Angela's Ashes 安琪拉的灰烬 英文读后感
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Angela's Ashes is an autobiographical novel written by Irish-American writer Frank McCourt and because of the smashing success of this book, he won the 1997 Pulitzer Prize. Frank was born in New York in 1930, but soon his whole family relocated in Ireland where he spent his impoverished adolescence. He ended his school life at the age of thirteen, but he managed to get back to America in 1949 and procured the position as a high school teacher through a series of efforts. Over all these years, he never gave up his dream of becoming a writer. Therefore, after retiring, he began to pursue his dream by telling his own story, with all the hopes and disappointments, adventures and misadventures that he had experienced. Our narrator, Frank’s misfortune begins at his birth. His parents Malachy Sr. and Angela’s marriage is unblessed, for his father is an Irish Catholic and also a heavy drinker. The couple originally has five children, but the youngest girl dies seven weeks after delivery. This tragedy stiffens their determination of returning to Ireland. However, things doesn't get any better there－they rent a small flea-infested room, and the twin brothers die within one year of arrival because of starvation and squalor, while two newborn boys impose additional burdens on the household budget. Though Malachy Sr. loves his sons and wife, but he never maintains a job due to his alcoholism and indolence. After the outbreak of the Second World War, Malachy Sr. travels across the country to work in England and is never heard since. Through all this privation, Angela strives to give her children a warm and loving home. She begs for help from the Church and the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, and even sells her body in exchange for their dwelling in a cousin’s house. Frank drops out of junior high school and gets a job as a postman. He is an intelligent boy with the affection of Shakespeare and movies, but the brutal reality forces him to give up schooling and work “like a man” to support his family. In his working life, he collects enough money through scrimping and saving, and finally realizes his goal of going to America and starting his new life. Angela’s Ashes is, as Frank has said, “an epic of woe”, but it is never the sheer desperation. After several decades, Frank could write down his youth in a subjective way, without resentment or regret. This is probably because of the writer’s blithesome nature and we can see this trait in the novel: it is mixed humour and wit with the harsh experiences and conflicts. Nevertheless, I believe the mother Angela’s selfless devotion exerts a tremendous influence on the whole family as well. As the name of the book showed, the majority is devoted to depicting the figure of her. The “ashes” in the title, which I think is implied the falling ashes from Angela's endless cigarettes. The afflicted mother regards cigarettes as her only pleasure and a temporary escape from the doleful life. Their situation is somewhat similar to those ashes－dark, weak and lifeless. But Angela never becomes a victim of fate, on the contrary, she continues to fight against the injustice through all possible ways. Facing with the drunken, irresponsible husband and the subsequent deaths of her babies, she sacrifices her dignity in order to make ends meet. Even under the distressing circumstances, she never lowers her expectations towards her sons and has faith that they can succeed. She saves money for Frank’s dancing lessons; she is immensely proud when her grown son found his first part-time job. She also gives Frank spiritual guide, telling him never to belittle himself and be strong: “You are never to let anybody slam the door in your face again. Do you hear me?” Angela is indeed a committed and dedicated women who took her children's well-being as the first priority. It is also noteworthy that “ashes” are the end of burning, which means the end of their sufferings, the beginning of a bright and promising future. Angela raises her boys to be courteous, conscientious, gracious, and diligent men. Therefore, one can imagine how great maternal love is, and it never asks a recompense. Beyond all doubt, Frank McCourt is a talented writer and moulded all his adversity into this inspiring memoir, Angela's Ashes. But we should be aware that, without his mother Angela’s fortitude and independence, or her dedication and sacrifice, Frank would not be half the person he is now. All mothers are angels minus wings, when they are around, the hell can become heaven. Maybe that unconditional love is just the source of human strength. 本文来源：https://www.wddqw.com/doc/618ad195dc88d0d233d4b14e852458fb770b3832.html