Frank McCourt's biography, Angela's Ashes, is a coming-of-age story.
             As the story begins readers find a young boy who has street smarts,
             emotional strength and a desire to learn. These qualities enable him to
             survive and move from a sickly childhood and his impoverished existence to
             realizing more than his society requires or expects. As the story
             progresses, readers see Frank's thought processes and actions move from
             immaturity to maturity. Readers also see how he utilizes his qualities to
             get what he feels he wants and deserves in life. He sets a goal (to go to
             America) and achieves it. In chapter 17, page 359, line five, Frank sets
             Crucial moments in Frank's life come when he realizes he can go nd
             wants to go beyond what his society expects of him. It is Mr. Hannon who
             plants the ambition seed in Frank's mind. In chapter 11, page 259, lines 38-
             35, Mr. Hannon says that the world is wide and that school is the way to
             rise beyond Frank's "assigned" social class. He wants success in order to
             make life easier for his family and later he wants to make a good life for
             himself as well. To become successful and reach America, he has to talk
             himself out of the guilt and begin to step outside of his comfort zone and
             do things such as writing letters to Mrs. Finucane and delivering
             McCourt depicts Frank's maturation process slowly and nonchalantly.
             Frank reacts as a child when Mr. Hannon gives a speech about studying and
             doing better. Frank's first response after the speech is to wonder when he
             is going to get paid and how he will spend it at the cinema (Chapter 11,
             259, lines 20-24). Though the seed is planted, Frank is not convinced that
             he can amount to anything. For example, in the following chapter 12, page
             272, line 27 he refers to the respectable boys. "We know they're the ones
             who will get the jobs in the civil service and help the people run the
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