Frank McCourt's ‘Angela's Ashes’ Essay

he has to be hospitalized. His father Malachy leaves the family during World War II to work in a British factory with the intent of sending home his paycheck but while the families prosper around them from fathers working in England, Malachy never sent money home and the McCourts sink even deeper into poverty, now have to rely on public aid. Angela sometimes have to stand outside church begging for the remains of the priest's dinner. When she gets sick, Frank has to take care of his family and is forced to steal food and milk from outside Limerick's richer houses. Eventually, the McCourts get evicted after burning down one of the house's walls for fuel and are forced to move in with Angela's cousin, Laman Griffin, who is rude to Frank.
The night before his sixteenth birthday, Frank goes to South's Pub for his traditional first beer. Since his father is unavailable, Pa Keating accompanies him. The men in the bar toast to Frank, and as they discuss the WW II, Frank gets drunk. After leaving the bar, he feels bad and decides he must go to confession before he turns sixteen. However, he is sent away because he's drunk. At home, Frank gets into a fight with Angela, who prays that he won't end up a drunk like his father. He tells her he knows she's been sleeping with Laman and hits her when she tells him to watch his mouth. He feels bad because now he has another sin to confess, but rationalizes his behavior, telling himself that it's Angela's fault. The next day, he goes to the Franciscan Church. Father Gregory notices him crying and Frank tells him everything that's on his mind. The priest tells him that God has forgiven him and that now he has to forgive himself.
Frank beings working for Easons, delivering The Irish Times. Although it isn't allowed by the church and his boss to read the paper, Frank reads it anyways. He spent most of one day running around town tearing out an article on contraception, a topic banned by the Irish government. One of the delivery boys, Eamon, tells Frank that he should the torn out copies of the article on the streets of Limerick. He earns nine pounds, eight of which he puts in to his savings account for America, and he then buys food for his family. Angela gets a job caring for the wealthy Mr. Sliney, a friend of Mr. Timoney's. When Frank visits his mom at work he realizes she likes her new job. Frank continues working at Easons, riding the bike through, reading every chance he gets and dreaming of America. Frank delivers papers for three years while also writing for Mrs. Finucane. The day before he turns nineteen, she dies, and Frank steals the seventeen pounds he finds in her purse and another forty pounds from her trunk upstairs. After stealing from Mrs. Finucane he has enough money to go back to America.