Malachy McCourt Sr. grew in northern Ireland where he fought for the Irish Republican Army. However, his tenure with the army came to an abrupt end due to an undisclosed crime he committed for which a bounty was placed on his head. With little options left he escaped to America. When Frank’s mother Angela met his father he had just served three months in jail for stealing a truck. Not long after, he impregnated her and ended up being coerced by her sisters into marriage. With the impending pressure of marriage, he plotted to leave to California but, ends up spending his train fare at a pub.
Early on the author gives a glimpse into Malachy as a character by displaying his lack of moral values and tendency to avoid responsibility. This combined …show more content…
His son Frank still looks at him with a positive light. When Frank recalls his childhood, he fondly remembers his father’s lively imagination, songs, and folktales. This internal battle of struggling to reconcile his love for his father and deal with the repercussions of his drinking habit tears Frank apart on the inside. While describing his father’s actions Frank says, “I know when Dad does the bad thing. I know when he drinks the dole money and Mum is desperate and has to beg ... but I don't want to back away from him and run to Mum” (McCourt 163). This quote clearly shows the respect Frank has for his father although, he does not deserve it. In addition it displays how Frank unconditionally loves his father and cherishes the time they spend together. When Malachy drinks, the other children in the family do not want to interact with him. The author uses this quote to place emphasis on how the children are forced to choose between their …show more content…
Despite the fact that his father is a burden to the family and an alcoholic., Frank still loves him. This profound ability to accept someone for who they, says a lot about Frank as a person. Although his father uses alcohol as a coping mechanism, an escape from reality, a way of dealing with the losing hand fate has handed him. Frank chooses to adopt a more optimistic mindset, that there are better days ahead. This memoir shows that the apple can fall far from the
Early on the author gives a glimpse into Malachy as a character by displaying his lack of moral values and tendency to avoid responsibility. This combined …show more content…
His son Frank still looks at him with a positive light. When Frank recalls his childhood, he fondly remembers his father’s lively imagination, songs, and folktales. This internal battle of struggling to reconcile his love for his father and deal with the repercussions of his drinking habit tears Frank apart on the inside. While describing his father’s actions Frank says, “I know when Dad does the bad thing. I know when he drinks the dole money and Mum is desperate and has to beg ... but I don't want to back away from him and run to Mum” (McCourt 163). This quote clearly shows the respect Frank has for his father although, he does not deserve it. In addition it displays how Frank unconditionally loves his father and cherishes the time they spend together. When Malachy drinks, the other children in the family do not want to interact with him. The author uses this quote to place emphasis on how the children are forced to choose between their …show more content…
Despite the fact that his father is a burden to the family and an alcoholic., Frank still loves him. This profound ability to accept someone for who they, says a lot about Frank as a person. Although his father uses alcohol as a coping mechanism, an escape from reality, a way of dealing with the losing hand fate has handed him. Frank chooses to adopt a more optimistic mindset, that there are better days ahead. This memoir shows that the apple can fall far from the