Angela's Ashes Literary Analysis

Did you know that 717 million people are suffering from poverty right now and living on less than $1.90 a day? (World Bank). That means that everywhere in the world, people of all ages are starving and have no money to provide for their families. Similarly, "Angela's Ashes" by Frank McCourt and "The Street" by Ann Petry both show themes of poverty but, more importantly, themes of persistence and how they continued to persevere when things get tough through characters, events, and setting. Frank McCourt and Ann Petry's use of setting reveals the theme of poverty, and how peserverance were used to strive when situations get tough. A quote from the story Angela's Ashes sets the stage for theme throughout the book, "Mam sits by the fire shivering. There's no money in the house not even enough for bread." (McCourt 1). This statement demontrates the settiing and that it's very cold outside and Frank's family is suffering from Poverty; which means explains why Frank's family has no money for bread. So, Frank is put in position to take care of his family and provide for his ill mother. As a result, we see how perseverance might be shown during this time of poverty in Frank's family. Certainly, we can infer he will be going to extreme heights to provide for his poor, hungry family. Furthermore, the theme of persevering when situations get tough is portrayed with setting in the story, "The Street" by Ann Petry. Petry describes the cold, brutal wind and sets the stage for the poverned people, "Hurried pedestrains who bent double in effort to offer the least possible exposed surface to its violent assault." (Petry 1). This quote illustrates, that it's a mortifyingly cold night and all the pedestrains are trying to rush home to their families to escape the violent wind. The theme of persevering when things get tough is show immensely throughout "Angela's Ashes" and "The Street" thorough character. For example, Frank shows his persistence in his character when he says, "My mother is sick in bed, my brothers are starving, we'll be dead for the want of bread. I put on my shoes and run quickly" (McCourt 3). This quote shows that Frank's family is having a lot of problems and has no money to …show more content…
Notably in "Angela's Ashes", Frank decides he must steal in order to accommodate for his family's hunger, Frank describes a time when we first stole, "two bottles of lemonade up my jersey and I saunter away, trying to look innocent." (McCourt 5). This proves that Frank would do anything, to any extent for his family who has nothing; this is a great example of persevering when situations get tough. In another way, an event in "The Street" provdies vivid details that connects the story to the theme. Petry explains the onerous journey Lutie Johnson is enduring, "Each time she thought she had the sign in focus, the wind pushed it away from her." (Petry 3). Consequently, Lutie is trying to read a sign with information on a house that might benfit her, meanwhile the wind is violently turning the sign away from her. This quote analyzes how no matter the situation, Lutie was not going to give up until she found the perfect home for her family and defeated