the mattress upside down. Obviously, this is not going to rid the mattress of fleas, nor will it confuse them. The reader is aware of this, and the incident is humorous. Another example of humor that can be found in the novel occurs on the day of Frank’s first communion. He becomes sick and his communion wafer finds its way into his grandmother’s back yard. She then sends him to confession and instructs him to ask the priest what can be done to fix the problem. The big deal she makes about having â€Å"God in my back yard† is humorous to the reader, who knows that the communion wafer is not really God. Irony also plays a large role in keeping the story interesting. There is a poem that Mam recites to a neighbor about Ireland that states: â€Å"And Limerick town has no happier hearth than mine has been with my man from the North.† Pap is from the north and is of no use to the family. He does nothing to make them happy or to make life easier on them, so this poem does not work with the situation Mam is in. Another situation that may not be considered to be fortunate in these days is the wake. Wakes are considered to be good because there is food and warm shelter while one is mourning the dead. It is once commented that, â€Å"there is nothing like a wake for having a good time.