Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Weather—it's uncontrollable, unforgivable, and unstoppable. It seems like it's always raining in Ireland "from the Feast of the Circumcision to New Year's Eve" which
largely describes the setting of the memoir: soggy, miserable, depressing (1.5). After all, it's kinda hard to imagine Angela's Ashes in sunny Miami, Florida. It just wouldn't work. Frank even writes a comical essay about the weather in Limerick titled, "Jesus and the Weather" where he says that Jesus himself would have a hard time living in Limerick:
I don't think Jesus Who is Our Lord would have liked the weather in Limerick because it's always raining and the Shannon keeps the whole city damp. (8.145)
Twelve year-old Frank might have a point here. Even someone like Jesus, who's used to suffering, would find the wet weather exhausting. So what exactly does the weather represent? We'd say relentless, uncontrollable suffering. Just one more burden on the poor people of the Limerick slums.