Angela’s Ashes: Chapter 5 Summary & Analysis

After Frank’s vomiting, Angela and Margaret Sheehan barely talk—Angela is furious with her mother for being so harsh to Frank. Frank begins to notice that everyone in Limerick has a policy of “not talking to someone else,” as there are so many rivalries and family feuds. Many of the people in town don’t talk to Malachy Sr. because he’s from Northern Ireland.

Margaret Sheehan gets word that a man named Bill Galvin needs a place to stay. Bill has a good job, and has a reputation for being a decent man. He stops by Margaret’s home one afternoon, and points out that Margaret would have to take down a statue of the Virgin Mary if he were to live there—he adds that he is a Protestant. Margaret is at first reluctant to do so, but after Bill explains that his wife—a Catholic—hung Virgin Mary statues everywhere, she gives in. Bill begins living in Margaret’s home, paying a weekly rent.

Margaret Sheehan offers to pay Frank six pence a day for bringing Bill his dinner. Frank is reluctant to accept, but Angela insists that he do so—the McCourts need the money. Every day at noon, Frank brings food for Bill. One day, Frank is so hungry that he eats Bill’s food—bacon, potatoes, and cabbage. He tells Bill that a dog snatched the food from him while he was walking over—a lie that Bill sees through immediately. Bill sends Frank to tell Margaret exactly what he did. Margaret is furious when Frank tells her. She hits him hard on the head, and sends him back to Bill with more food.

Although money is tight among the McCourts, Angela and Malachy Sr. always find the cash to buy cigarettes. Angela’s teeth get worse and worse, to the point where her gums bleed horribly. When some of her teeth fall out, she goes to buy false teeth at the local hospital. The false teeth, which she wears for the rest of her life, fit badly, and make her mouth “clack.” One evening, Malachy Jr. steals the false teeth and sticks them in his own mouth—but then finds he can’t remove them. His parents have to rush him to the hospital to remove the false teeth. While at the hospital, doctors notice that Frank has an odd habit of keeping his mouth open, and they realize that he needs to have his tonsils removed.

Shortly after he has his tonsils removed, Frank goes to learn how to dance, sent by his mother. At a local dance hall, Angela forces Frank to practice dancing steps with other young boys and girls every Saturday. Word gets out that Frank dances, and soon the other boys are whispering that Frank is a “sissy.” Frank tries to sneak out of his lessons to go to the movies. One Saturday, Malachy Sr. catches him, and sends him to church to confess. The priest tells Frank that he’s a “hooligan” for going to the movies.

Years pass, and Frank is now almost ten years old. A local boy, Brendan Quigley, tells Frank that he should join the boys’ division of the Arch Confraternity. Quigley explains that everyone in Limerick is a member of this old, Catholic organization, which helps its members get jobs and find wives. Soon after, Frank begins attending Confraternity meetings on the weekends. At the meetings, the priests lecture the boys about the importance of Catholicism—the lectures are very dull.

Malachy Sr., who’s been watching Frank’s progress at the Confraternity with some interest, tells Frank that he should become an altar boy soon (Malachy Sr. himself was once an altar boy). With his father’s help, Frank practices Latin and the rituals of Catholicism. Malachy Sr. takes Frank to the church and explains that his son is prepared to become an altar boy. The priest, a man named Stephen Carey, explains, irritably, that there’s no room for another altar boy. Afterwards, Malachy Sr. never mentions the matter again.