Angela's Ashes Dysfunctional Family Essay

What is a dysfunctional family? A dysfunctional family is one that does not fulfil the basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter to live a normal life. In addition, psychological and emotional needs such as support, security and love are not met. In the riveting film Angela’s Ashes, issues such as abandonment, alcoholism, starvation, anxiety and death that further adds to the overwhelming stress that the McCourt family already has to deal with. Although at some points in the movie, the McCourt family members make an effort to comfort each other when crying or uncomfortable, they are unable to effectively satisfy their hungry and distraught children due to lack of resources as well as money. Furthermore, they are also unable to care for themselves or others in society as many of their neighbours, such as Mrs. Liebowitz barely earns enough money to support herself.
Despite being labelled as a dysfunctional family, it was evident that in the McCourt family, there was still an undertone of love and affection. Parents always try to the best of their abilities and resources to provide a comfortable lifestyle for their children and …show more content…
This leaves her with no option but to live that miserable life, just for her children and keep the family together. However, Angela is a tower of strength, keeping her marriage and family intact while enduring her husband’s alcoholism, the deaths of three of her children and the shame of needing to beg for handouts from aid charities such as the St. Vincent De Paul Society. Despite all this, she is not self-pitying and always considers her children and their welfare above all else. Therefore, Angela shows a great amount of sacrifice and courage as well as an incredibly high level of tolerance in order to keep her family intact and surviving under very difficult