The book Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh depicts the nihilistic and morbid feelings of urban youth in Edinburgh, their struggle with life in the lower classes and substance abuse. However, Their lives are survived by an eccentric desire to stay together. This forms the basis of Welsh's book.
             Although crime, drugs and sex are the main themes there is an over-riding sense that the characters long to escape from their lives. Most of these are quixotic, i.e. Sick boy moving to France only to come back. This drive however allows them to gain respect and dependence for each other. Trainspotting argues the terminology of freedom, although the characters have a tough life they seem content in their lives, Mark's brother Billy was supposedly living a better life in the army only to be killed, "he died an ignorant victim ay imperialism...he understood fuck all about it"(210) on reflection, it can be said there is no such thing as freedom and that the main characters in this book are as "free" as anyone living in mainstream society. Instinctively, the longing for escape will go beyond friendship. This is shown in the drug scene, saying that, Mark does feel resentment for ripping off his friends "he even considers going back on the bus"(342)
             Trainspotting contradicts the stereotypical terminology of a friend. Most characters refer to each other as "cunt". I feel though that this is just a habitual saying with no real intention. They resort to violence and verbal degradation in order to help each other out, "Loosen up fir fuck sakes! It's New fuckin Year!"(41) Examining statements like this, it can be claimed that this was the only way they knew how to deal with difficult situations. Their background almost commands them to act "hard" but the semantics of these statements suggests a friendly reassuring tone. There is a feeling that without each other then they will no...