Angela's Ashes Dialectic Journal

Dialectical Journal Text | Response | “People everywhere brag and whimper about the woes of their early childhood, but nothing can compare with the Irish version”(11). | This is how he starts out the book and it is in a way introducing you to one of the worst childhoods that you can have. It also shows you that you can go beyond your childhood and become something or do something with your life. I think it is kind of weird that one of the worst childhood to have is Irish because that would not have been the first one on my list. | “The rain drove us into the church-our refuge, our strength, our only dry place”(12). | Although this is physically what happened to his family, I think that it is also saying that God helped them in their time of need. In the bible it talks about God being your refuge and strength in trouble, and I think that God gave his mother and their family hope to keep going and hope for a brighter future. | “The MacNamara sisters said Angela was nothing but a rabbit and they wanted nothing to do with her till she came to her senses. Their husbands agreed”(19). | I like how the sisters compare Angela to a rabbit because a rabbit is always going different directions and never focusing on one thing. Ina sense, she kind of is like a rabbit because she did not marry someone that was very reliable and messed herself up by doing so. Also, I like how the husbands never have any opinion but their wives opinion. | “Mam says that were all driving her crazy”(31). | His poor mother had to do so much for her family. She not only had to look over five children, but also had to housekeep. On top of that, because she did not marry a reliable husband, she had to find food from any place to keep her children from not starving. Then, she had all of these children that wanted attention and she just needed a break. | “‘Thank you, sir.’ ‘Jeez. Polite kid, eh? Where ja loin dat?’ ‘My father tald me to say thanks, sir.’ ‘Your father? Oh, well’”(33). | I like