Prologue-Chapter Five Summary and Analysis

In the prologue, Frank McCourt reveals his dream of returning to New York, a dream that he feels belongs to him alone. After being taunted by his siblings and chastised by his mother, Frank realizes that the dream of a better life in America is his to share, rather than keep from other.

In Chapter One, Frank McCourt travels on the MS Irish Oak, a freighter bound for New York. Frank is unsure of himself at the best of time, worried that his bad teeth and red eyes will open him up to the ridicule of others. Almost painfully shy and aware of his lack of social skills, Frank keeps his thoughts to himself and avoids other, preferring to read Crime and Punishment on the deck. He meets Owen, a sailor on the ship and they briefly discuss Dostoyevsky...