Sailmaker: Key Quotations (SQA National 5 English): Revision Note
Exam code: X824 75
When you answer any question on Sailmaker, remember to support your points with references. You can evidence your knowledge of the text in two equally valid ways: both through references to it and direct quotations from it. Overall, you should aim to secure a strong knowledge of the play. This will help you select references effectively.
A good idea is to group evidence (or key quotes) by character or theme so you can see the development of Spence’s ideas.
Below you will find definitions and analysis of the best quotations arranged by the following themes:
Grief and loss
Social class
Religion
Family relationships
Grief and loss
Alan Spence’s play Sailmaker focuses on a father and son dealing with grief. It explores how the father’s inability to manage and communicate his own feelings impacts the family. As well as this, Spence examines how the father’s disillusionment over his lost dreams affects their relationship.
“There’s somethin I’ve lost. Something I’ve forgotten” — Alec, Act Two
Meaning and context
This line is spoken twice by Alec in Act Two:
The first time is as an aside when Davie leaves the stage
The second time is a soliloquy — the stage goes dark and stage directions have the “spotlight on Alec”
As Alec grows up, he feels he must revisit the past for answers:
He says there is something he must remember, something he needs to find
Analysis
These short sentences convey Alec’s desperate confusion about his identity
They follow his comment, “I keep goin back”, implying he is looking for closure after his mother’s death:
The word “forgotten” suggests his grief is unresolved
Alec's grief creates a psychological void:
It manifests as a relentless search for something vital that is missing or “lost”
Paired quotations
“I was watching myself crying, watching my puny grief from somewhere above it all. I was me and I was not-me" — Alec, Act One
“There’s just you an me now son. We’ll have tae make the best of it” — Davie, Act One
Meaning and context
Alec's opening soliloquy recalls the moment he was told of his mother’s death:
He feels detached as he weeps
His flashback also describes his father’s reaction after delivering the bad news:
Davie tries to accept their fate and speaks practically about their future
After the line is delivered, Davie turns away to go and “make some breakfast”
Analysis
Alec’s first soliloquy highlights his shock — the phrases “watching myself crying” and "somewhere above it all" suggest he separates himself from his physical body:
This foreshadows the impact his grief will have on him as he grows up
The paradox in "I was me and I was not-me" illustrates Alec’s dual state of being: he is both a grieving child and a distanced observer
The adjective “puny” (weak) emphasises his sense of insignificance and highlights the magnitude of his loss
In the line, “just you an me now son”, Spence illustrates Davie and Alec’s reliance on each other after their loss
Davie attempts to be the stoic, practical head of the household, implying an avoidance of emotion
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Examiners reward the skill of analysis. They look for answers that do not rely on a narrative summary of the play and, instead, use supporting evidence when commenting on the presentation of a character or theme. This means that writing a list of quotes that do not address the question is not advisable.
Social class
Alan Spence depicts two working-class families in 1960s Glasgow: one views education as the only escape from the limitations of their social class, while the other clings to traditional values and past glories. Both families struggle as a result of decreasing opportunities for tradesmen.
Paired quotations
“Collar and tie. Never have tae take yer jacket off” — Davie, Act Two
“Ah can just see you wi the wee uniform. The wee cap an that!” — Ian, Act Two
Meaning and context
When Alec takes an interest in Bible study, Davie tells him to pursue his education, and adds that he did not have the same opportunities growing up:
He wants his son to leave his working-class roots behind
In contrast, Ian, influenced by his father, is proud of his social class, and jokes about Alec’s desire for social mobility
Analysis
Davie's statements on social class are conveyed through his advice to Alec to pursue education, seeing it as the best route out of poverty
White-collar professional work is represented by a “collar and tie”:
Davie suggests Alec will never have to undertake manual labour, referring to never taking his “jacket off”
In contrast, Ian ridicules Alec’s desire to go to private school, laughing at the idea by using the diminutive word “wee”
Paired quotations
“He’s workin as a tick man. But he’s really a sailmaker. That’s his real job. That’s his trade” — Alec, Act One
“Ye need a trade. That’s what ma da says. He’s gonnae get me in wi him at the paintin when ah’m auld enough” — Ian, Act One
Meaning and context
When Ian calls Davie a "tick man", Alec attempts to defend his father’s skill as a “sailmaker”, considered a respectable trade
Ian, too, understands the respect that comes from having a trade, and plans to follow in his father’s footsteps when he is old enough
Analysis
The dialogue between Alec and Ian highlights the stark contrast between two types of working-class labour, a sailmaker and a debt-collector:
By asserting "That’s his trade", Alec shows he understands the respect associated with the skilled trade
The modifiers “really” and “real” highlight his need to defend his father’s skills
Ian’s desire to work as a painter as soon as he can illustrates working-class traditions whereby sons would go into their fathers’ trades
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Examiners reward well-chosen examples. Each example should have a clear explanation and analysis to answer the question asked. It is better to closely connect your evidence to the theme or idea you’re asked about, rather than make several brief and unfocused points. Try to avoid “translating” the quotes (just explaining what the words mean).
Religion
Spence presents religion as a source of comfort in times of grief. However, while both Alec and Davie believe in the significance of faith, their relationship with religion by the end of the play is questionable. Spence also presents religion in 1960s Scotland as a source of tribalism through Billy and Ian's strong, prejudiced sectarianism.
Paired quotations
“A window in the sky to open and God to lean out and say my mother had arrived safe” — Alec, Act One
"I could have said it was when my mother died. That would have sounded pious. But I didn’t think it was true. I didn’t know. That was it, I didn’t know” — Alec, Act Two
Meaning and context
In Act One, the initial role of religion is introduced when Alec’s grief is connected to themes of spiritual search:
The line, spoken after Alec learns of his mother's death, highlights how he turns to religion for reassurance
Later, however, when Alec visits the Christian “Mission” in a bid to find answers and comfort, he begins to doubt his faith:
When asked when the “Lord Jesus” came into his “heart”, Alec is uncertain
Analysis
Alec’s desire for a sign from God creates pathos — it is clear he needs comfort:
A metaphorical image of a window in the sky illustrates Alec’s imagination and a sense of his innocence
His love for his mother is conveyed by a need to know she is safe, rather than to have her return
Later, Spence illustrates Alec’s honest assessment of his faith when questioned on it:
Short, repetitive sentences (“I didn’t know”) convey his frustration that religion has not provided him with the answers and certainty that he hoped for
“It takes a green stem tae haud up an orange lily!” — Davie, Act One
Meaning and context
When Davie and Billy engage in a discussion about football, it quickly turns into a debate about religion
Billy says the colour green is "the worst ae the lot" as it is associated with Catholics
However, Davie contradicts him:
He refers to the green stem that holds up an “orange lily”, a symbol strongly associated with Protestant identity
Analysis
Davie uses a metaphor to undermine Billy’s prejudiced view about Catholicism
Davie uses logos to argue that the two sectarian symbols (Protestant Orange and Catholic Green) are not separate or opposed in the natural world
This presents Davie as tolerant, open-minded and intelligent in contrast to his brother
Family relationships
The theme of family relationships is presented through father-son relationships. Primarily, Spence depicts the deteriorating bond between Davie and Alec following the death of Alec's mother. This is contrasted with the more stable, traditional ties represented by Billy and Ian. The play illustrates Alec’s desire to move beyond the limitations of his background and how, alongside his father’s encouragement, this leads to their inevitable separation.
Paired quotations
“Comin hame’s the worst. The boy’s oot playin. Hoose is empty. Gets on top of ye” — Davie, Act One
“D’ye think it’s easy? Day after day after day, havin tae think ae somethin” — Davie, Act Two
Meaning and context
Davie confides in Billy:
He admits the difficulty of managing the home and his grief alone, especially in his son’s absence
Davie’s struggles impact his son: by Act Two he and Alec’s arguments worsen as a result of the burden of single parenthood:
He thinks Alec should help him decide what they will eat, telling him that it is difficult to come up with meals every day
Analysis
Spence portrays Davie’s reliance on his son Alec after his wife has died:
Pathos is created in his description of an empty house and his admission that he is overwhelmed and lonely
By Act Two the relationship between Davie and Alec suffers as a result of this burden:
Davie’s frustration is revealed in a rhetorical question to Alec — he suggests his son does not understand his struggles
The repetition of “day after day” conveys the continual strain he feels providing meals
“Can ye no tell me anythin? Think ah came fae another planet” — Davie, Act Two
Meaning and context
This line, spoken by Davie in Act Two, marks a moment of emotional confrontation with his son:
It also reflects his sense of alienation, and illustrates a decline in their relationship
Davie is frustrated that Alec refuses to discuss his new girlfriend
Alec replies by reminding his father of a fight they had:
As a young boy his father embarrassed him in a conversation about kissing girls; in response, Alec slapped him
Analysis
The rhetorical question “Can ye no tell me anythin?” reveals the failing communication between Davie and Alec:
The line serves to open old wounds: Alec’s memories of a time when he did confide in Davie are painful, thus explaining his growing detachment
The line is darkly ironic: Davie’s inability to communicate with Alec in the past has led to his independence
His suggestion, that Alec thinks he is from another “planet”, emphasises his sense of alienation as Alec begins to draw away
Sources
Spence, A. (2008), Sailmaker, from Spence, A. and Cooper, J. (2012), Sailmaker Plus, Hodder Gibson
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