B. Criticism
Abrams 35 states that criticism is the study that concerns defining, classifying, analysing and evaluating works of literature. In order to have a better
understanding about what the literary works talk about, we absolutely need criticism from critics. Through the critics, the readers are not only able to have a
better understanding inside the literary works as a reading material but also able to appreciate both the novel and the author.
Gordon, in the book review of Frank McCourt’s Angela’s Ashes: A Memoir of a Childhood says “ Frank McCourt story is a story of a survival and
growth beyond all odds; it moves the readers to read and enjoy it because this book is written in a beautiful language” McCourt 1997.
Alix Madrigal for San Francisco Chronicle states “Frank McCourt’s memoir is a joy to read because it serves his Irish childhood that poor and
miserable where he combines it with funny moments and written in beautiful language” Madrigal, sec.18.
Felice Aull, an annotator from New York University School of Medicine says that one important factor in McCourt’s memoir is the love with which he
shows and give for his family. Though his father is an alcoholic that always make his mother suffers and never able to give them a proper and decent life still Frank
never hates him. On the other hand, McCourt Senior never abuses his children and that is also one of the reasons that makes Frank never wants to hate his father. “I
think my father is like the Holy Trinity with three people in Him, the one in the morning with the paper, the one at night with the stories and prayers, and then the
one who does bad things and comes home with the smell of whiskey………”. His
love for his mother and brothers even hilarious that he is willing to sacrifice his childhood times to help his mother and work hard in order to gain some shillings to
his mother so that they can buy some food to eat and clothes to wear on Aull, sec.3.
Aull also states “The memoir of Frank McCourt is a wonderful memoir that is valuable to read because we can learn not only about the Irish culture that covers
almost all element inside the story but also the human spirit that McCourt shows to us in order to struggle and survive in desperate condition” Aull, sec.3.
C. Theoretical Framework