Renton's Maturity. An Analysis of the Character Development of the Protagonist in the Movie Trainspotting

Essay from the year 2014 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 1.0, University of Bonn, language: English, abstract: "Trainspotting" is a 1996 cult screen adaptation of Irvin Welsh' s novel of the same name. Despite the fact that it has not been aimed at mass market audience it has become very popular. In a survey done by a British company HMV in 2012 "Trainspotting" has been recognized as the best British film 1of the last 60 years. The flick tells a story of four friends. Although, the only thing that they have in common is their drug addiction which leads every one of them to their own, personal destiny. The story is told from the perspective of a first person narrator Mark Renton. A young Scotsman who constantly tries to quit substance abuse and somehow become integrated with the world of adults. In parallel we become acquainted with his friends who are also drug addicted, good for nothing losers. An unexpected personal enrichment gives Mark an opportunity to finally change the course of his life. Despite many disturbing scenes there is a great amount of humor in this film. As well as unusual cinematographic realisations. Trainspotting features characteristics of a Bildungsroman 2 which means that the inner development of the protagonist is more important than the plot. Renton's maturity plays a key role in his drug withdrawal. The purpose of this term paper is to illustrate his maturity and the factors that lead to it. There are four major aspects of this formation. The love and the guidance of Renton's parents, motivation to move forward in life, change of the environment and his decision making. Mark Renton's formation consists of two phases. In the first phase he denials the reality by fleeing into drug consumption. Eventually he attains enlightenment which makes him strong enough to face the reality. In the second part he breaks out of the negative environment that he was born into and faces the world of adults.