"Day and night I dream of America," (p354). How does Frank overcome the odds against him and make his dream come true?
             Frank McCourt was a child with dreams "Day and night I dream of America", who acquired the strength and determination to make them come true. He grew up in a poverty stricken environment yet managed against all odds to break free from the physical and emotional struggle he was experiencing and make a life for himself. He was encouraged and influenced by a world he had never seen, with this overwhelming desire for knowledge and a love for things above his station. Regardless of the hardships he faced, he never gave up hope, soldiering on to become a successful author and teacher.
             It would be fair to say that Frank's life was a constant strain. His family were always suffering from poverty, and even when they had money coming in, such as the dole, Frank's father would go down to the pub for pints. Even when Malachy (Frank's father) got a job in England he never sent money home, and his family was left to fend for themselves. Frank loved his father dearly and looked up to him, but he never wanted to be like him, he never wanted to leave his family with nothing, "When I start that job at the post office I'll buy him shoes I will." His growing up was a continuous struggle, yet despite these situations of despair and poverty, Frank made things work. Frank's mother always wanted more for her children she tried to give them the best that she could, she would stoop to the lowest to make sure her children had a place to sleep and some sort of food on the table, ".....when we sit at the table it is hard for me to look at my mother the beggar." He never looked down on his mother because of her begging, he knew that her heart was in the right place, " I might die for my mother but that's all." In spite of the lack of food and clothing, ".......