Background of The Study
cultural arise, contained in a variety of text study of the East, which was written by the orientalists, which are called the oriental texts from the word
orien that means East. Nonetheless, as a result of the dominance of the Western intellect, many works that describe the imbalance relationship
between the West imbalance with Eastern societies written by intellectual who has been constructed by the natives of Western thought.
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Postcolonial vision trace the patterns of thought of orientalis group in order to establish the
superiority of the West, with the logical consequence that East inferiority may occurs. Therefore, the target is the subject of a collective vision of the
intellectual West that view the oriental groups based on Edward Saids understanding.
One of the territory of the former European colonies is Ireland. Ireland is an island situated in the Atlantic Ocean and separated from Great Britain by
the Irish Sea. Ireland, Irish Éire, country of western Europe occupying five- sixths of the westernmost island of the British Isles.
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In this context, Britain as the part of European had colonized Ireland for more than 800 years.
Therefore, it has long been called an internal colony of Britain for Ireland. The English made a concentrated effort to colonize Ireland in the 17th
century. Settlers were planted and Irish society was split between an English- speaking landed gentry and the local Irish-speaking, landless or
nearly
7
Ratna, Op. Cit., p. 206-207
8
Sean Key, Ireland, Accessed on 03.13 pm March 22th 2015, http:www.britannica.comEBcheckedtopic293754Ireland
landless peasantry.
9
Thus, Ireland can be identified as a colonized territory, and the Republic of Ireland is often considered as a postcolonial state.
The English controled the life of politic in Ireland. The English landlord did not only take the advantage economically, but also take the
authority in social and politic in Ireland. Thus, it caused the poverty in Ireland increased year by year.
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Especially at the time Ireland faced Great Famine that addressed Irish to the huge imigration because of starving. The famine
was a turning point in Irish history because of a fungus disease which made the potato plants to rot in the ground, giving off an appalling stench and crop
failure affected the whole island Before the famine, land was subdivided; all the boys got a piece of the family estate which grew smaller and smaller with
each generation. After the famine, the oldest son got the estate and the younger siblings, with no way to stay in Ireland, emigrated to the US,
Canada, Australia and Britain. Today, there are 40 million Irish-Americans.
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Because of the huge emigration to the US, Ireland faced West and the influences of West, especially America has increased in Ireland.
One of literary works which contain elements of the postcolonial in Ireland is a novel titled Angelas Ashes by Frank McCourt 1996. Frank
McCourts himself acclaimed book Angelas Ashes is subtitled A Memoir of A Childhood.
9
Rick Steves and Pat O’Connor, Ireland’s History in a Nutshell, Accessed on 03.46 pm March 22th 2015, https:www.ricksteves.comwatch-read-listenreadarticlesirelands-history-in-a-
nutshell.
10
Eriz Miernawati, Sharing: Amerika History, Accessed on 05.15 pm July 31st 2015, http:elizmiernawat.blogspot.com201410amerika-history.html.
11
Anonymous, The Great Famine, Accessed on 02.17 pm March 21st 2015. http:www.irelandseye.comaarticleshistoryeventsdatesfamine.shtm.
A memoir is defined as an account of the personal experiences of an author and so should offer its author the opportunity to assume
representational control of his or her own memories. Definitions indicate that memoir is less objective than an autobiography as the latter is an
account of a persons life written by that person. The difference between an autobiography and a memoir is that an autobiography claims
to give an authoritative and comprehensive account of the story of the authors life; while a memoir reminisces about specific instances in the
authors life, with the implication that the events are recounted as memories which emphasize personal experiences and are thus open to
interpretation. In this context, a memoir allows its author the space to create and explore his or her own interpretation of the past.
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The above explanation shows that the difference between autobiography and autobiographical memoir is presenting a text that provides
an understanding and authority of a writers life story, while memoir presents a text to commemorate any specific things of life of the author, with the
intention that the events which happens to be retold as a memorial to emphasize a personal experience, and therefore, there will be interpretations
of the author to the personal experience. In this context, memoir lets writers the opportunity to create and develop their own interpretation of his past life.
Angela’s Ashes is a successful novel, becoming one of the most highly acclaimed nonfiction works of the decade. The book won numerous awards,
including the National Book Critics Circle Award, Royal Society of Literature Award and the Pulitzer Bestseller list for over two years.
Angela’s Ashes
novel is an emotional and wonderful autobiography that captures Frank McCourt’s personal history with great depth and appeal. It allows its audience
to gain much insight into his life, through his clever choice of events and
12
Aoileann Ni Eigeartaigh, Angela’s Ashes: An Memoir of An Irish Childhood. Accessed on 03.56
pm December 18th 2014. http:www.jstor.orgstable40658377, p. 81
themes, pure honesty, use of techniques such as characterization, humors and emotional and dramatic language.
This novel tells the story of an Irish- American’s childhood namely
Frank McCourt. Frank and his family had just moved from New York back to his parents homeland, Ireland. Frank was born in America in Depression Era
and is the eldest son of the couple Malachy McCourt and Angela Sheehan. Frank possess many brothers, they are Malachy who is one year younger than
Frank, Oliver and Eugene, twin brother of less than one year, and Margaret, the sister who had died. Margarets death which is the main factor of McCourt
family returned to Ireland. More troubles plague the McCourts in Ireland: Angela has a miscarriage, Frank’s two younger twin-brothers die, and
Malachy continues to drink away the family’s money. Frank’s childhood is described as a time of great deprivation, but of
good humor and adventure as well.
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How they survive only from allowances of St. Vincent de Paul, the father who is hard to get a job as a northern Irish
accent and bad properties. And the habit of drunkenness father which is uncontrolled until forced her mother to beg for the sake of her children cope
with hunger. In the end, they all always hungry and shortcomings. Frank experienced poverty as a child can not be separated from social
influence in Ireland. In addition to telling about the condition of his life and his family, Frank also tells how the lives of others around him, such as
13
Anonymous
,
Angela’s Ashes Frank McCourt : Plot Overview. Accessed on 15.38 pm March 23th, 2015. http:www.sparknotes.comlitangelasashessummary.html
neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces in Ireland. Many of them has the same dream like Frank to go to another country, like England and America to
get a better life. They, including Frank, admire how well the system of life in other countries and argue that only by leaving Ireland, they can get the proper
and succesful life. Frank himself has a big dream to return to his homeland, America, one day, and hoping to achieve a better life in the country that holds
„the land of freedom’. After quitting school, in addition to feed him and his family, he worked to collect money to be able to go to America, from being a
writer of the threathening letters for customer, a telegram boy, a messenger boy and many other jobs.
The story in the novel are using the first person point of view that is Frank
McCourt’s point of view. Through his view, it is very interesting to see how he, as the main character show the depiction of the ex-colonized or the
Orient that is occupied by Ireland and the ex-colonizer or the Occident that is occupied by England and America.
To learn how colonization progress influenced countries both the colonized and colonizer, it will be easily studied by a theory used in literary
works, namely orientalism. Orientalism is a theory was created by Edward Said. It is a theory that shows the position of Orient and Occident.
Because the novel of Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt is one
example of orientalism practice which the author can define the position of the orient and occident through the main character, the writer chooses the
theory of orientalism to analyze the novel.