Mark Renton– the main character and antihero of the novel, Renton is the voice of (relative) sanity among his group of friends, of many of whom he is internally very critical. He narrates his daily life – from supporting his heroin addiction with dole money and petty theft to interacting with the "normal world" – with a cynical and black-humoured wit. He is capable of fitting in well enough to common society, is relatively good-looking and intelligent, but is misanthropic and depressed, and uses heroin both as a means to withdraw and to give meaning to his life. Despite his dislike of animals, he is a vegetarian, and unlike most of his circle is an avid reader and interested in learning – at one point being caught for shoplifting political theory books.
Simon "Sick Boy" Williamson– a slick, promiscuous, amoral con artist, and Renton's oldest friend. He picks up women with ease on account of his practiced charm and good looks, flaunting this quality in front of his friends. He is always on the lookout for potential scams, and despite his friendly, charming facade, he generally regards the women he seduces, who he often steals from, with little more than contempt, exemplified later in the story when he begins making money pimping heroin-addicted women. Essentially, a combination of Byronic hero and villain, he becomes even more amoral after the death of his daughter Dawn, who asphyxiates while her mother Lesley and Sick Boy are on a heroin binge (Sick Boy outwardly denies parental responsibility until years after the fact, but it is implied that Dawn's death does in fact hurt him, and that his increased ruthlessness is a coping mechanism). Sick Boy considers himself intellectually and morally superior to everyone around him, despite being one of the most shallow and callous characters in the novel; even the psychotically violent Begbie at times displays more empathy. While Begbie represents immorality as uncontrollable rage and violence to Renton, Sick Boyrepresents cold and calculated expediency. He displays many of the qualities associated with sociopaths – narcissism, delusions of grandeur, relentless manipulation of others – but it's left up to interpretation whether he truly is one. He is more disciplined in terms of substance abuse than Renton, having found it easier than he did to come off skag at various times, and Renton believes he gets pleasure from reminding him of the fact.
Daniel "Spud" Murphy– naive and childlike, Spud is both the whipping boy and only real source of comfort among Renton's circle of friends; they feel genuinely protective of him, even as they repeatedly mock and take advantage of him. Although a petty thief, Spud is notably more kindhearted than his friends, shown, for instance, in his love for animals and hatred of racism. However, he lacks the will and intellect to improve his position, and never seems to question whether his friends should remain his friends, even when their behaviour upsets and angers him. Spud represents the product of a society indifferentto social ills; he uses heroin because it feels good and because the simple truth is that he struggles to achieve anything even when sober. He suffers from kleptomania and is sent to Saughton Prison for a section of the novel for petty theft.
Francis "Franco" Begbie– psychopathic and violent with a short fuse, Begbie terrorises his friends and acquaintances into going along with whatever he says, very often assaulting and brutalising anyone who angers him. However, he does have a sense of honor in the form of intense loyalty to his friends, seemingly oblivious to the fact that none of them truly like him. He looks down on heroin addiction despite being himself an abuser of alcohol and amphetamine, and (in a psychological sense) addicted to violence. His source of income isn't fully explained, but he is demonstrated to be an experienced thief in a scenewhere he and Spud burgle a shop during closing hours. He is part of the Capital City Service football hooligan firm.
Davie Mitchell– the "everyman" of the novel, Davie seems to be the most normal of the characters. Unlike the others, he is a university graduate and holds down a decent job, and represents, to a degree, the "straight life" most of the characters try to avoid. He is not immune to the dangers of his environment,however, and his life is thrown into chaos when he contracts HIV; his experiences with the disease form the basis of the story in the chapter "Bad Blood".
Tommy Laurence– a childhood friend of Renton's, Tommy does not use heroin and is physically fit, and seems completely content to drink, use speed, play football, and listen to Iggy Pop. However, he is insecure and depends on others for validation; when his girlfriend dumps him, he numbs the depression by experimenting with heroin, grudgingly provided by Renton. His resulting addiction and eventual death weigh on Renton's conscience (and, in part, provoke him to make a serious attempt at sobriety).
Rab "Second Prize" McLaughlin– a friend of the main group, who is often inebriated due to heavy daily drinking. His nickname comes from the fact that he is known to start fights whilst drunk, and always loses. As a teenager he had a promising career as a professional footballer lined up, but ruined his chances when he becamean alcoholic, and returned home in shame. His girlfriend Carol eventually breaks up with him due to his near-constant drunkenness. Second Prize often makes a fool of himself whilst drunk, so badly as to put his drug-addicted friends to shame and embarrassment. He goes to London in the conclusion ofthe book with the others, and spends the whole time intoxicated.
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