Angela's Ashes

 

Map

 

 

Characters

Pa McCourt- Malachy McCourt Senior, known as "Pa", was the father of Frankie, Alphonsus, Michael, Oliver, Eugene, Malachy Jr., and Margaret McCourt. He was the husband of Angela Sheehan, and he was an alcoholic. Throughout the memoir, Malachy Sr.'s drinking problems are mentioned. He was often seen in bars, drinking away the relief money, leaving nothing for the family. There was a time when he tried to stop drinking. During the seven weeks that Margaret was born, Malachy Sr. tried to give up drinking. He loved his daughter very much, perhaps more than his sons. However, when Margaret was taken from the world, Malachy was destroyed. He returned to the bars and drank away. The interesting thing is, Pa McCourt is not really a factor in his children's growth and childhood. He is mentioned a lot, but he presents no role model of any sort for his children. The only time he is ever put in a good light (after Margaret's death) is when he comes to check on Frankie during Frankie's time in the hospital. His children don't respect him, not even taking a single penny from him when he offers it, because they understand that he has abandoned his family.

 

Frankie McCourt-The author of the book who writes about his memories of poverty and sorrow of his family. Born in Brooklyn, he was the oldest of all of his siblings, and was constantly gaining more responsibility throughout the book. Frank was the son of Angela Sheehan and Malachy McCourt (Senior). Frank moved to Limerick and was top of his classes throughout grade school. He was very observant towards the blunders in his society, different personalities and relationships amongst neighbors and family members, and very conscientious of the church (i.e. sinning). Throughout the book, readers' watch as Franks' interests shift from school and family toward women and (at one stage) alcohol. When his father, Malachy, left the house, Frank was responsible for earning money to support the family. Frank McCourt was ambitious and considered his fathers' alcoholism/laziness the enemy. He went to church to confess for his sins constantly throughout the book, but started to lighten up and criticize the Church more as his story progressed. Angela's Ashes is written in Frank's perspective and shows the true suffering of himself and the people he's surrounded by.

 

Angela Sheehan - mother of Frank and his siblings. Angela is a very caring mother, and always puts the need of her children ahead of her own needs. She is not always loving in an obvious way, but definitely tries the best she can at all times. She goes through many struggles, such as the death of three children and having an alcoholic husband, and she is often not in good spirits. She tries never to beg so she doesn't make her children too aware of their struggles, even though they are poor, but there are times when there is no other option. She is a very hard worker and tries her hardest to make the best of bad situations.

 

Margaret: Everyone loved and adored her. She was Frank's beautiful baby sister who was always the center of attension. While Margaret was alive, Malachy (the father) stopped drinking and provided for his family. Her death (at a very young age) flung Angela into depression and caused Malachy to return to his alcoholic state; Frank was forced to "help" take care of his youger brothers.

 

Malachy- Malachy is named after his father. He is Franks younger brother by one year and is the brother who Frank spends the most time with. Malachy gets himself and Frank out of some bad situations by useing his stunning good looks.

 

Oliver- born in Brooklyn. Twin to Eugene. Nickname Ollie. Moves to Limerick and dies at 2 from a fever. Has a strong connection with Eugene. For Ollie and Eugene: sugar water instead of milk, rags for diapers.

 

Eugene- born in Brooklyn. Twin to Oliver. Nickname Genie. Also dies at the age of 2 in Limerick of pneumonia. After Ollie's death, he was very sad, always looking out the window for his twin. :(

Michael- Born in Limerick, Michael is the second youngest brother of Frank. WhenTheresa

Carmody- Frank ran away to Uncle Pa's house, Michael was the first of the family to move in withFrank.

Alphie

 

Uncle Pat- Uncle Pat is Angela's brother, and everyone calls him Ab Sheehan. He was droppped on his head as a child by his father, and grew up mentally unsound. He is, however, gifted with an extraordinary ability to count money. He loves to sing the song "Road to Rasheen", although it isn't the same song twice.

 

Aunt Aggie - Aunt Aggie is Frank's tough and stern aunt on his mother's side. Although she is strict on her family, she truly loves them. Her love shows when she comes through for her family during hard times, such as when she buys brand new clothes for Frank's new job as a telegram boy.

Pa Keating - Pa works at a blacksmith, and as a result constantly has a layer or two of black soot over him. He looks out for the children and his philosophy of life inspires Frankie; he doesn't 'give a fiddler's fart' about what anyone else thinks about him. He's an experienced drinker and is married to Aunt Aggie.

 

Mrs. Leibowitz - Mrs. Leibowitz was a Jewish woman who lived down the hallway from the McCourt's in New York. She helped Frank take care of his younger brothers after Margaret died when Mrs. McCourt went into a depression state and Mr. McCourt returned to drinking. She fed them and her son befriended Malachy.

 

Minnie MacAdorey

 

Mr. Dimino

 

Paddy Clohessy-Paddy is a school friend of Frank who becomes one of his good friends. When Frank and Paddy get denied lunch from Fintan Slattery they decide to skip school to get food. They go and steal apples and other food from a nearby orchard. Frank gets in trouble for skipping school. Eventually Paddy goes to England to earn a lot of money for his family.

Question Quigley - Brendan Quigley was one of Frank's young classmates. Quigley had a habit of always asking pestering questions, which gave him the nickname "Question Quigley." Truthfully, he was just a curious student misunderstood by the strict and cruel teachers of the early 1900's . Their teaching styles were to be stern with the students, taking away all forms of creativity, and just memorize, memorize, memorize. It is totally understandable that Quigley did not connect with the teaching styles of his time.

 

Bridey Hannon

 

Bill Galvin

 

Mrs. O'Conner

 

Cyril Benson

 

Mr. O'Neil

 

Fintan Slattery- He invited Frank and Paddy over for lunch from school one day, however did not feed them, when he did have enough food to do so.  He just ate his sandwich his mom made for him  right in front of the other two boys and did not even offer them a piece of bread.  Then, he went back to school, while Frank and Paddy skipped the rest of the day, walking the streets and trespassing on other people's prperty looking for food.

 

Mr. Timoney

 

Mickey Spellacy

 

Peter Dooley

 

Mikey Molloy - Mikey is a schoolboy at Leamy's school and is a year older than Frankie.  He is cross-eyed and often has "fits".  These "fits" are probably the symptoms of epilepsy.  Because of his epilepsy, Mikey cannot swallow the Communion wafer, so he is not a proper Catholic.  Therefore, he figures he has nothing to lose and has become the boys' source of Dirty Things in General.

 

Mr. O'Halloran - He taught sixth class and was the principal at Leamy's National School. Rather than reprimanding children for asking questions, he encouraged them. He also encouraged the children to learn as much as they would so they could get out of Ireland when they grew up. He thought that Frank had potential, and suggested that he continue his education at the Christian Brothers' School.

 

Finn the Horse

 

Patricia Madigan - Frank meets Patricia in the hopistal room and they become close friends. She keeps him company and they talkthrough the partition even though the hospital doesn't allow conversing. She doesn't have long to live and dies soons due to the consumption. She helps Frank discover Shakespeare after giving him a book on Enlgish history and he falls in love with Shakespeare's literature

 

Kathleen O'Connell

 

Mr. Coffey and Mr. Kane

 

Guard Dennehy

 

Mr. Hannon

 

Peter Molloy

 

Billy Campbell

 

Laman Griffin- Angela's cousin who Anglea, Frank and the family go to live with when they are evicted from their home. Frank suspects that Laman and Angela are havings relations and he becomes upset. Frank cleans Laman's chamber pot sohe can borrow his bike to go on a trip. When it comes to the day to go on the trip, he forgets to change the chamber pot and Laman does not give him the bike. As a result, Frank leaves for good.

 

Mrs. Purcell

 

Miiss O'Riordan

 

Miss Barry

 

Toby Mackey

 

Theresa Carmody -Theresa Carmody- Frank experiences a short relationship with her, where sexual activity takes place, before she dies

 

Mr. Harrington

 

Mrs. Finucane- During the mid-20th century in many small towns around the world, there was normally someone who made their money off of loaning people money and getting paid interest. Mrs. Finucane was the money loaner in Limerick and Frank began to work for her, helping her to write threatening letters. Despite his mother telling him that whoever was writing the letters should go to hell, he continued anyway in order to collect money for his eventual move to America. Near the end of the novel, Mrs. Finucane dies and Frank steals most of her money and throws away her debt book.

 

Mr. McCaffrey

 

Father Gregory - A Franciscan priest who finds Frank in front of the staue of St.Francis, crying. Father Gregory shows compassion to Frank and listens to his worries. He prays for Frank and tells him that God forgives him and that he has to forgive himself. He tells him that God loves him and that he must love himself for only when he loves God in himself can he love all God's creatures. He blesses Frank and Frank leaves, feeling as if a heavy burden has been lifted off his shoulders.

 

Mr. Sliney

 

Frieda- She has a small where sexual affair with Frank at a party when he arrives in America.

 

Seamus- The big-hearted janitor at the hospital that Frank stays at. They first meet when Frank comes down with typhoid fever. Seamus helps him to communicate with Patricia, a diptheria patient. They later meet again when Frank develops conjunctivitis. While he is recovering, Seamus reads him poetry. He eventually moves his family to England for a better lifestyle.

 

 

Quotes

"There's nothing worse in the world than to owe and be beholden to anyone" page 23

 

Literary Terms

Memoir

Coming of Age

Comic relief

Dialect

Irony

Onomatopoeia

 

Internet Sites

A web site that gives a tour of Frank McCourt's Limmerick .1

 

References

1.http://homepages.iol.ie/%7Eavondoyl/angelas1.htm - Ireland on Line - The Limerick of Angela's Ashes activity takes place, before she dies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Theresa Carmody- Frank experiences a short relationship with her, where sexual activity takes place, before she dies