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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why is the family receiving less money at the beginning of Chapter 3?

2. What does Frank do with the raisin he finds in his pastry?

3. Why does Angela go to Malachy's job?

4. Mikey tells Frank that the best part of the first communion is the collection. What is the collection?

5. What does Tommy Flynn say happened to Margaret's body?

Short Essay Questions

1. Consider the image of Malachy placing a pint of beer on Eugene's coffin in Chapter 2. What does this image represent to you? What does it mean?

2. Why is Frank so reluctant to take dance lessons in Chapter 5, and why is his mother so insistent that he take them?

3. Why does the man at the IRA office refuse Malachy and his family bus fare home in Chapter 2?

4. Describe the effect Margaret's death has on the family in Chapter 1.

5. In Chapter 7, Frank gets and loses two jobs. Reflect on what this shows about the stability of his life.

6. In the beginning of Chapter 9, Angela tells Malachy she is done having children. What is she really saying, considering their religious background?

7. Chapter 1 begins the pattern of Malachy losing his jobs. To what extent do you believe he is responsible for this pattern? Is he a victim of fate, or do his actions cause these negative consequences?

8. Describe Paddy Clohessy's life as seen in Chapter 4. Do you think he is better or worse off than Frank?

9. In Chapter 2, why do you think the officials at the St. Vincent de Paul Society are hesitant to help the McCourts?

10. In Chapter 5, we see again Angela questioning her faith. What is causing her to lose faith?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine Frank McCourt's discussion of sexuality in "Angela's Ashes." How does Frank's emerging sexuality conflict with his religious beliefs? How does he find a compromise between the two?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the relationship dynamic between Angela and Malachy. What plays the most important part in the demise of their relationship?

Essay Topic 3

Frank spends much of the book planning his trip to America, and wondering why his parents had left America to return to Ireland in the first place.

Part 1) Consider the idealism Frank feels towards America. Based on his parents' experiences there and their experiences in Ireland, is his idealistic view of America warranted?

Part 2) Compare and contrast the struggles felt by the McCourts in the beginning of the book with the struggles felt by them once they reach Ireland. Is one place more responsible for their difficulties than another? Cite several examples from the book to support your argument.

(see the answer keys)

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