Angela's Ashes

Frank introduces Mikey Molly, a neighborhood boy who has vision problems and presumably epilepsy (he has “fits” and “visions”). His own father calls him “cyclops” on account of him being cross-eyed. Nora Molloy, his mother, deals with a husband who “drinks the dole itself” and is the “champion of all pint drinkers” (114). She is always on the edge of a nervous breakdown and periodically spends time in a “lunatic asylum.” As a way of dealing with her anxiety, Nora bakes bread constantly. Mikey, however, is not a proper Catholic because he has not received First Communion, his parents fearing he will choke on the communion wafer.

Mr. Benson, Frank’s teacher at Leamy’s National School, lectures the boys in preparation for First Communion. Benson’s methods are cruel and aggressive: He beats students with a stick and humiliates them whenever possible. He is a devout man, but his is not a gentle, loving faith; rather, it is faith based on fear and physical intimidation.

In the lead up to his first confession, Mikey tells Frank a dirty story about Cuchulain (a mythical Irish hero) that contains the word “piss.” Mikey tells Frank that it’s a sin to speak the word and that he now must confess this sin at his first confession.