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Alcohol

This substance is used to excess by many characters and leads to violence and neglect.

Glasgow

This largely working-class city exhibits resilience, but also violence and grit.

Pigeons

This creatures represent innocent, but they, like the humans in the novel, do not have much control over their lives, and they are vulnerable.

Mungo's Facial Tic

This phenomenon represents stress, anxiety, and neglect.

Tattie-bogle

This nickname or alter ego represents the children's attempt to insulate themselves from the pain of their mother's addiction and neglect.

Gallowgate's Postcard

This object represents a character's complexity. The character who this object belongs to could be considered a monster, but this character also longs to reconnect with estranged family.

Mungo's Knife

This object represents the turn in Mungo's personality when he uses it to save himself towards the end of the novel.

Hamish's Glasses

This represents the notion that appearances can be...

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