and be famous although he is from a poor family. It shows that there is no class system in America limiting the opportunity for every class of people.
Those explanation has lead America as the Occident that offer a plenty of opportunity that give the hope to people around the world of brighter
future.
c. The Civilized Country
In contrast to the situation in Ireland, Frank has a special impression at the first time he arrives in America. Everything is really different with
Ireland, especially the weather. “I’m on deck the dawn we sail into New York. I’m sure I’m in a
film, that it will end and lights will come up in the lyric Cinema. [...] There are thousands of cars speeding along the roads and the sun
turns everything to gold” .
Frank is very excited about the view he sees in the first time he come to America since a long time ago. He sees the lights and feels like in
movie. The sun that is mentioned in the quotation above has indicated that America is a dry and warm place that does not pose a risk on the arrival of
various diseases like in Ireland. It is surely much opposed to the condition in Ireland that is cold and wet through its rain. The condition shows how
better the life in America. The better condition of America is also signed through the w
ords “There are thousands of cars speeding along the roads”. Those word indicates that America also has a well developed
system of life.
The healthy life offering in America can be also seen through the way Frank describe the American’s appearance. At the time when he is
listening the American voice through radio in his neighbour’s house. He hears the music of Billy Holiday
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. He really loves to hear it and start imagine the day he come to America and meet American people.
“Oh, Billie, Billie. I want to be in America with you and all that music, where no one has bad teeth, people leave food on their plates,
every families has a lavatory and everyone lives happily ever after.”McCourt, 1996: 275
Frank often describe American through their teeth as he states above
that there is no one who live in America has a bad teeth. They always have a white shiny teeth as Frank said when he sees his father using the new
false teeth from doctor that is white and shine. “When he comes home with the new teeth he shows his big new
white smile that makes him look like an American” McCourt, 1996: 138.
The clean, white, and shiny teeth above indicates that the life in America is very healthy where heir teeth is cared very well. Besides, the
healthty life surely will be get for each American because of the comfortable life that is provided in there and live happily ever after. It can
be seen through Frank’s description about how they leave food on their plates. It is implies that food is much provided there that people do not
have to look for it hardly like in Ireland. Frank also states that every families in America has a lavatory. It is different with the house in Ireland,
especially the poor people in the lane that do not possess their own
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A n American jazz singer and songwriter.
lavatory. It shows that America has a well developed system of the way of life. They life is going neat and orderly where each of them has good
facilities. The statements above can leads America as the Occident that has characterized as the civilized country that means a country has a well
developed system of government, culture and way of life and that treats the people who live there fairly.
d. The People’s Attitude
Frank realizes that the aminess of Irish and American is really distinctive. It is firstly noticed by little Frank when he and his family
firstly arrive in Ireland and meet the family from his parents. The first impression of their meeting implies the opposition between Irish and
American. “My aunts are not like Mrs. Leibowitz and Minnie MacAdorey, they
nod their heads but they don’t hug us or smile” McCourt, 1996: 49 When he arrived in Ireland and visited their grand parents in Belfast,
Frank meets his father’s big family. His father introduced them to Frank, they are Emily, Nora, Maggie, and Vera. But the expression of them was
not friendly. As the statement above, they just nod their heads to Frank but does not hug him, even for smiling to him. He compares his aunts, in
Ireland and his neighbours, Mrs. Leibowitz and Minnie MacAdorey in America. Frank’s aunts who just nod their heads without any hug and
smile to Frank represent how unfriendly Irish people when it is compared with Mrs Leibowitz and Minnie MacAdorey that represent how friendly
the American people for Frank.
