Symbolism in Frank Mccourt's Angela's Ashes

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The use of symbolism in Frank McCourt’s Angela’s Ashes Authors use symbolism as a way to convey predominant feelings or moods and give deeper meaning to their work using minimal words. Symbols can be an object, place, character, or a situation. For example, in Frank McCourt’s memoir, Angela’s Ashes , the term ashes represents the overall tone of the novel. Ashes are dirty, dark, and represent death. The ashes also represent the small comfort Frank’s mother, Angela, receives from the Woodbine cigarettes she smokes as she sits by the fireplace seeking warmth from the smoldering ashes of the fire. The ashes falling from her cigarettes represent losses Angela’s suffers in her life, from the death of her three small children to the withering away of her hopes and dreams due to her bleak situation. Symbolism may also be used to foretell future events or to capture important elements of the story. The McCourt moves from New York during the depression era because Frank’s alcoholic father is unable to find work or hold a job. After the death of Angela’s infant daughter, Margaret, Angela falls into a deep depression. The McCourts move to Limerick, Ireland to see support from Angela’s family. As the ship pulls away from New York harbor, and the site of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island fade away, Angela’s becomes sea sick and vomits over the railing of the ship. Illness caused by the rough waters of the Atlantic symbolizes the tough time ahead for the McCourt family. Water and illness become a predominant theme in the novel. Frank’s father, Malachhy, believes the River Shannon is responsible for all illness in Limerick. Frank associates the river with the constant rain that torments Limerick. He refers to Limerick as the capital of weak chests. He describes the disease-carrying water as the cause of, “a cacophony of hacking coughs, bronchial rattles,

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