Angela's Ashes

"Through our sunless lanes creeps Poverty with her hungry eyes, and Sin with his sodden face follows close behind her. Misery wakes us in the morning and Shame sits with us at night."
- Oscar Wilde

This quote can be applied to Angela's Ashes for it represents the every day life that the McCourt family faces. The days are sunless, rain always seems to make life miserable. With this comes the feeling of being wet, never able to keep dry. Poverty burdens the family greatly and hits them at their weak points. They have to move from place to place just to try and survive. They must rely on themselves for their family is not reliable. The mother begs with the children for food from local grocery stores. They walk along the streets in hope to find coal to burn and keep warm. Salvage any material that maybe flammable such as cardboard and paper. Also receive welfare from the Labour exchange. The father has to much pride though and won't sink that low. He would rather watch his children starve than beg for food. He has no morals and no sympathy for his family as he drinks away his weekly wages. Downing himself with alcohol, the "black stuff" only to make matters worse. A sin, a drunkard, a waste, a man who engulfs himself with selfish drinks. The family awakes every morning to the voice of their father. Singing songs about Kevin Barry and other rebel fighters. Life is miserable and the mother has to fear everyday for her children's safety. She wonders will they starve today? Will her husband become a man today and bring home the wages? Or will he waste the money in alcohol? Once again the days are damp and the father places all the blame on the River Shannon. He claims it is not his fault that they suffer, that their children are being killed one by one becuase of the river. He is embarrassed of their situation though but does little to fix it. The mother brings home a pig's head on Christmas because that was all they could afford. They are beggars and can't be choosers. But he is shameful that they must eat the pig's head and that they did not have a goose or a ham. This quote represented the aspects of the McCourt's daily lives. They suffered in poverty as the father sinfully wasted the money away. Misery and shame was to be found everywhere.