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Angelas Ashes

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Angelas Ashes
Angela’s Ashes Chapter Summaries
Chapter 1

Chapter one begins with the Frank McCourt looking back on his childhood that he refers to as a miserable Irish Catholic childhood. He begins with summering how his parents Malachy and Angela met in Brooklyn, New York. Both were decents from Ireland. From the start it is clear Malachy McCourt is a troubled man with just getting out jail for hijacking a car and also is suffering with alcoholism. Chapter one focuses on reminding the reader how serious a problem Malachys addiction to alcohol is. He isn’t able to support his family because majority of his money earned buys alcohol and he comes home drunk each night. The most serious incident affecting the family do to his drinking problem is the death of Angela’s baby girl Margaret. She dies from malnutrition being mostly fed on water with sugar. After her death Frank disappears for two days on a cigarette run. However when he returns home he smells of alcohol. By the end of this chapter the family is a catastrophic state with the baby’s death Angela has fallen into depression, Malachy and Frankie are left to care for the twins and there is no money.

Chapter 2

In chapter two the McCourt family travels back to Ireland to Malachy and Angela’s parents. When arriving to Franks father’s parents in Antrin, Northern Ireland they are greeted by Grandpa who is civilized to Angela but not overly friendly unlike Grandma who barely acknowledges her presence. Frank’s father is hoping to find a job in Ireland however Grandma tell him that it is difficult in Ireland too and he is better off going to the IRA to receive money for his service. However they have no record of his service. This is just the beginning of the hardship the McCourt’s faced upon their arrival. By the end of the chapter both the twins have died and now Angela is even more set in a neurotic state with the death of her three children and husbands drinking addiction. At the end of the chapter

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