Angela's Ashes

Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 1996

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-3

Chapters 4-6

Chapters 7-9

Chapters 10-11

Chapters 12-13

Chapters 14-15

Chapters 16-19

Key Figures

Themes

Index of Terms

Important Quotes

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Themes

Catholics Versus Protestants

A complicated history of dueling religious traditions has existed in Ireland for generations. By the time Ireland gained its independence in 1922, the northern part of the island—what is now the country of Northern Ireland—was split between English “loyalists” and Irish “republicans.” These groups were largely divided along religious lines, with the republicans mostly Catholics of Irish descent and the loyalists mostly Protestants descended from English settlers. The territory of Northern Ireland has therefore been contested, with many Irish republicans across the island viewing it as a natural territory of Ireland. There was also a long history of discrimination against Catholics by the Protestant, English-affiliated stakeholders of Northern Ireland.

Angela’s Ashes takes place after Ireland became independent, but these religious, political, and territorial divisions remain largely unresolved and—to the residents of Limerick—painful. Open bias against those they consider adversaries is therefore commonplace. Comments such as “It is said there were no fleas in ancient Ireland, that they were brought in be the English to drive us out of our wits entirely, an’ I wouldn’t put it past the English” (60) demonstrate an everlasting weariness of the English. This suspicion, contempt, and even derision extend to anyone considered Protestant, even if (as with Malachy) the person is not. The fact that Malachy fought for the IRA and is a devout Catholic who always carries a picture of the pope does not seem to matter to the residents of Limerick, who focus only on his Northern Irish accent in a classic case of guilt by association. Malachy has difficulty finding work as it is, but his origins make it nearly impossible: “Bosses and foremen always show him respect and say they’re ready to hire him, but when he opens his mouth and they hear the North of Ireland accent, they take a Limerickman instead” (94). Clearly discrimination is a fact of life for Malachy and others like him.

Frank’s own experience with the English is mostly indirect until he comes face to face with Mr. Harrington, the grieving Englishman who accuses Frank of desecrating the corpse of his Irish wife. Frank reacts to Mr. Harrington’s behavior and his vile insults with bewilderment. The experience with Harrington validates all that he has heard about how sneaky, ruthless, and evil the English are, whether the stories were based in fact or not. Harrington’s condescension also highlights an average Englishman’s view of the Irish, and it is not a very appealing characterization. Coupled with Frank’s reinforced antipathy toward the English, this constitutes the exact kind of cycle that led to the “Troubles” throughout Northern Ireland for much of the last half of the 20th century.

Coming of Age

Angela’s Ashes is a coming-of-age story about a young man’s childhood experiences in the slums of Limerick at a time when poverty was rampant in both the city and the country in general. The narrative often centers on Frank’s desire to make sense of the world around him. As Frank becomes older and the book enters its second half, he begins to realize that much of what he learned in his youth was fiction. For example, when Angela becomes pregnant, Malachy explains to Frank that her pregnancy is the work of an angel that lives on the seventh step. His innocence is shattered when he later learns the truth of how babies are born. This kind of transformation from innocence to experience is at the heart of the book.

There are more serious and consequential truths than where babies come from. The ugly confrontation with Laman Griffin and the way Angela tries to make up with him provides Frank a lesson in what desperation can reduce people to. It is a critical moment, because Angela’s actions in the loft with Laman expose a flaw in Angela that up to this point, Frank could not have possibly comprehended. His response is to scorn her. In the confrontation with Laman, Frank has learned how to exercise his own agency and stand up for himself. This is an important moment in his transition from childhood into adulthood.

For much of the book, Frank’s ambitions are meager and limited to what he thinks someone of his social class could attain. When he helps Mr. Hannon deliver coal, he romanticizes the job as something noble even though the long-term side effects of such employment are unmistakable in the form of Mr. Hannon’s ill health. However, to Frank, it is a means by which he might be able to one day escape the circumstances brought about by his family’s poverty. Having a job, however humble, also allows him to feel superior to his father, who is always in and out of employment. As the book approaches its final chapters, however, Frank’s ambitions grow, and he soon sets the goal of moving to America. As he matures, he instinctively realizes that there is a world of opportunity out there, and his journey to America is the culmination of his coming-of-age arc.

The Cycle of Alcoholism

Malachy’s alcoholism is an unavoidable element in the story and gives the book much of its sad tone. He can’t resist the temptation to drink, even as his family’s circumstances depend on him not spending his wages. There are numerous times throughout the book when the family becomes relieved or even hopeful because Malachy has a new job, and in each of these moments there is the sense that the family’s bad luck will change. However, he never lasts much past his third week; his ability to stay sober lasts only about that long. As each disappointment adds up, it seems more and more inevitable that Malachy will revert to drinking away his wages.

Malachy’s drinking also taints, degrades, or ruins some of the major events in his life. Frank’s baptism is an example. The priest yells at Malachy for being drunk, and the serious occasion turns into a laughingstock with Frank dropped into the font. On another occasion Malachy places a pint glass on top of his son’s empty coffin as though it’s a bar table. His actions are such that it becomes increasingly difficult to feel sympathy for him, especially after he leaves to pursue work in England and does not return.

For much of the book, it is as though Malachy’s dissatisfaction with his life feeds his drinking. He is certainly not prepared to become a father and it is implied that he is intoxicated when he first has sex with Angela, resulting in Frank’s conception. Malachy’s designs of sneaking away to California and leaving Angela a single mother are further proof of his lack of preparation, but he is unable to carry out this plan because he drinks away his travel money. This captures the basic cycle of Frank’s alcoholism: The poor decisions he has made in his life under the influence of alcohol create further misery, which provides further justification for drinking.