Duality and Split Selves in Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting

Abstract

In my thesis I examine the appearance of the double and doppelgänger motifs in Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting (1993) and the duality of Mark Renton from several perspectives. On the one hand, in terms of its role in society, and on the other hand, in terms of the strong political opposition interpreted as part of national identity that tears Renton’s ‘self’ apart. The novel illustrates this through contrasting aspects of the protagonist’s relationship with other characters.