Dear Neil,
I believe that your analysis of Angela's stress is quite accurate. I feel the same sympathy you do towards her agony. I also have a feeling that her agony is affecting others in her household. Children notice when you are hallucinating, and frankly, it can't be a very positive environment for such young children. Nonetheless, she is able to find joy in her life, even when 3 of her children have died. I can't even imagine what it would be like for me if I were in her situation, and to be honest, I wan't to avoid the idea of it. All I will say is that you are completely right; Angela is a very strong woman. I would not have the strength to get up from my fall once 3 of my children have died. My grandparents are getting older, especially my father's parents, and the thought of them passing away causes me to get choked up. There is no measure to how much I love them and how much they mean to me. So if three of my children died, I'm not sure if I carry on in life. As far as the poverty the Mccourts are enduring, I agree with you. They have it real rough, especially with the bathroom behind their house to make matters worse. This is the image that comes to my head when I pictured the bathroom Frank spoke about: http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&biw=1024&bih=677&tbm=isch&tbnid=UxKf6k8ylW0XpM:&imgrefurl=http://www.cl-mtthabor.org/&docid=_2yJB0sxZMhYkM. Can you imagine having to live with 11 people using that to go to the bathroom BEHIND YOUR HOUSE!?!? Like you said, how on earth could someone live with that smell? or eat around it for that matter? But in my opinion, this does not compare to the pain they have to endure when their alcoholic father arrives home late because he spent all of his vital money at the pub. It makes me appreciate my father immensely. Never has my father ever set a bad example by letting me see him drunk. This is a comment coming from a middle-class teenager. Frank, a lower class child, can't say the same! The money his family needs to survive is being thrown away! this is what breaks my heart more than anything, excluding the death of Eugene, Oliver and Margaret. With that said, if I were Frank, and anyone ever made fun of me for my father or dead siblings, I wouldn't be able to control myself. I can tell you right now, I would attack them (if it were a boy) and beat them. I've been called names before and made fun of, but removing one of their dignity crosses the line to me. Also, you mention how you can relate to Frank's religion,as can I. Like you, I practice Roman Catholicism. Whenever I am in need or going through desperate times, I pray to Jesus. To be honest, I don't like to share my personal beliefs on religion too often, but I will say that I put all of my trust into Jesus, because I know he only wants to help me. In regard to my first Communion day, I will be honest, I remembering envying my friends who had already received it. Like in Angela's Ashes, they all received tons of money, and I only received gifts. Looking back, I will admit, that this was very greedy and spoiled of me. It made me feel a lot like Frank, who, like me, did not receive money.
Sincerely,
Patrick Gregorek
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