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... The trials and tribulations that Frank had to go through to receive his first Holy Communion was an ordeal in itself. Now on his special day, his grandmother makes a spectacle out of him. But these problems were minor. Every child goes through embarrassing moments in their life, but Frank's problems with the Church continued. Frank never received the same opportunities that other children had.
On two different times, the Church slammed the door on Frank's face. We don't have room for him says Brother Murray and closes the door in our faces. Mam turns away from the door and it's a long silent walk home. She takes off her coat, makes tea, sits by the fire.
Listen to me she says. Are you listening? That's the second time the door was slammed in your face by the Church. (McCourt, Angela's 289) When it came down to Frank's reasoning, it was the physical Church to blame for all the hardships that the religion placed on the Irish people. The spirit of the religion never let Frank down. He always felt the guilt of his actions as any Irish Catholic boy would feel, myself included, but he knew deep down that God would forgive him. On one account in Frank's life before he goes on his own to America, he pours his heart out.
It was tough for him to express himself like he did, but a loving priest got him through it. I talk to St. Francis and tell him about Margaret, Oliver, Eugene, my father singing Roddy Mc Corley and bringing home no money, my father sending no money from England, Theresa and the green sofa, my terrible sins on Carrigogunnell, why couldn't they hang Hermann Goering for what he did to the little children with shoes scattered around concentration camps, the Christian Brother who closed the door in my face, the time they wouldn't let me be and alter boy, my small brother Michael walking up the lane with the broken shoe clacking, my bad eyes that I' ashamed of, the Jesuit Brother who slammed the door in my face, the tears in Mam's eyes when I slapped her. (McCourt, Angela's 344) The Catholic Church was an incredible source in his life. Although the presence of the church was not always what Frank wanted, it was a part of his life. The church shaped the way Frank is today. His writing shows that he believes in a loving God, and the cruelties of the Church allow him to write openly and satirically about his experience.
Frank McCourt had some strong influences in his life, but none of those influences were as strong as his family life. Frank's father was an important character in his life. Although Malachy Sr. was not the best father in the world, he gave Frank some great literary qualities. Kakutani says that Malachy Sr. "Bequeaths to Frankie two things: a childhood of awful, bone-chilling poverty and a magical gift for storytelling" (Kakutani 150). Many people would argue that Malachy was the worst father a child could have.
His actions as a father and provider for a family left much to be desired. Many nights he would come home stumbling drunk. Singing his Irish songs and demanding that the children give up their lives for Ireland. He could never hold down a job because of his alcoholic habits and the money he did make went towards the drink. In the novel, a young Frank comments about his fathers weakness and how it affect his whole family: She's in bed with the baby. Malachy and Michael are up in Italy asleep.
I know I don't have to tell Mam anything, that soon when the pubs close he " ll be home singing and offering us a penny to die for Ireland and it will be different now because it's bad enough to drink the dole or wages but a man that drinks the money for a new baby is gone beyond the beyond's as my mother would say. (McCourt, Angela's 186) There were times when Malachy would come through for his children. These occasions were not very often but important in Frank's life. In an interview with People Magazine, Frank said, "I had moments with my father that were exquisite-the stories he told me about CuChulian, the mythological Irish warrior, are still magical to me. If it hadn't been for the alcoholism, he would have been the perfect father" (People 84).
The stories and brief moments of love between Frank and his father ended up to be some of the most important moments in Frank's life. They shaped his creative and inquisitive thinking, which gave him the foundation essential to becoming a great writer. The stories of CuCulian allowed Frank to expand his imagination and think about what kept him interested in his father's words. His loving mother Angela was a solid foundation for his upbringing. Although she had to go through some compromising situations to keep her family together, she always made sure her children would be OK.
After Frankie was denied acceptance into the high school, she wanted to make sure he would keep his pride. "Her face tightens and she is angry. You are never to let anybody slam the door in your face again. Do you here me?" (McCourt, Angela's 290). She kept the family together despite all the torment Malachy Sr. put them through. Frank's family life was not happy but Frank gained something very valuable through his pain.
Frank gained experience. By the time Frank was six he had suffered more than many had in a lifetime. His family life shaped the way he views the world. It shaped the way Frank looks at people today and back when he was a child. His childhood gave him the experiences necessary to become a masterful writer. It was through his suffering that he received so much character and skill.
Frank McCourt today is a product of his exceptional upbringing. In concern with his attitude towards his childhood literary critic Kakutani writes, "There is not a trace of bitterness in Angela's Ashes, though there is plenty a less generous writer might well be judgmental about" (Kakutani 150). It was Frank's harsh childhood that gave him the skills to work hard for what he wanted. Throughout the novel, a young Frank is constantly saving money to go to America. He worked hard for that money for many years. He knew that no one would give him a free ride, so he worked.
It was this same work ethic that got him into the New York University. Frank never did graduate from high school, but he read a lot. By serving time in the U. S. Military, Frank thought he would receive some benefits.
In an interview with Frank McCourt titled "Turning Points", Frank talks about how his strong desire got him to where he wanted to go. "I knocked on the door at NYU. They admitted me on a year's probation. After all, hadn't I done my bit for America by serving two years as a GI in the glorious Bavarian Alps?" (McCourt, "Turning" 37). This statement sounds just like the one Frank's father gave to the IRA official in Ireland.
The impact of Frank's family on his life was very strong. It took a while for Frank to come to terms with his childhood. Frank didn't want his mother to know about all his childhood sins. This is the reason why Frank did not come out with his story until his mother died.
In a story from Reader's Digest Frank talks about the reason he waited on writing the novel. "Before it was out of respect for his mother, who would have been mortified to see the darkest and most searing episodes of his childhood in print. But she had died in 1981, and with her had died his excuse" (Dimmitt 66). The unprecedented amount of respect he had for his mother held back the story that millions of people were dying to read. The success of Angela's ashes was astronomical. After years of teaching English in a couple of New York schools, Frank realized that his life and literary education would not have been complete without that period in his life. In an interview with Newsweek, McCourt said, "Whatever I discovered about myself, I discovered in New York, reading, talking to kids, getting a sense of accomplishment from being a teacher" (Jones 70).
It was through his own teaching that he refined his already achieved literary skills. He needed to find the right way to express himself in the novel. He had tried to write a draft of the novel years before he was a teacher, but it was a mess. Then he realized that he was not capturing the right angle for his story.
The tale did not work for Frank McCourt the adult. It was meant to be told through the honest and genuine eyes of a child. In an interview McCourt told McNamara, "I couldn't have written this book fifteen years ago because I was carrying a lot of baggage around and I had attitudes and these attitudes had to be softened. The child started to speak in this book.
And that was the only way to do it, without judging" (McNamara 300). The true sign of a good writer is one who never stops learning. Frank learned from his students just as much as they learned from him. Today Frank McCourt is working on his next book titled Tis in the comfort of retirement. There is no doubt that is will be as good as his last. Due to the roots of his childhood, Frank has more stories to tell than a hundred men put together.
For it was through Frank McCourt's experiences with his country, religion and family that gave him his literary skills. Bibliography: Works Cited McCourt, Frank. Angela's Ashes. New York: Scribner, 1996. McCourt, Frank. "The Power of Wall Street. " Worth. Nov. 1998: 110.
Hubbard, Kim. "Frank McCourt. " People Weekly. 29 Dec. 1997: 82 - 84. Jones, Malcolm. "The Arts. " Newsweek. 25 Aug. 1997: 67 - 70. McCourt, Frank. "Turning Points. " Commonweal. 21 May 1997: 37 - 41. Dimmitt, Barbara Sande. "The Education of Frank McCourt. " Reader's Digest Nov. 1997: 63 - 69.
Hunter, Jeffery, et al. , Eds. Contemporary Literary Criticisms 109. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Research, 1997. Donoghue, Denis. "Some Day I'll Be Out of the Rain. " Contemporary Literary Criticisms. Eds.
Jeffery Hunter, et al. Farm Hills, MI: Gale Research, 1997. 148. Jones, Malcolm. "Hard Luck, Good Tales. " Contemporary Literary Criticisms. Eds. Jeffery Hunter, et al. Farm Hills MI: Gale Research, 1997. 147.
Kakutani, Michiko. "Generous Memories of a Poor, Painful Childhood. " Contemporary Literary Criticisms. Eds. Jeffery Hunter, et al. Farm Hills, MI: Gale Research, 1997. 150. Peacock, Scott. Contemporary Authors.
Detroit: Gale Research, 1997. McNamara, Devon "Christian Science Monitor. " Contemporary Authors. Eds. Scott Peacock, et al. Detroit: Gale Research, 1997. 300.
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