32nd Annual Student Research Conference
Self-Estrangment and Meaninglessness in Trainspotting
Emily N. Connor
Dr. Hena Ahmad, Faculty Mentor
Irvine Welsh’s 1993 novel Trainspotting follows a group of heroin-using friends in the setting of Leith, rife with Edinburgh’s 1980s drug culture. Representative of psychological realism, Mark Renton and his friends’ separate narratives depict their experiences of disempowerment and powerlessness. Marginalized in society, their dull and meaningless lives, in conjunction with drugs and unemployment, ultimately contribute to their alienation. Their social isolation drives the conflicts Renton and his mates face. Drawing on B. A. Senekal’s “Alienation in Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting,” this paper will explore the relationship between their rampant drug culture and the self-estrangement of their lives.
Keywords: Scottish, Trainspotting, Alienation, Meaninglessness, Powerlessness, Edinburgh, Leith, Social Isolation
Topic(s):English
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 305-3
Location: BH 241
Time: 2:00