Work questions for Passing

Places, Aug 18th

I decided against detailed questions as you are all competent readers
and Elsebeth has taught you how to prepare a text.
So:
everyone brings 2 questions for the text. Authentic questions, meaning
something that you need to discuss with others in order to gain a deeper
understanding.
Discuss the symbolism in what Mirren is saying to Alex in scene 2,
!M"##$%. &hey're passing places. %ot stopping places. (ou shouldn't
ha)e to stop. *ust slow down a bit+ (ou need to learn to ad,ust.-
.hat symbols are there in the boo/ that can be transferred to a
meaningful understanding of life0 Such as, 1in/s, Motherwell, !passing
places-, sur2ng the great wa)e0

if your birthday is in *an, 3eb, March:
4i)e a characterization all the main characters
Characters
Alex
Of all the characters Alex develops most during the play. At first he is aggressive, argumentative
and tough. He is also nave and inclined to get things wrong. He has something of the air of a lost
soul, not sure what he wants out of life. He doesnt even seem to be aware that there is anything
more to be got out of life. He regards Brians pursuit of nowledge as suspect and strange.
On the flight he is motivated primarily by terror, racing desperately away, without taing time to plan
logically or identify the best course of action. He depends on Brians guidance. He finds !irren
irritating because she is surer of herself than he is and because she is cleverer than he is.
"radually, under the influence of !irren and from the experiences of the #ourney, he learns to relax
and to recognise that at least there is a better life to be found, somewhere. $n the end he has
achieved some ind of tran%uility and the beginnings of a desire to discover more.
&uotes for Alex with some analysis'
() *A+,-. +oo at this place. .othing but shoe shops and burger bars/ $0 1O,2 !3 H,A1 $.45
6scene 7)
8ontext 9 near the start of the play when the boys are still stuc in !otherwell.
Analysis 9 0his shows the feeling of disenchantment that Alex has with his life and with his home:
town, !otherwell. 0he setting is important here as it shows the lac of opportunity the boys have.
0hey need to leave !otherwell to discover that there can be much more to life.
;) *A+,-. $ #ust need to go away for a while. 0rust me.
!<!. About as far as $ could throw you.5 6scene =)
8ontext 9 Alex waes up the morning after stealing the surfboard and reali>es he has to leave to
escape the violent Bins.
Analysis 9 0his clearly shows that Alex has a poor relationship with his mum. $t lacs the basic trust
that should exist between family members. 0his is another indication of the emptiness of Alexs life
in !otherwell. 0he only real relationship he has is with his friend Brian.
?) *!$@@,.. 0heyre passing places. .ot stopping places. 3ou shouldnt have to stop. Aust slow
down a bit/ 3ou need to learn to ad#ust.5 6scene ;B)
8ontext 9 !irren, a fellow traveler they meet on their #ourney, is giving advice to Alex about his
driving.
Analysis 9 Although !irren is giving Brian advice on driving she is really taling about his approach
to life. He has to learn to slow down and ad#ust and then he will reali>e that there is more to life
than the violence and poverty of !otherwell. !irren, and the #ourney through 2cotland, help Alex to
mae this reali>ation. +ater on, in scene C;, this driving metaphor is continued when !irren says'
*!$@@,.. 3oure getting better you now.
A+,-. At whatD
!$@@,.. Eassing places.5
At this stage Alex is more relaxed and more open to the possibilities that the #ourney can bring
C) *A+,-. $ cant. $ can thin it but $ cant say it. $ts #ust/ its not part of my language, alrightD5
6scene ;F)
8ontext 9 Alex and the others are taling about the 2cottish landscape and Alex admits he cant
say the word Gbeautiful.
Analysis 9 0his shows us that Alex has experienced very little beauty in his life up until now. As
Brian later says their hometown, !otherwell, has *2eventeen words for dogshit5, but no word for
beauty. $t is clear that Alex had to leave his hometown to discover that the world can be a place of
beauty and opportunity. $n the next scene he wants to use the word *beautiful5 to describe !irren
but he still cant say it. However it is clear that his growing relationship with !irren is an important
part of his ability to change and grow as a character.
H) *$O.A. Ihat are you looing forD
A+,-. Aust/ somewhere that doesnt mae me feel lie an outsider.
$O.A. Or someone.5 6scene ?H)
8ontext : Alex is taling to $ona outside the ceilidh.
Analysis. Alex finally admits that he is searching for something. He is no longer #ust running away
from Bins. His #ourney is one of self:discovery, a reali>ation that there is more to life than
!otherwell.
B) *2HAE,@. One potentially perfect moment where everything in the universe is suddenly
aligned/ 0hats the wave were all looing for.5 6scene HJ)
8ontext 9 0he 2haper is taling to the boys about why people come to 0hurso to surf.
Analysis : Although the 2haper is taling about surfing the *wave5 is a metaphor for the meaning
and beauty that we are all looing for in our lives. 0his is what both Alex and Brian are looing for
on their #ourney.
7) *A+,-. $ts/ beautiful.5 6scene HC)
8ontext 9 Alex is describing !o surfing the perfect wave.
Analysis 9 Alex is finally able to use the *beautiful5. $t shows that he has come a long way, both
physically and metaphorically, from !otherwell. He is beginning to see that the world can have
beauty and opportunity for him.
=) *!$@@,.. Ihat are you thiningD
A+,-. $m not. $m not thining at all. $m #ust letting it happen.5 6scene HC)
8ontext 9 0his is the end of the play when Alex and !irren have decided to continue their #ourney
of discovery together.
Analysis 9 Ie see here that Alex has changed a lot from the cynical, aggressive and anxious
person he was in !otherwell. He reali>es that life can be a #ourney of discovery and he is
beginning to build a meaningful relationship with !irren.
Brian
Brian is more sensible than Alex, more thoughtful and more open to self:improvement. He is aware
that there is another world outside !otherwell and he would %uite lie to be part of it. He is less
hostile than Alex to the new people they meet and more open to their influences. He is proud of the
little bits of nowledge he has piced up in the library .He nurses a great sense of loss. 0he
computer program which he wrote gave him something to wor towards, to believe in, to regard as
his own creation. $t was all destroyed in a few seconds, not by malice, not by accident but by
ignorance. 0his has affected him deeply and he seems to lin it with the death of his mum. His
losses are enough to mae him attempt suicide.
!eeting $ona and particularly Kran the 2haper maes him realise that there are other people who
are basically #ust lie him. However, they have developed not #ust a computer program but a whole
way of life that gives them satisfaction. He wants to do the same. 62ee relationships section for
some ey %uotes about Brian.)
Mirren
!irren seems self:assured and sensible. 2he shows no emotion when 1iesel arranges for her to
leave. 3et she is still looing for something. 2he is not ready to settle down or to stop her search.
2he has a %uic wit and can tease Alex without him even being aware of it. 2he doesnt reveal any
particular liing for him but she does suggest going to 0hurso with him and Brian. 2he accepts
Alexs suggestion that he should accompany her to Orney but without indicating how she feels
about it. 2he is too laid:bac to comment. 2he may be too laid:bac even to feel, of courseD
Her relationship with her father is uneasy. 0he scene at 0oms house is the only time she shows
any emotion at all, irritated by his %uestions and his concern for her. 0heir relationship is so bad
that she doesnt want to stay for long' G0hings tend to get ugly after a while. 2he has good insight,
able to tell Alex truths about himself that he wasnt aware of.
Iona
2he is another of the cool, laid:bac characters that people this play, in strong contrast with Alex
and Brian. 2he is multi:talented, with a bacground in wor off:shore, an ability to write and a talent
for singing. 2he has had the courage to give up her well:paid #ob in order to settle in 2ye and do
what she wants to do. 2he is not thrown by anything. As !irren says, GShe doesnt expect
anything, and so she calmly accepts whatever happens along.
Binks
Bins is mad. He has psychopathic tendencies. He thins he can hold conversations with his
brother who died at birth. He has a gun and eventually uses it, having wored his way up through
verbal abuse, threatening with a nife and threatening with a Lippo. He is also easily taen in and
easily put off. 0here is a naivety about him that maes him vulnerable to the single:mindedness of
an old lollipop lady and to the intelligence of Kran. However, where his opponent is weaer than
he is 6a child, a woman, a helpless drun), he is ruthless.
Binss single:minded stupidity reveals the dangers and weanesses inherent in a society based
on greed and selfishness.
2atire 9 Bins is made a figure of ridicule, even though he represents a genuine evil in society.
Relationships
0here are two ey relationships in the play'
Alex and Brian
Alex and !irren
Alex and Brian are both friends from !otherwell. At the start of the play they dont really have any
other meaningful relationships. Brian shows that he is a true friend by sticing by Alex when he
gets into trouble with Bins.
*A+,-. $ #ust need to go away for a while. 0rust me.
!<!. About as far as $ could throw you.5 6scene =)
8ontext 9 Alex waes up the morning after stealing the surfboard and reali>es he has to leave to
escape the violent Bins.
Analysis 9 0his clearly shows that Alex has a poor relationship with his mum. $t lacs the basic trust
that should exist between family members. 0his is another indication of the emptiness of Alexs life
in !otherwell. 0he only real relationship he has is with his friend Brian.
Brian also has no meaningful family relationships. His mum is dead, his brother is in the army and
his dad is an alcoholic'
*B@$A.. "eorge #oined the army. !y dad hit the bottle/ $ wondered how bad it could get before
it would all stop.5
0his helps to explain why Brian tries to commit suicide later in the play. He feels completely
isolated and does not even realise that Alex cares for him and relies on him. He is surprised at
Alexs reaction to his suicide attempt'
*B@$A.. $ didnt realise you were going to get so wored up about it.5
0he fact that Alex got *so wored up5 shows the strength of feeling that he has for Brian.
0he suicide attempt is a turning point for Brian as he reali>es he cant go bac to !otherwell. At
first this upsets Alex as he cant imagine being without his friend'
*A+,-. And what am $ supposed to do.5
Alex cant go bac to !otherwell without Brian as their friendship was the only good thing he had
there. 2o Brians decision is important for Alex too. $t maes him realise that he has to find his own
place in the world.
By the end of the play both boys remain friends but are going in different directions on their #ourney
of self:discovery.
Alex and Mirren - Both !irren and Alex are searching for their place in the world. At
first Alex is cold and unfriendly but as the play develops so does their relationship. 2ee
ey %uotes under Alex to see the importance of his relationship with !irren in helping
him to relax and open up to opportunities.