Sailmaker Quotation Analysis Flashcards
“Ah’ve got a bit of bad news for ye son. Yer mammy’s dead.”
Spence’s use of a flashback helps the audience to further understand the profound impact the death of his mother has had. Alec recounts the exact words that his father said to him on that morning. Davie’s delivery of the news, in a blunt and matter-of-fact tone indicates that he is a stereotypical 1960s Glasgow man who feels unable to express his emotions.
“I was standing there, crying - real big deep sobs.”
Alec, in contrast to his father, is young and uninhibited by stereotypes at the beginning of the play and is able to express his emotions. The word choice of ‘deep sobs’ suggests that he was able to express his grief freely and conveys the deep sense of loss he felt at the time.
“Sometimes for whole minutes ye can nearly forget about it, shove it take the back age yer mind.”
Davie, in the aftermath of his wife’s death, does anything and everything to try and occupy his mind as he is unable to express his grief as freely as Alec. However, his word choice if ‘nearly’ suggests that his grief is always present and the word choice of ‘shove’, which has connotations of something which is forced, suggests he finds it very difficult to keep his feelings at bay, but he does to maintain a sense of hardiness.
“We can kid on. Use yer imagination.”
Alec, at the beginning of the play, is portrayed as childish and full of imagination. He often encourages his cousin, Ian, and this is seen through this, almost forceful command. Alec is portrayed as a naive character in Act 1 who believes his father has made up the ‘y’ought to see’ it poem and that he will return to his trade as a sailmaker. This contrasts the older Alec who becomes more realistic as the play progresses.
“He’s really a sailmaker. That’s his real job.”
Alec defends Davie and shows admiration for his father as Ian criticises his job as a ‘tick-man’. Alec’s belief in his father is made clear when he insists that this is only a temporary job and he seems hopeful that his dad will soon return to his ‘real job’. Again, Alec’s admiration for his father at the beginning of the play suggests a childish naivety which slowly leaves Alec as he grows up.
“Just wan, son. Honest! Wee hauf at the end of the day. Just helps tae unwind.”
Davie’s alcoholism, used to cope with his wife’s death, begins to cause problems for Alec and Davie’s relationship. The word choice of ‘unwind’ suggests that Davie’s grief causes him strain and stress, so much so that he uses alcohol as an escapes. His tendency to downplay things is once again shown through his word choice of ‘just wan’. The fact that Alec can smell the alcohol suggests this is not the case. Davie’s dishonesty about his drinking introduces the fact that this is a problem.
“Comin hame’s the worst. The boy’s lot playin. House is empty. Gets on top of ye.”
Davie’s grief is apparent as he reveals to Billy that he feels lonely in the house without his wife and it is clear that Davie is slowly becoming depressed. The series of short sentences help to convey Davie’s sorrow and isolation. This sense of loneliness stays with Davie throughout the play and he eventually frequents the pub more often, which indicates his tendency to avoid painful situations.
“Yeh‘ve been sayin’ that for weeks!”
The yacht becomes a symbol for father and son relationships and Davie’s false promises. Alec ‘s frustration that his father repeatedly makes excuses for not fixing the boat is apparent here through his exclamation. Alec feels let down by his father who continues to struggle as a single father throughout the play.
“Scrubbed. Again. Laid off. Redundant. Services no longer required.”
Upon losing his job as a ‘tick-man’ and then subsequently losing his job int he factory, Davie slips further into his state of depression. Davie speaks in a series of short, abrupt sentences which convey both his sense of annoyance and his sense of hopelessness after losing another job. Davie sees himself as worthless, as seen through the word choice of ‘scrubbed’ which suggests he has been violently removed and erased completely without a second thought.
“Ah’ll shove this in the Glory hole, oot the road.”
By putting the yacht in the Glory Hole, it becomes clear that Alec has given up hope that his dad will fulfil promises he has made to him. At this point, the yacht is used to symbolise Alec’s change from an idealistic to a realistic view of his father.
“When did the Lord Jesus come into your heart? Pardon? I says. Terrified!”
Alec struggles to answer questions about his own faith as he realises that his interest in religion has been another means of working through his mother’s death. The series of questions emphasise Alec’s panic about being confronted with such a question, further highlighted by the use of an exclamation mark. Alec seeks comfort in religion and fact-based things in life and uses these as a way of positively working through his grief.
“He’s not actually working just now, but he’s a sailmaker to trade. Sounds fascinating. Aye.”
Alec becomes critical of his father and his tendency to give up on things after he fails to find other employment after the loss of his factory job. Alec adopts a sarcastic tone, made clear through two short, abrupt sentences, and this starkly contrasts Alec’s view of his father in Act 1 of the play. Spence makes clear that, at this point in the play, conflict is beginning to form between the characters and Alec is becoming more realistic when it comes to his father.
“Can ye no talk to me these days? Can ye no tell me anythin? Think ah came fae another planet!”
Davie’s upset at the lack of communication between him and Alec is clear here. The use of repetition stresses the frustration Davie feels about the deterioration of their relationship and the metaphor he uses, claiming it is as if he is ‘fae another planet’ suggests that he feels they are, in a sense, speaking different languages and have no common ground. This reinforces the growing sense of separation and frustration between the two men.
“We’re living like bloody Steptoe and Son! Nae light. Place is like midden.”
The true reasons for Alec and Davie’s growing conflict are finally addressed in the key scene of Act 2. Alec’s irritation at the state of their relationship and living situation is made clear through a series of short sentences. His word choice of ‘bloody’ has connotations of anger and frustration which suggests his overwhelming and mounting despair at the state of their house and relationship.
“Why don’t ye admit it? Why don’t ye just admit ye fancy her?”
Alec, in his own anger, presses his father on his inability to move on from Alec’s mother. The repetition of ‘why don’t ye’ highlights Alec’s frustration at his father and his reluctance to move on from his mother. It also highlights that, in his anger, Alec is blind to his father’s motives behind not admitting it; Davie has not processed his grief in the way Alec has. The lack of communication and the consequences this has had on their relationship are clear.
