Symbolism in Sailmaker – Davie’s Sailmaking Tools

NATIONAL 5 – SCOTTISH SET TEXT
Sailmaker by Alan Spence

Symbolism is when an object, an image, a word, a person, a colour or a setting represents ideas beyond what it is in reality.

Within Sailmaker there are some notable examples of symbolism.

The sail-making tools

The tools that Alec shows to Ian symbolise a tension that exists in Glasgow life quite starkly. Glasgow has been the home of creativity: the ship-building, the engineering and the many movements in all types of art forms. Glasgow has also been the source of a great deal of violence. It was famous in the 1960s for its violence, gaining the name of ‘No Mean City’ for itself. Alec understands the names and the creativity of the tools, whereas Ian sees the tools as potential weapons.

Symbolism in Sailmaker – Davie’s Broken Shaving Mirror

NATIONAL 5 – SCOTTISH SET TEXT
Sailmaker by Alan Spence

Symbolism is when an object, an image, a word, a person, a colour or a setting represents ideas beyond what it is in reality.

Within Sailmaker there are some notable examples of symbolism.

Davie’s broken shaving mirror

The mirror that Davie uses to shave is broken. As Alec is entering into manhood, he starts to use Davie’s mirror, but there’s ‘a big crack doon the middle’ and this makes it hard for Alec to shave. The mirror represents Davie’s cracked identity or self-image as it is sometimes called. Davie is finding it hard to keep himself together as a person: the mirror represents this. Alec, who has not suffered the blows to his own self-image that Davie has, finds a cracked mirror ‘stupid’ and difficult.