Sailmaker by Alan Spence Textual Analysis Textual analysis

Sailmaker by Alan Spence Textual Analysis

Textual analysis questions are based on what is said, how it is said and why it has been said. What is being said draws on PLOT & CHARACTER – understanding HOW is it being said draws on LANGUAGE & STRUCTURE analysis WHY it is being said is an ANALYSIS evaluation question. How effective are the WHAT and the HOW to achieve the author’s purpose? Evaluation

Textual Analysis of Act 1 Part 1: “Eh Billy…And he’s a pape”. (pages 19 -20) 1. a) Davie gives 6 reasons for being short of money. What are they? (U) 3 You must use your own words. b) Which sentence shows fully the desperate nature of the debt situation Davie is in? (A) 1 c) Which words most clearly show Billy’s sympathy? How do they do this? (E) 2

Part 2: “still, aw ah need’s…knows a few hard men”. (Pages 20 -21) 2. a) What is Billy’s attitude to betting? (U) 2 b) Look at the sentence ‘Get a job as a company director or somethin!’ What is the tone of this sentence? How does it show Davie’s mood? (A) 2 c) What is the purpose of the last line of this part, (“ and maybe…. . hard men”) and how does it change the mood (page 21) (E) 2

Part 3: “What a carry one, eh? . . . If I ever dae” (pages 21 -22) 3. a) (i) What information are we given about Billy & Davie’s father’s childhood? (U)2 (ii) What are we told in this scene about Alec? (U) 1 3. b) From the speech “Naw ye don’t know…Gets on top of ye” write down a phrase that shows what Davie is feeling and explain how it does so. (A) 2 3. c) (i) Suggest a reason for this part about the adults’ childhood being included. (E) 2 3. c) (ii) Do you think it is effective? Give reasons for your answer. (E) 1

Answers 1. a) (i) He was not making enough by selling (ii) He was failing to collect the debt. (iii) He was not being paid much commission. (iv) He was drinking. (v) He was betting. (vi) He was paying heavy interest on the unpaid loans. 1. b) “Ah must’ve paid him back two or three times over, an ah still owe him the full whack”. c) “Bastard, eh? Sicken ye. And he’s a pape”. Billy’s words indicate his sympathy forcefully. He not only calls the bookie a bastard but is also down on him because of his religion.

2. a) He thinks it is a loser’s game because it is set up to favour the bookie. b) Sarcasm is the tone used in this sentence. The use of sarcasm emphasises Davie’s despair that things are hopeless particularly when juxtaposed against the ‘broo’. c) It indicates Billy will use his connections with the underworld to help Davie. This introduces a darker mood, a mood of threat/violence. 3. a) (i) He was very poor and he was a tough character. He moved from the country to the city to find work. (ii) Alec is doing well at school/ is clever. 3. b) “Naw ye don’t know…” shows Davie’s feeling of anger when he contradicts his brother’s polite but meaningless remark. OR

“naebody knows, unless they’ve been through it”, shows Davie’s loneliness in his loss – bereavement is a bigger event than most people experience. OR “Comin hame’s the worst” shows Davie’s loneliness when he comes home – coming home for him is the opposite of what it should be. OR “Gets on top of ye” shows Davie’s despair, but that he’s trying to cope and care. OR “If I ever dae” shows Davie’s despair, that he can see no hope.

3. c) (i) The reference to the adults’ childhood provides a link to the past and suggest that they had a happy time, even if they were poor. They were good companions and maybe this explains why Billy will help Alec now. OR It echoes the relationship between Alec and Ian. (ii) The effectiveness of this should be your own idea but a valid answer should tie up this part with character, plot and structure.

Analysis of Act 1 The first part of the play is difficult to grasp: Alec, a young man remembers his mother’s death. Davie, his father appears but is speaking in the language pattern of the day she died. This technique is called flashback and indicates to the reader/ audience that the story will centre on the relationship between Alec and his father following his mother’s death.

For much of the rest of the play Alec is taken back to his childhood and we watch him grow up in a home where Davie is struggling to cope both emotionally and financially. This puts a great strain on the actor playing the role; he has to be both a gentle young man who is still hurting about his mother’s death and a wee boy. Alec speaks differently from his dad – can you explain in what way? Can you suggest a reason why Spence has done this?

You should now be able to identify a link between character and language. The way a character uses language tells you something about their personality. For example – Davie says “Sometimes for whole minutes you can nearly forget about it…”. The use of ‘whole minutes’ shows the overwhelming sense of loss Davie feels. The repetition of ‘nearly’ – indicates that he can never completely forget about his loss.

On page 9 we are introduced to Alec’s cousin Ian. The point of this section is to show the relationship between the two boys. This is achieved by the range of topics covered – pirates, America, Rangers. What do we learn about their relationship? What language does Ian use to indicate his character traits? (p 9) “Ye need a trade. That’s what ma da says. He’s gonnae get mi in wi him at the paintin”

How does the plot develop in this section? What do we learn has happened? Begin your list with the following points: -Davie is working as a debt collector -Cousin Jacky has gone to America -Davie is not coping with the household chores (to p 15 with Davie’s entrance)

On page 11 Alec says “Blue is really the best colour” and Ian replies “That’s what ma da says”. The boys continue to talk about colour – what are they talking about? Does it have a deeper meaning? Davie returns on page 15 – what changes about him when he talks about sailmaking? Davie seems happy when he talking about sailmaking – he appears knowledgeable and seems optimistic “can sail it in the park”. Read up to page 19 to ‘Enter Davie and Billy’. Ian and Alec’s conversation has moved from boyish things to talking about going to the bookie – this will link to the next section where Davie and Billy appear. This link is an element of structure.

Near the end of Act 1, Davie tells Alec that he has lost his job (P 32). Before the yacht is symbolically put away, Davie tells him that he has lost his job. [SD] Davie comes in behind him and uses similar language to when he told him that his mother had died. Can you suggest a reason for this deliberate word choice and stage direction by the author? Could it be that this is another loss or death – the end of his childhood?