1. An introduction to Angela’s Ashes: A Memoir
By Frank McCourt

2. Overview of Slideshow Frank McCourt Bio Historical Background
Main Characters/themes
Genre
This unit

3. Frank McCourt Born in NYC in 1930 NYC to Ireland, back to NYC @ 19
High School English teacher
Pulitzer Prize 1997 for Angela’s Ashes

4. Frank McCourt’s books Angela’s Ashes -1996 T’is - 1999
Teacher Man – 2005
Brother Malachy McCourt also wrote book A Monk Swimming

5. A Brief history of Irish/British conflict
1500s Britain conquered Ireland
Years of discrimination against Catholics, Irish Landowners lost land.
Easter Rising
Armed Rebellion by IRA
Irish Civil War

6. A Brief history of Irish/British conflict
Civil War begun after Michael Collins accepts British terms
Ireland split - Northern Protestant and Southern Catholic

7. Setting Brooklyn, New York Limerick, Ireland Strong Catholic history
depths of The Great Depression

8. McCourt Family Angela, Malachy Frank Malachy Jr.
Eugene, Oliver, Margaret, Michael, Alphie

9. Frank’s father Malachy
From County Antrim, Ulster, Northern Ireland.
Majority are Presbyterian as it had links to Scotland
Malachy was a member of IRA
Nationalist
Often sang of Roddy McCorley, a protestant nationalist who also came from County Antrim.
Alcoholic
Had a ‘peculiar manner’
A storyteller

10. Frank’s mother Angela
The book is named after her action of staring into the ashes
She is from Limerick
Sacrificial and loving mother who does all she can to provide for her family

11. Key Themes
Coping with adversity – poverty, bereavement, hunger, an alcoholic father
Class and religious prejudice
Guilt
The power of stories and storytelling

12. Genre Angela’s Ashes: A Memoir Non-fiction. i.e. NOT a novel!
A memoir = type of autobiography where author records events and people that shaped his life
This memoir focuses on Frank McCourt’s childhood in 1930s-40s Ireland

13. In this unit… You need to have read book by week 2
Close analysis of passages
Journal writing – responses
Background / context study
Chapter summaries
Watch the film of Angela’s Ashes
Analysis of major characters, setting
Group presentation on theme and symbols
Essay writing practice
Further resources on wiki