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* AwfulWeddedLife: Angela and Malachy only married because they conceived Frank during a one-night stand, and are constantly plagued by Malachy's drinking, inability to hold a job, their resultant poverty, and their disapproving families. While the pace of children entering the family suggests they were, uh, happy ''enough'' in their [[InsatiableNewlyweds earlier years]], Frank describes them as constantly unhappy and stressed until Malachy finally gave up and abandoned the family when Frank was eleven. The film gives them a couple of softer moments, but they still appear to be overall resentful and unhappy.
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* SocialServicesDoesNotExist: Malachy Sr. is an alcoholic who can't hold a job, Angela has a few bouts of depression that leave her all but bedridden, and by about age ten eldest child Frank is stealing food to feed the family - and even though he confesses to a priest and is hospitalized twice, no intervention is made. {{Justified}} in that this was the height of the Great Depression in a particularly impoverished Irish town, some families were even worse off than the [=McCourts=], and assuming there had been some kind of intervention, Frank and his siblings would have likely wound up in an even grimmer orphanage situation.
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* ThereAreNoTherapists: Quite literally - Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in the United States in 1935, but there were no major programs in Ireland for chronic alcoholism, save for hospitalization - which would have not only been extremely unpalatable to the whimsical Malachy Sr, but would have likely put the family into even worse financial straits.
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Tweaked punctuation on prev. edit
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* HalfBreedDiscrimination: An example involving not ethnicities but nationalities: part of the abuse and neglect that Frank and his siblings get from their mother's family is because their father is from Northern Ireland. Angela's sister Aggie refuses to take in Oliver for this reason.
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* HalfBreedDiscrimination: An example involving not ethnicities but nationalities: part nationalities. Part of the abuse and neglect that Frank and his siblings get from their mother's family is because their father is from Northern Ireland. Angela's sister Aggie refuses to take in Oliver for this reason.
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The entry for "Half-Breed Discrimination" was written in a way that implies that Northern Ireland is not a different nationality from Ireland (it is), and was generally incredulous about the idea that such a distinction could ever engender hatred (it's been a well-established dynamic in Ireland/UK relations for a very long time).
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* HalfBreedDiscrimination: An odd example, not involving ethnicities or nationalities (as Frank is fully Irish), but of ''cities''. Part of the abuse and neglect that Frank and his siblings get from their mother's family is because their father is from Northern Ireland. Apparently having a father from the North makes you worthy of burning in Hell. For good measure, Angela's sister Aggie refuses to take in Oliver for this reason.
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* HalfBreedDiscrimination: An odd example, not example involving not ethnicities or nationalities (as Frank is fully Irish), but of ''cities''. Part nationalities: part of the abuse and neglect that Frank and his siblings get from their mother's family is because their father is from Northern Ireland. Apparently having a father from the North makes you worthy of burning in Hell. For good measure, Angela's sister Aggie refuses to take in Oliver for this reason.
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* CelebrityLie: Frank convinces his uncle Pat that he was punched by boxer, Joe Louis.
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* CelebrityLie: Frank convinces his uncle Pat that he was punched by boxer, boxer Joe Louis.
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** Theresa Carmody.
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** Theresa Carmody.Carmody, who suffers from a terminal case of tuberculosis.
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* OutWithABang: Frank hears that girls who have contracted tuberculosis have increased sex drives, wanting to experience sex before they die. He sleeps with Theresa Carmody and she dies shortly afterwards.
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* OutWithABang: Frank hears that girls who have contracted tuberculosis have increased sex drives, [[MustNotDieAVirgin wanting to experience sex before they die.die]]. He sleeps with Theresa Carmody and she dies shortly afterwards.
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* CreatorInJoke: In interviews, author Frank [=McCourt=] often joked that ''Angela's Ashes'' (which ends with a chapter consisting of a single word: "'Tis") and its sequel '''Tis'' (which ends with the [=McCourt=] children scattering their late mother Angela's ashes) really should have had their titles reversed.
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* DeathOfAChild: Many of Frank's siblings.
** His sister, Margaret, dies in New York shortly after being born.
** His three year old twin brothers, Oliver and Eugene, who die within a few months of each other.
** His sister, Margaret, dies in New York shortly after being born.
** His three year old twin brothers, Oliver and Eugene, who die within a few months of each other.
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* InfantImmortality: Harshly averted with many of Frank's siblings.
** His sister, Margaret, dies in New York shortly after being born.
** His three year old twin brothers, Oliver and Eugene, who die within a few months of each other.
** His sister, Margaret, dies in New York shortly after being born.
** His three year old twin brothers, Oliver and Eugene, who die within a few months of each other.
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* IllGirl: Theresa Carmody.
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* IllGirl: IllGirl:
** Theresa Carmody.
** Theresa Carmody.
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* NunTooHoly: The nuns at the hospital where Frank is under care for typhoid fever are anything ''but'' compassionate. Think more along the lines of SternNun, only they're nurses instead of teachers.
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* NunTooHoly: NunTooHoly:
** The nuns at the hospital where Frank is under care for typhoid fever are anything ''but'' compassionate. Think more along the lines of SternNun, only they're nurses instead of teachers.
** The nuns at the hospital where Frank is under care for typhoid fever are anything ''but'' compassionate. Think more along the lines of SternNun, only they're nurses instead of teachers.
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* ParentalMarriageVeto: Angela's mother does not approve of Malachy Sr because he is not from Limerick.
** Worse than that, it's because he is from [[UsefulNotes/NorthernIreland Northern]] [[UsefulNotes/TheTroubles Ireland]] and they constantly accuse him of being a Presbyterian, even though he and his family in the North are devout Catholics.
** Worse than that, it's because he is from [[UsefulNotes/NorthernIreland Northern]] [[UsefulNotes/TheTroubles Ireland]] and they constantly accuse him of being a Presbyterian, even though he and his family in the North are devout Catholics.
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* ParentalMarriageVeto: Angela's mother does not approve of Malachy Sr because he is not from Limerick.
**Limerick. Worse than that, it's because he is from [[UsefulNotes/NorthernIreland Northern]] [[UsefulNotes/TheTroubles Ireland]] and they constantly accuse him of being a Presbyterian, even though he and his family in the North are devout Catholics.
**
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It was adapted into a 1999 film, directed by Alan Parker and starring Creator/RobertCarlyle as Malachy Sr and Creator/EmilyWatson as Angela.
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It was adapted into a 1999 film, directed by Alan Parker Creator/AlanParker and starring Creator/RobertCarlyle as Malachy Sr and Creator/EmilyWatson as Angela.
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* SlobsVersusSnobs
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* SlobsVersusSnobs SlobsVersusSnobs: The only people in the book with any financial stability seem to be people like the lecherous, gluttonous, greedy Laman Griffin, or the well-off clients Frank sees on his delivery route who shun him because of his obvious poverty. But once you get a look at the harsh reality of poverty, you get the feeling that it wouldn't matter if you had to be a Slob or a Snob, just as long as you weren't starving.
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* BarefootPoverty: Narrowly avoided by the [=McCourt=] children, whose father manages to repair their shoes with pieces of old tire. The mockery they get from other kids at school leads Frank to wonder if it might be better to go barefoot, since there are plenty of barefoot pupils who don't get made fun of.
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* CampingACrapper
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* ChildhoodBrainDamage;
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* ChildhoodBrainDamage;ChildhoodBrainDamage:
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* {{Confessional}}: Frank goes to Confessional for the sin of 'regurgitating God' into his backyard, as he had eaten too much from his First Communion meal and threw up because of it. He's given penance but is then sent back to the confessional by his granny to ask how to clean it up. Upon returning with the answer of 'Water', he is sent back by his granny, again, to know if they are to use normal water or Holy water to clean up the mess. The Priest, frustrated, tells him normal water and to leave him alone.
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* {{Confessional}}: The family being Catholic, there are several memorable scenes of confessionals:
** Frank goes to Confessional for the sin of 'regurgitating God' into his backyard, as he had eaten too much from his First Communion meal and threw up because of it. He's given penance but is then sent back to the confessional by his granny to ask how to clean it up. Upon returning with the answer of 'Water', he is sent back by his granny, again, to know if they are to use normal water or Holy water to clean up the mess. The Priest, frustrated, tells him normal water and to leave himalone.alone.
** When Malachy Sr stops providing for the family and his wife has a complete mental collapse, ten-year-old Frank takes it upon himself to feed his starving siblings by stealing food. Naturally his conscience gets to him and he confesses his theft to a priest, who asks him why he did it. [[FromTheMouthsOfBabes Frank innocently spills out the full extent of his family's desperate circumstances.]] The stunned priest, realizing he is in the presence of a suffering child, confesses that he himself feels constant guilt from pretending he is holier than people who are doing their best to survive, a lesson Frank is too young to understand. Finally the priest lets Frank go but begs him to pray for him.
** Frank goes to Confessional for the sin of 'regurgitating God' into his backyard, as he had eaten too much from his First Communion meal and threw up because of it. He's given penance but is then sent back to the confessional by his granny to ask how to clean it up. Upon returning with the answer of 'Water', he is sent back by his granny, again, to know if they are to use normal water or Holy water to clean up the mess. The Priest, frustrated, tells him normal water and to leave him
** When Malachy Sr stops providing for the family and his wife has a complete mental collapse, ten-year-old Frank takes it upon himself to feed his starving siblings by stealing food. Naturally his conscience gets to him and he confesses his theft to a priest, who asks him why he did it. [[FromTheMouthsOfBabes Frank innocently spills out the full extent of his family's desperate circumstances.]] The stunned priest, realizing he is in the presence of a suffering child, confesses that he himself feels constant guilt from pretending he is holier than people who are doing their best to survive, a lesson Frank is too young to understand. Finally the priest lets Frank go but begs him to pray for him.
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* DaddysGirl: A tragic example; in the beginning of the book a daughter, Margaret is born to the family. The normally alcoholic Malachy Sr dedicates himself to his daughter. A week later his daughter dies, sending Malachy Sr back to the bottle in grief.
* DisappearedDad;
* DisappearedDad;
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* DaddysGirl: A tragic example; in the beginning of the book a daughter, Margaret Margaret, is born to the family. The normally alcoholic Malachy Sr dedicates himself to his daughter. A week later his daughter dies, sending Malachy Sr back to the bottle in grief.
*DisappearedDad;DisappearedDad:
*
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* EarnYourHappyEnding
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* EarnYourHappyEndingEarnYourHappyEnding: After setback after setback, Frank must leave his family behind to save himself. It's sort of a happy ending, if you ignore the part where he's painfully aware that he's just left his younger brother Malachy to take on the role of provider to their mother and three other starving, impoverished children.
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* TheFreelanceShameSquad: The other kids immediately notice and mock Frank's shoes.
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* TheFreelanceShameSquad: The other kids immediately notice and mock Frank's shoes.shoes, which his father has resoled with rubber from car tires.
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* MiseryLit
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* MiseryLitMiseryLit: The memoir emerged just as the "Misery Lit" moniker became applied to this kind of literature, and lord, does it qualify. On the first page, the author himself proclaims it a tale of a "miserable childhood."
* PromotedToParent: Arguably deconstructed. When both the [=McCourt=] parents stop providing for their children, Frank takes it upon himself to feed his starving brothers by any means necessary...but it's made clear that Frank himself is only a child who barely understands how to take care of himself, much less anyone else.
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** Surprisingly, it may be a [[SubvertedTrope subversion]]. Except Mr O'Halloran, all the teachers beat children because this is how school was at the time. However, when Frank and Malachy Jr arrive and are mocked for their holey shoes, Mr Benson yells at the pupils making fun, saying that they shouldn't laugh at other people's misfortunes.
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** Surprisingly, it may be a [[SubvertedTrope subversion]]. Except Mr O'Halloran, all the teachers beat children because this is how school was at the time. However, when Frank and Malachy Jr arrive and are mocked for their holey makeshift shoes, Mr Benson yells at berates the pupils other children for making fun, saying that fun of those less fortunate.
--->'''Mr Benson''': There are boys here who have to mend their shoes whatever way theyshouldn't laugh can. There are boys in this class with no shoes at other people's misfortunes.all. It's not their fault and it's no shame.
--->'''Mr Benson''': There are boys here who have to mend their shoes whatever way they
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* TheNeedless: Malachy Sr. claims to be able to survive off tea and says that food is a shock to his system.
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* DisappearedDad: Malachy Sr finds work in England and eventually stops visiting or sending money to the family.
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* DisappearedDad: DisappearedDad;
** Angela never met her father because he ran off to Australia before she was born.
** Malachy Sr finds work in England and eventually stops visiting or sending money to the family.
** Angela never met her father because he ran off to Australia before she was born.
** Malachy Sr finds work in England and eventually stops visiting or sending money to the family.
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* AdaptationalAttractiveness: The book describes Malachy Senior as having thinning hair and crumbling teeth.
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* AdaptationalAttractiveness: The book describes Malachy Senior as having thinning hair and crumbling collapsing teeth.
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* AdaptationalAttractiveness: The book describes Malachy Senior as having thinning hair and crumbling teeth.
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* ChildhoodBrainDamage: Angela's brother and Frank's uncle Pat, who is slow-minded and is said to have been "dropped on the head" as a baby.
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* ChildhoodBrainDamage: ChildhoodBrainDamage;
** Angela's brother and Frank's uncle Pat, who is slow-minded and is said to have been "dropped on the head" as a baby.
** In the book, Malachy Sr's mother claims he's peculiar because he was dropped as a baby.
** Angela's brother and Frank's uncle Pat, who is slow-minded and is said to have been "dropped on the head" as a baby.
** In the book, Malachy Sr's mother claims he's peculiar because he was dropped as a baby.
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* HalfBreedDiscrimination: An odd example, not involving ethnicities or nationalities (as Frank is fully Irish), but of ''cities''. Part of the abuse and neglect that Frank and his siblings get from their mother's family is because their father is from Northern Ireland. Apparently having a father from the North makes you worthy of burning in Hell. For good measure, Angela's sister Aggie refuses to take in Oliver for this reason.
-->'''Aggie''': I don't want anything of Angela's. I don't want anything that's half-Limerick half-North of Ireland!
-->'''Aggie''': I don't want anything of Angela's. I don't want anything that's half-Limerick half-North of Ireland!
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* AlliterativeTitle: '''A'''ngela's '''A'''shes
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How To Write An Example - Don't Write Reviews
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** Surprisingly, it may be a [[SubvertedTrope subversion]]. Except Mr O'Halloran, all the teachers beat children because this is how school was at the time. However, when Frank and Malachy Jr arrive and are mocked for their holey shoes, [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming Mr Benson yells at the pupils making fun, saying that they shouldn't laugh at other people's misfortunes.]]
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** Surprisingly, it may be a [[SubvertedTrope subversion]]. Except Mr O'Halloran, all the teachers beat children because this is how school was at the time. However, when Frank and Malachy Jr arrive and are mocked for their holey shoes, [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming Mr Benson yells at the pupils making fun, saying that they shouldn't laugh at other people's misfortunes.]]
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* AnimatedAdaptation: In 2017, ''Brown Bag Films'' made a half hour prequel called ''Angela's Chrostmas''. About a child Angela stealing a baby Jesus statue so she can keep it warm.
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* AnimatedAdaptation: In 2017, ''Brown Bag Films'' made a half hour prequel called ''Angela's Chrostmas''.Christmas''. About a child Angela stealing a baby Jesus statue so she can keep it warm.
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* AnimatedAdaptation: In 2017, ''Brown Bag Films'' made a half hour prequel called ''Angela's Chrostmas''. About a child Angela stealing a baby Jesus statue so she can keep it warm.
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* AssShove: Pa Keating tells the kids that during the war, he shoved a pipe his arse and charged the other soldiers money to heat their water with his farts.
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* CoolUncle: Pa Keating is great with the children and cheers them up with his tall tales.
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* TheFunInFuneral: During a child's funeral, Pa entertains the kids with funny war stories. His wife chastises him but her usually grumpy mother says it's better than sitting with long faces.
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* BasedOnAGreatBigLie: Limerick residents have accused McCourt of exaggerating his poverty and even his mother stood up at a stage reading of the book and shouted that it was all a pack of lies.
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* BasedOnAGreatBigLie: Limerick residents have accused McCourt [=McCourt=] of exaggerating his poverty and even his mother stood up at a stage reading of the book and shouted that it was all a pack of lies.
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* BasedOnAGreatBigLie: Limerick residents have accused McCourt of exaggerating his poverty and even his mother stood up at a stage reading of the book and shouted that it was all a pack of lies.
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* DisappearedDad: Malachy Sr finds work in England and eventually stops visiting or sending money to the family.
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* CutMyselfShaving: When his uncle Pat notices a bruise on his face left by Laman Griffin, Frank tells him Joe Louis punched him.
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* CutMyselfShaving: CutHimselfShaving: When his uncle Pat notices a bruise on his face left by Laman Griffin, Frank tells him Joe Louis punched him.
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* WouldHitAGirl: A drunk Frank slaps his mother when she compares him to his father and immediately regrets it.
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* TheAlcoholic / AlcoholicParent: Malachy Sr.
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* TheAlcoholic / AlcoholicParent: Malachy Sr.
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* CelebrityLie: Frank convinces his uncle Pat that he was punched by boxer, Joe Louis.
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* CutMyselfShaving: When his uncle Pat notices a bruise on his face left by Laman Griffin, Frank tells him Joe Louis punched him.
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* OutWithABang: Frank hears that girls who have contracted tuberculosis have increased sex drives, wanting to experience sex before they die. He sleeps with Theresa Carmody and she dies shortly afterwards.
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'''''Angela's Ashes''''' is the 1996 memoir of Frank [=McCourt=] (1930--2009), an Irish-American child growing up in poverty in Ireland. It is a collection of various anecdotes and stories of his impoverished childhood and early adulthood in Limerick, {{UsefulNotes/Ireland}}.
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It was adapted into a 1999 film, directed by Alan Parker and starring Creator/RobertCarlyle as Malachy Sr and EmilyWatson as Angela.
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It was adapted into a 1999 film, directed by Alan Parker and starring Creator/RobertCarlyle as Malachy Sr and EmilyWatson Creator/EmilyWatson as Angela.
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Useful Notes/ pages are not tropes
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* AmericanDream: Frank's greatest dream is to come back to America.
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* AnyoneCanDie: Mostly Frank's younger siblings, but his grandmother and other characters die throughout the book. Frank himself almost dies from Typhoid.
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* ImprovisedClothes: Malachy Senior repairs his sons' boots using an old bicycle tyre. This gets them mocked at school.
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** Aunt Aggie is often almost antagonistic towards Angela's children, but she later helps Frank out by buying him new clothes for his job at the post office.
