McCourt wrote this memoir for his high school students to help the younger generation understand the era that he grew up in, help them realize that the storm will pass, and to not pity oneself. “When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I survived at all… and the terrible things they did to use for eight hundred long years.” This quote is the start of the novel, and sets the tone for the rest of the book. Not only does this quote foreshadow the rest of the book, it defines McCourt. The dark humor contrasts with his miserable childhood, yet it does not illustrate self-pity. Angela’s Ashes demonstrates the damning effects of religion, alcoholism, as well as poverty. The tone throughout the book changes as McCourt grows up. At the beginning of the book the tone is very child-like, as well as naive, however as McCourt get older the tone gets more
McCourt wrote this memoir for his high school students to help the younger generation understand the era that he grew up in, help them realize that the storm will pass, and to not pity oneself. “When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I survived at all… and the terrible things they did to use for eight hundred long years.” This quote is the start of the novel, and sets the tone for the rest of the book. Not only does this quote foreshadow the rest of the book, it defines McCourt. The dark humor contrasts with his miserable childhood, yet it does not illustrate self-pity. Angela’s Ashes demonstrates the damning effects of religion, alcoholism, as well as poverty. The tone throughout the book changes as McCourt grows up. At the beginning of the book the tone is very child-like, as well as naive, however as McCourt get older the tone gets more