Posted in: Other - Literature
Date: August 20, 2010
The following are a couple of quotes from the Pulitzer Prize winning book Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt. They stuck in my mind because I thought that they powerfully told a story of ignorance, intelligence, sadness, and humor. I think the book does more than tell a story. It evokes emotions. It evokes anger, disgust, sadness, pity, happiness, laughter.
I know that big people don't like questions from children. They can ask all the questions they like, How's school? Are you a good boy? Did you say your prayers? but if you ask them did they say their prayers you might be hit on the head.
Brendon Quigley raises his hand. We call him Question Quigley because he's always asking questions. He can't help himself. Sir, he says, what's Sanctifying Grace?
The Master rolls his eyes to heaven. He's going to kill Quigley. Instead he barks at him, Never mind what's Sanctifying Grace, Quigley. That's none of your business. You're here to learn the catechism and do what you're told. You're not here to be asking questions. There are too many people wandering the world asking questions and that's what has us in the state we're in and if I find anybody in this class asking questions I won't be responsible for what happens. Do you here me, Quigley?...
...
Question Quigley raises is hand again. There are looks around the room and we wonder if it's suicide he's after.
What's henchman, sir?
The master's face goes white, then red. His mouth tightens and opens and spit flies everywhere. He walks to Question and drags him from his seat. He snorts and stutters and his spit flies around the room. He flogs Question across the shoulders, the bottom, the legs. He grabs him by the collar and drags him to the front of the room.
Look at this specimen, he roars.
Question is shaking and crying. I'm sorry, sir.
The master mocks him. I'm sorry, sir. What are you sorry for?
I'm sorry I asked the question. I'll never ask a question again, sir.
The day you do, Quigley, will be the day you wish God would take you to his Bosom. What will you wish, Quigley?
The day before First Communion the master leads us to St. Joseph's Church for First Confession. We march in pairs and if we so much ass move a lip on the streets of Limerick he'll kill us on the spot and send us to hell bloated with sin. That doesn't stop the bragging about the big sins. Willie Harold is whispering about his big sin, that he looked at his sister's naked body... Question Quigley says he ran away from home and spent half the night in a ditch with four goats.
Mr O'Halloran can't lie. He's the headmaster. All these years we were told the Irish were always noble and they made brave speeches before the English hanged them. Now Hoppy O'Halloran is saying the Irish did bad things. Next thing he'll be saying the English did good things. He says, You have to study and learn so that you can make up your own mind about history and everything else but you can't make up an empty mind. Stock your mind, stock your mind. It is your house of treasures and no one in the world can interfere with it. If you won the Irish Sweepstakes and bought a house that needed furniture would you fill it with bits and pieces of rubbish? Your mind is your house and if you fill it with rubbish from the cinemas it will rot in your head. You might be poor, your shoes might be broken, but your mind is a palace.
Grandma tells me I have naked eyes and she says it's my own fault, and all that eye trouble comes from sitting up there at the top of the lane under the light pole in all kinds of weather with my nose stuck in books and the same thing will happen to Malachy if he doesn't give over with the reading. you can see little Michael is getting just as bad sticking his nose in books when he should be out playing like a healthy child. Books, books, books, says Grandma, ye will ruin yeer eyes entirely.
The horse lifts his tail and great lumps of steaming yellow shit drop from his behind. I start to pull on the reins so that he can stop and have a bit of comfort for himself but Mr. Hannon says, No, Frankie, let him trot. They always shit on the trot. That's one of the blessings horses have, they shit on the trot and they're not dirty and stinking like the human race, not at all Frankie. The worst thing in the world is to go into a lavatory after a man that had a feed of pig's feet and a night of pints. The stink from that could twist the nostrils of a strong man. Horses are different. All they have is oats and hay and what they drop is clean and natural.
Michale is just as bad. He brings home stray dogs and old men. You never know when you'll find a dog in the bed with him. There are dogs with sores, dogs with no ears, no tails. There's a blind greyhound he found in the park tormented by children. Michael fought off the children, picked up the greyhound that was bigger than himself and told Mam the dog could have his supper... Mam says the dog has to go tomorrow and Michael cries all night and cries worse in the morning when he finds the dog dead in the bed besides him.