Consider the answers to these questions – you may answer them in your jotter in preparation for tomorrow’s class (30th sept).

1. What kind of relationship does the play focus on?

2. Do these relationships change during the play? Think of an example.

3.What are the main causes in the breakdown of Alec and Davie’s relationship? Why?

Miss P

1. The family is traditional Scottish working-class (men were expected to become apprentices to a trade at a young age).

2. Billy and Iain – and Davie, to some extent – are locked in this traditional mind-set: they are practical, keep a lid on their emotions, and follow football closely.

3. Class boundaries leads to some prejudice (see Iain’s comments about Alec’s school, and Alec’s comments about the minister’s son).

4. The experience of the middle-class grammar school alienates Alec from Davie: “And what does your father do? He’s not actually working just now, but he’s a sailmaker to trade. Sounds fascinating. Aye’. (p45)

• ‘There’s more to stew than just shovin a dod a meat in the pot wi an oxo cube and slappin it on the plate…’ (p46)

–

What is it?

A broken toy sailboat that Alec finds in the gloryhole.

What is the symbolism?

1)Escape – boats are used for travel, sometimes away from a place of misery. (Think about “Titanic”)

2)Davie – Alec’s father is a sailmaker, so the boat reminds him of that trade and of his father. The yacht also represents the relationship between Davie and Alec

3)Childhood – Toys are associated with childhood. Alec’s childhood was destroyed with the death of his mother, he needs his family to give him drive and direction (a sail) to make the best of his childhood and his life.

4)Hope – Alec anticipates his father returning to his trade. Davie promises to fix the boat; in doing so he would show Alec that not only was he becoming more reliable, but still had hope to return to sailmaking.

Please finish adding these notes to your literature jotter,

Miss P