Blog Post Week 8 Jebediah Pritchard(responded to Ashley Dillon)
Everyone has a mother and a father, this is biology.
In Catholic Ireland at the time of the story, your parents
had to be married for you to be a legitimate child. If you were
conceived outside of the union of marriage, you are a bastard child.
Which is what Frank learns that he indeed is , a bastard child.
These vital lessons told to him by Mikey. Religious atonement, it seems
is the only way to prevent the soul in such a case from eternal damnation,
for as was posed at the time by the Catholics, a life in Limbo, a now defunct
idea within the hierarchy of Catholicism. The Catholics untimely admitted that they made up Limbo.
Rather like selling indulgences, as Frank can perhaps, through ritualistic purification
save his soul from Limbo and hell. This is a sick and depraved atmosphere for one to live.
An atmosphere of dark clouds of doom and fear, fear that will subside only with
proper adherence to Catholic Rites. It is really an atmosphere of damnation.
How does one stay positive in such an atmosphere?
Response to Ashley Dillon
There were a larger number of posts available in the capital(London) than in Erie. So
moving to England does make sense. I think that the dad does not send money back
because he disassociates , mentally and physically from his family. Frank's family has a
hard lot, this does not mean that Frank's dad has an easy on in England. It is hard to predict
what one would do in such a circumstance, saying that he was bad for doing X, must be viewed,
to a degree, within the context of the situation.
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Our final blog post has finally come! The chapters this week were very interesting, yet sad. As I read further into this book I grow happier with how I live in today’s world. This family is literally living in the worst conditions, and as food is so easy for us to get, the McCourt’s have to fight for a piece of bread. Not only them, but many other families are in similar situations. Angela has become so terribly desperate she puts Frank to work. Although Angela didn’t want to see her young son working, she knew that it had to be done. Frank really enjoyed working, and for once in his life felt proud because all the other boys at school were extremely jealous he was working at such a young age. His dreams of working there his whole life ended shortly. His conjunctivitis got worse, and his mother made him quit. I felt bad for Frank because he really enjoyed his job, and helping out his family.
ReplyDeleteThe McCourt’s are being evicted from their home because they haven’t paid rent in over a month. Not only did they forget rent, but they don’t have the money either. They become so poor that in order for them to heat their home they have to use the wood from their walls. This puts the landlord over the edge and their family is immediately kicked out. They move in with Angela’s cousin Gerard, but the house is a mess. Gerard seems to be a very big slob, and seems depressed about his mother’s death. Towards the end of chapter 12, grandma dies, same as Uncle Tom, and Malachy is sent off to the Army School of Music.
Response to Jebediah,
I agree with you in the fact that Ireland is a hard place to live in at the time. This family along with many others is in a terrible situation. I also thought it was funny when Mikey told Frank he was the "bastard child". It's cute how Frank handled that situtaion, and called it excitment.
This week’s reading of Angela’s Ashes, had, as always, a little bit of humor and a lot of sadness. Our little Frank is starting to grow up. Now, he is getting a little more interested in ‘exciting’ things. It is funny reading about this through a man’s perspective. Mr. Hannon is like the father figure that Frank won’t ever really have again because Malachy will go to England never to be seen her heard from again. Frank’s time with Hannon is one of the things I don’t think neither one of them will regret. Frank was the son Hannon never had. It is such a shame that frank and Mr. Hannon could have really gotten closer sooner, but then frank wouldn’t have been able to help him haul the coal everywhere. I am happy that the McCourt’s were able to finally get out of the house, even if it means giving up Italy. It was nice to see Angela’s mother actually help them for a change. I just wish she didn’t help them the way she did. Was there really no other place for them? Laman is not a good guy. I mean, yeah, he seems alright, they have food on the table and frank is able to go the library, but the making the McCourts have to climb up to his floor to clean up the room and chamber pot. Can’t they get a little sympathy form their own family? Oh right, I forgot, Malachy has a funny way to him. Should this still matter? He has left them. The McCourts never seem to catch a break. I am starting to wonder if they ever do.
ReplyDeleteIn last week’s blog, Ashley B commented that the teachers at Frank’s school were preaching labor jobs. I think this was done because the boys in that school are poor. The church only wanted the rich boys to become altar boys and whatnot; I think that this is no exception. It was okay if poor boys did the backbreaking work back then, but it was not okay for the richer kids to do this kind of work. It is prejudice based on money and class system which unfortunately we still find today.
All right last one of these! So much has happened in these chapters lately. Frank realizes that his father in not playing the role of “man of the house”. He and his mother both know that someone in needs to get a job to support the family. Although it seems like Angela does not want Frank to be put to work at such a young age, she does anyway. Frank gets a job delivering coal. Frank loves his job because it is said to be a “man’s job”. The working conditions are bad but that does not hold him back. All the other school boys are jealous of him and his cool job. After working for some time, Franks eye problem get worse and his mother forces him to quit. Frank finally felt good about supporting his family and earning money like a man, and now he had to stop. To make things worse, he had to leave his “father like figure” Mr. Hannon. Mr. Hannon was always really live to Frank and treated his as his own; for he never had a son of his own. Not much goes right for Frank in this book. Its saddening to see how misfortunate other peoples really are.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Ashley D, I am also glad we live in today’s time rather that the time period set in the book. Although our lives are rather easy and laid back compared to the McCourts, there is nothing new under the sun. Yes, our lives are easier and things are at easy access, but there are still types of family out there having the same struggles today. Its sad, because just like then, they are also turned down for help.
In this weeks reading, we see that Frank is becoming a man. He wants to be the man and prove to his mom and his classmates that he is mature and no longer just a little boy. He wants to be the man of the house and have those responsibilities, even though he already has had too many responsibilities at such a young age. Frank was asked to help Mr. Hannon deliver the coal, because his legs are bad and he is unable to do it all by himself. Frank learns how to carry the coal right and how to control the horse. He is very proud of himself when his schoolmates see him driving the horse after school, and they are, in turn, jealous of him. Angela is concerned for Frank’s health, because his eyes are getting worse form all the coal. When Mr. Hannon is unable to work anymore, Angela is happy that Frank’s eyes won’t get any worse, but Frank is mad that he will not be able to bring home any money and won’t be the man of the house anymore. At this time in the story, Mr. Hannon is like a father figure to him, and Frank is like a son to him. Malachy has abandoned his duties as a father, and Frank has steeped in for his family, and Mr. Hannon has stepped in for Frank himself.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Ashley Dillon;
I have to agree with Ashley when she says Laman is a bad guy, but I feel like it is a good trade off with Angela. She and her sons are living at his house, and are actually eating food. Cleaning the chamber pot is disgusting, but I feel like its an easy chore for her to do having paid no rent.
Leah Scabilloni
I wanted to respond to Ashley B's response because I agree with what she is saying. I am so lucky to have the life I do. Im lucky to have a good home, I have two successful parents who have provided a good home for us, and after reading this story and even the dubliners, it made me appreciate life so much. Even though we are living in a completely different world then they are, its hard to imagine what life could be like.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness we are done with blogs! I liked being able to reflect but sometimes I dont know what to say. It is sad that Malachy (dad) has completely abandoned his family, but I mean like I addressed in my previous response, he had a not so good situation. It was sad when Frank found out he was how Jebidiah put it a "bastard child". I dont think I would have wanted to know that. I wouldnt want to wonder if I was the cause of some of the bad things that happened in my family's life. Since so much has gone wrong in their life, all the deaths in the family, the eviction, Malachy leaving, the grandma dying, those are so many things that are hard to deal with, especially so young in a little boys life. I could never imagine living that way with so many things going wrong, and doubting my family. Which Frank I don’t think does, but I think these things made it hard to live in.
Alex Rhodes
As the story is unfolding Frank seems to be remembering less events in his life and is getting more bland with his explanations of the details of events that do happen. When he is working for Mr. Hannon, he really doesn’t describe him, he just says he’s older and has bed legs. Also then when he moves in with Laman, Frank doesn’t give one detail in describing him, or when they are living now. One would think that this is somewhat important information. Frank also seems to enjoy reading, but he gives no details about it. Not what he has read, or what topics he enjoys reading. Just he gets books form the library. All in all, to me at least it seems almost like Frank just wanted to get the book over with. I know it’s a hard life and all, but all we see are almost exclusively the sins or bad memories. I’m sure that something good happened in his life at one time as a kid. The only good thing that I can remember is when he won the soccer game. Poof that’s the end of that, never to be heard from again. I would personal like to know exactly what happened in his life, even if it would be boring, just to see all the stuff he did skip over to get the story moving better and be more entertaining.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Jebediah,
The Catholic religion at that time did have its faults, but it did provide some sort of guidelines for people to follow in that day and age, no matter how bad they were. Although we may disagree with them now, at the time we to probably would have been paralyzed by the teaching of the church. Even though Frank is a bastard child, he still keeps pushing on and trying to succeed. It seems that he alone is the only one not going around in a circle due to religion, or self pity.
-Jason Hallman
In responce to Ashley B:
ReplyDeleteI really agree with you when you said by reading this book it makes you happy to be living the life that you do now. I can not imagine how hard it must have been for a family, with no father, to have to find a way to survive each day. It must have been an awful feeling not knowing when or where your next meal would come from. That is something that I couldn't even wish on my worst enemy.
In the last few chapters we read for this week, Frank is becoming a young man. Along with the rest of the children in the family, he also has finally seen that his father is no good and can't be counted on. Frank takes it upon himself, as he has wanted for a long time, to become the man of the house and bring home the money for the family. I really respect him as a man for doing that and taking on such a huge responsibility at such a young age. At the same time I feel that he is being forced to grow up way to fast and is missing out on his childhood. Im very thankful my father was in my life as
I was growing up which in turn gave me a chance to experience and enjoy my younger years. This is something I feel no one should be stripped of because in a way in helps shape you into the person you will grow up to be. For Frank I feel like it was a bitter-sweet time because yes he got to earn money but at what spice? Im happy I know that it all worked out for him because if not I dont't think I would like this book as much as I do.
Posted By: Kris Braxton
We read chapters 11 and 12 this week in Angela’s Ashes, and we get to see Frank actually being a child for once. He starts a soccer team with his friends, which he seems to really enjoy being a part of. But, not long after that Frank starts working again, which in my opinion should never be expected of an eleven year-old. However, I was happy to see that Frank had such a positive relationship with his boss, Mr. Hannon. It probably helped him a lot during that time to have a sort of father figure since his biological father was not around and supporting the family. While it seems unfair for Frank to be working, I like that he decided at such a young age that he wanted to become a man who was not like his father. One topic we discussed in class this week was how admitted to changing some of the details from his real life when he wrote Angela’s Ashes. I believe his story just as much even though he made a disclaimer about his autobiography because it helps greatly to establish many of the characters in the reader’s mind when dialogue is provided. Obviously, the author could not remember the exact words from every conversation he included in his book, but it really adds depth and makes me feel more involved in the story and the characters’ lives while I am reading about them. In response to this week’s post by Ashley Dillon, I agree with you that the McCourt family can not seem to catch a break. It makes me feel so sad for the kids who had to grow up with a constant struggle for survival and normality. As soon as things seem to be going alright for them, something terrible happens. For instance, Malachy comes back to visit the family on Christmas, but I think deep down he feels ashamed of himself for not being supportive of his wife and children and helpless to stop drinking, so he make a conscious decision to never come back to them.
ReplyDeleteStephanie Iams
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ReplyDeleteThis week’s blog is the last one! I do enjoy reading what other people have to say, but I constantly feel like I’m being redundant with my posts after reading them. Oh well, here goes the last one.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, Malachy bailed out on his family, only this time he left for good. This left Frank, the oldest boy, as the man of the house, and as much as Angela hated to do it she sent him to earn the family’s money. To do this he worked for Mr. Hannon delivering coal. While Angela hated sending Frank to work, Frank loved it. Not only did he gain a responsible father figure, but he got positive attention from his schoolmates when they saw that he had a job. This didn’t last long though because he got sick with a serious eye infection from working with all the coal and had to quit working. With no money coming in, Angela’s family finally stepped up and decided to help out. While they now had a place to stay, food on the table, and no rent to pay, there was still a downside. The chores the Angela had to do were pretty bad, such as cleaning out the chamber pot, I don’t know if I’d be able to handle that.
-victoria hampton
In response to Xavier’s response to Ashley D, I agree with both that I am grateful that we live in today’s world, even though it has its fair share of problems. While the problems we have today aren’t exactly the same as the problems the McCourt’s were experiences, there are many similarities. We still have poverty, people are still starving, homeless, and don’t know if they’ll survive the next day.
ReplyDeleteThe past weeks readings made me realize how good we have it now. The living conditions the McCourts were in only kept getting worse and worse. Frank and the other children realize that their father, Malachy, does not live up to what he is supposed to and does not provide for his family. Malachy going away to England may not have been a bad thing. Now all the money the family would make does not go towards a drink at the pub. Angela realizes that the family is in need of money so she lets young Frank get a job. Frank works for Mr. Hannon moving coal. Angela later makes him quit the job because his conjunctivitis gets worse. The living conditions and the poverty get so bad for the McCourts that they are forced to use the wood from inside of the walls as firewood. The McCourts are evicted from their house because of this and not being able to pay the rent. Angela moves the family in with Gerard. In order to stay there Angela was given all of the chores that no one wanted to do.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad the blogs are finally done. Even though it was a good way to remember what went on in class during the week it is going to be nice to not have to remember to write one by every Sunday.
In response to Ashley B. I definitely agree that we have it good today. I don’t know how people went through what the McCourts went through. the living conditions were horrendous. I don’t know many people who could go through what Frank went through having to work like he did at such a young age.
Nick Romus
Last blog! So we see in this week's reading that little Frank isn't so little anymore, and he's starting to become a man fast. He takes his family's living situation of poverty and hunger into his own hands and helps Mr. Hannon move coal. The relationship between Frank and Mr.Hannon is special. He is a kind, old man and him and Frank hit it off right away. He becomes a sort of mentor and father figure. He tells Frank to go to school, someday move to America, and makes all Frank's friends envy him for having a real, "manly" job. After Frank's eye problem gets a lot worse, Angela forces him to quit and he's pretty disappointed. When Mrs. Hannon tell's Frank that her husband considered him to be almost like his own son, I completely understand why he cried. Frank's father has never been a big part of his life because he is so addicted to alcohol and that consumes so much of his life. Mr. Hannon and Frank bonded in a way that Frank should have bonded with his own father, and having been told that Mr. Hannon felt the same emotional bond that Frank did was extremely moving. Later, for Christmas Malachy Sr. returns home but as expected, he is late. He brings them a half eaten box of chocolate, which is no surpise that it's half eaten, because nothing he does is right.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Ashley Dillons post, I agree with what you said about Lamen. It's nice of him to offer them his home to stay in, but he knows how difficult the McCourt's have it. As family, he still treats them terribly. Whether or not Malachy Sr. has a funny way to him or not, family's family and he shouldn't treat him badly because of an odd manner.
For our last blog, we read chapters 11 and 12. To start, Frank secretly cuts up his mother's favorite red dress to make hearts for his soccer uniforms. It is alluded to later in the memoir that Frank will be caught red-handed for destroying his mother's most prized possession. During this time period, Frank is about eleven years old. He proceeds to start his first job by helping his neighbor, Mr. Hannon, deliver coal. When the coal dust starts affecting Frank's conjunctivitis, he must stop working. This upsets Frank because he likes providing money where his father is unwilling too. In chapter 12, Malachy returns from England for Christmas. He brings no wages and provides nothing to his family for the holiday except a half-eaten box of chocolates. After he leaves, the family is evicted for using a wall as fire wood. From here, the family moves in with Angela's cousin and their grandma dies. In their new living situation, they are fed better but they have to put up with Laman, an unattractive, inappropriate man. The lives of the McCourts are slowly unraveling.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Kris Braxton: I agree that though it is good that Frank McCourt held a job for a short period, it is sad that he was so young. He was working to be "the man in the family." LIke you, I feel very blessed that my parents held faithful jobs with a steady income.
At the beginning of chapter 11, Franks learns that he was born only 6 months after his parents had married. He had been taught that a couple had to be married 9 months before a childe could be conceived; this makes Frank wonder if he is a miracle child. With their father still in England, Frank begins working for Mr. Hannon carry bags of coal and assumes the role of the “man of the house”. However, his mother forces him to quit because his infected eyes are becoming worse because of the dust from the coal.
ReplyDeleteAs the story comes to a close, we see Angela’s children finally coming to the realization that their father may not be the father they thought he was. After Frank’s father returned home from England with nothing but a half-eaten box of chocolates, for the first time the children questioned their father and asked him if he drank the money. Frank and his siblings cause their father to realize that he will no longer be able to pretend to be the “good father” and with that he decides to go to London and leave Angela to raise the children. Angela is still sick and has no money, but she still allows those who have nowhere to stay a place to sleep on their floor and give them some food. Also, Michael cannot help but bring home sick dogs and poor old men. One freezing night, Angela decides to cut into the wooden support beam for their roof in order to burn it for heat. However, the landlord sees that the roof is beginning to collapse and evicts her and the children.
In response to Ashley Dillion, I agree that it is frustrating to see the McCourt family never catching a break from all their misfortunes. It seems as though sooner or later something good has to happen to them. Angela and her children are good people and they deserve relief from their poverty-stricken, miserable lives.
-Ashley Aquilino