Angela's Ashes: Societal Tensions and Not Fitting In

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Angela's Ashes: Societal Tensions and Not Fitting In

Action

He says nothing on the way home. He takes off his cap, sits by the fire and lights a Woodbine. Mam is smoking, too. Well, she says, is he going to be an altar boy? There's no room for him. Oh. She puffs on her Woodbine. I'll tell you what it is, she says. 'Tis class distinction. They don't want boys from lanes on the altar. They don't want the ones with scabby knees and hair sticking up. Oh, no, they want the nice boys with hair oil and new shoes that have fathers with suits and ties and steady jobs. That's what it is and 'tis hard to hold on to the Faith with the snobbery that's in it. Explanation: Frank worked hard to be an Altar Boy, however he was declined because he wasn't from a better neighborhood and was poor.

Imagery

The master says it's a glorious thing to die for the Faith and Dad says it's a glorious thing to die for Ireland and I wonder if there's anyone in the world who would like us to live. Explanation: Frank's growing up and is getting close to his first Communion. However he feels a disconnect from the zealousness of the church and patriotism of the Irish that he's around.

Point Of View

They ask our names and smile when we talk. They say, Lord above, would you listen to the little Yankees, and they wonder why Mam in her American coat would be looking for charity since there's hardly enough for the poor people of Limerick without Yanks coming over and taking the bread out of their mouths. Explanation: The poverty and suffering of Frank's family is viewed as less than others and his family is seen as less deserving because they are American

Hyperbole

Setting

There are people who don't talk to each other because their fathers were on opposite sides in the Civil War in 1922. If a man goes off and joins the English army his family might as well move to another part of Limerick where there are families with men in the English army. If anyone in your family was the least way friendly to the English in the last eight hundred years it will be brought up and thrown in your face and you might as well move to Dublin where no one cares. There are families that are ashamed of themselves because their forefathers gave up their religion for the sake of a bowl of Protestant soup during the Famine and those families are known ever after as soupers. It's a terrible thing to be a souper because you're doomed forever to the souper part of hell. Explanation: Societal tensions between families are sometimes caused by heritage and events that happened prior to the story (setting)

Exposition

Character

Brendan, Annie, Patsy, come in for the fried black puddin', the sizzlin' sausages and the lovely trifle soaked in the best of Spanish sherry. At times like this Mam tells us to stay inside. We have nothing but bread and tea and she doesn't want the tormenting neighbors to see us with our tongues hanging out, suffering over the lovely smells floating up and down the lane. She says 'tis easy to see they're not used to having anything the way they brag about everything. 'Tis a real low-class mind that will call out the door and tell the world what they're having for the supper. She says 'tis their way of getting a rise out of us because Dad is a foreigner from the North and he won't have anything to do with any of them. Explanation: Frank's neighbours are causing societal tensions by flaunting their newfound wealth whilst families such as Frank's are still living in poverty.

That's my son. That's my son on his First Communion day. He's going to see James Cagney. No he's not. Yes he is. Grandma said, Take him then to James Cagney and see if that will save his Presbyterian North of Ireland American soul. Go ahead. Explanation: The character of Grandma is one of a tough, stubborn Irish woman who is a devout catholic and highly opposed to protestants and Americans. Because of this, she is so against Frank, who was born in America and whose father is from Northern Ireland. She wants Frank to be a "true catholic" and for his soul to be saved, which causes societal tensions.

Tone

They hit you if you don't know why God made the world, if you don't know the patron saint of Limerick, if you can't recite the Apostles' Creed, if you can't add nineteen to forty-seven, if you can't subtract nineteen from forty-seven, if you don't know the chief towns and products of the thirty-two counties of Ireland, if you can't find Bulgaria on the wall map of the world that's blotted with spit, snot, and blobs of ink thrown by angry pupils expelled forever. They hit you if you can't say your name in Irish, if you can't say the Hail Mary in Irish, if you can't ask for the lavatory pass in Irish. It helps to listen to the big boys ahead of you. They can tell you about the master you have now, what he likes and what he hates. One master will hit you if you don't know that Eamon De Valera is the greatest man that ever lived. Another master will hit you if you don't know that Michael Collins was the greatest man that ever lived. Mr. Benson hates America and you have to remember to hate America or he'll hit you. Mr. O'Dea hates England and you have to remember to hate England or he'll hit you. If you ever say anything good about Oliver Cromwell they'll all hit you. Explanation: Frank feels like he doesn't belong because he doesn't know all of "irish" things deemed essential by his teachers. He's forced to copy other students in order to get by, and therefore he feels as though he doesn't belong. The characteristics of the teachers mean that Frank must change who he is to avoid abuse, and therefore doesn't belong and starts societal tensions

Personification

Malachy says, Ye, ye, and starts to giggle and I say, Ye, ye, and the twins say, Ye, ye, and we're laughing so hard we can hardly eat our bread. Grandma glares at us. What are ye laughin' at? There's nothin' to laugh at in this house. Ye better behave yeerselves before I go over to ye. She won't stop saying Ye, and now Malachy is helpless with laughter, spewing out his bread and tea, his face turning red. Dad says, Malachy and the rest of you, stop it. But Malachy can't, he goes on laughing till Dad says, Come over here. He rolls up Malachy's sleeve and raises his hand to slap his arm. Are you going to behave yourself? Malachy's eyes fill with tears and he nods, I will Explanation: Malachy just arrived in Limerick from America and isn't used to the way people talk. He's also a child around a group of tough adults, so when he makes fun of the way Grandma talks, she gets upset. This aspect of both Malachy's and Grandma's character show how he doesn't fit in

Colloquialisms