Trainspotting

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. They are high and happy, enjoying their moment of female solidarity, when Mark comes by. He decides to leave them to their female fun. As he departs, Jane remarks that not all men are so bad. Kelly replies, “Aye, when they’re in the fucking minority thir okay, ah sais, wondering where the edge in ma voice had come fae, then no wantin tae wonder too much” (277).