61 pages • 2 hours read
Irvine WelshA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Summary
Part 1, Chapters 1-3
Part 1, Chapters 4-6
Part 1, Chapters 7-10
Part 2, Chapters 11-13
Part 2, Chapters 14-17
Part 3, Chapters 18-19
Part 3, Chapters 20-21
Part 4, Chapters 22-24
Part 4, Chapters 25-28
Part 5, Chapters 29-31
Part 5, Chapters 32-33
Part 6, Chapters 34-36
Part 6, Chapters 37-39
Part 6, Chapters 40-42
Part 7, Chapter 43
Character Analysis
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
This is the first chapter with a female narrator. Told from the point of view of Kelly, it opens with her sitting opposite Alison. Alison is trying to convince her to leave Mark alone, pointing out that he’s a junky and no good for her. Kelly retorts that Alison isn’t much better off with Simon, “who just comes along and uses her when he’s got naebody else tae fuck” (274).
Alison is in a sour mood because she has to head to the Housing Department because her rent is overdue. As the girls walk outside, a construction worker hassles them with sexual remarks, and Alison fires back: “Have you goat a girlfriend? Ah doubt it, because yir a fat, ugly prick” (274). She and the construction worker get into a verbal altercation. A crowd of other women gathers, including two New Zealand tourists and two older housewives. They jump into the fray and support Alison and Kelly in their verbal sparring with the construction worker.
Eventually, the construction foreman comes over and shoos the workers away. Alison and Kelly invite the New Zealanders, Veronica and Jane, to Kelly’s to smoke hash.