Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- McCourt's memoir is his story seen through his perspective. How does this affect the authenticity of his story? Should it even matter if he might have missed or skipped or exaggerated a few episodes?
- Is the memoir truly a non-fiction genre if it springs from the memory of the writer?
- How might listening to his father's stories about Cuchulain have influenced McCourt's development as a writer?
- The Irish writer Edna O'Brien said the following about Irish characters: "When anyone asks me about the Irish character, I say look at the trees. Maimed, stark and misshapen, but ferociously tenacious." Would you say this statement describes the characters in McCourt's memoir?
- Music and storytelling are extremely important in the Irish culture. How do songs and folktales affect the narrative of McCourt's memoir?
- Why do you think most memoirs are written about difficult lives or dysfunctional families? Could it be interesting to read a memoir written by someone rich, happy, beautiful, and loved?
- How does McCourt's decision to convey dialog without the use of quotation marks affect your reading of the narrative?
- How different of a memoir would Angela's Ashes be if McCourt wrote it as a younger man instead of in his 60s?
- The Catholic Church comes in for some pretty bad press in Angela's Ashes. How might Frank's life have been different if the church was less authoritarian and judgmental in his view?
- How on earth did McCourt make this memoir so hilariously funny in spite of all the misery?