Trainspotting Symbolism

Trainspotting takes place in Scotland, following a group of friends who have an unhealthy addiction to drugs, particularly heroin. The main character is Renton, who, throughout the book and film, struggles with drug addiction and heroin withdrawal. Both the book and the movie are in a Scottish dialect. Although the movie and book were very similar, there were many differences. Such as the narration, the presence of misogyny, and the portrayal of symbolism. Not only does the story follow Renton as he journeys through drug addiction, the book also changes the perspectives of characters in each section of the novel. We get to see the viewpoint of Spud, Sick Boy, Begby, and more. In most chapters of the book, Renton will be the narrator, but …show more content…
For example, Diane, who Renton has a one-night-stand with, came out of her room the next morning after the affair in her school outfit. The outfit she wore embodied youth and innocence, creating a panic in Renton, who did not know she was under-aged the night before. In another scene, when Renton overdosed on heroin, “Mother Superior” (his drug dealer) dragged him outside as it cut to an ambulance blaring its sirens towards the scene. The ambulance passed by as Mother Superior stuffed him into a taxi which dropped him off at the hospital. The ambulance was used to symbolize the seriousness of the situation, but because he was put in a taxi instead, it shows that Mother Superior cared about not getting in trouble more than the health of Renton. In conclusion, the movie followed the same plot, but left out narrations from other characters besides Renton. Because the movie failed to include a variety of character’s stories, it left out women’s experiences and the sexism they faced in the 90’s. The movie may have left out these important aspects, but it added in symbolism to replace the thoughts Renton expressed in the book to portray certain information, thoughts, and