Young People:

Trainspotting represents young people as unconcerned with life and taking any opportunity to get drunk or high on drugs. An example would be Diane, who is only 15 years old, being present in a nightclub, where she will gladly take drinks from men that approach her, although will then show her disinterest in the men themselves. Another example, although he is older than Diane, is Renton, who makes the decision to take heroin the same day he evades a prison sentence and promises to go to rehab.

Older People:

While there aren’t many older people in Trainspotting, Renton’s parents are represented as being sympathetic towards their son that drugs have impacted his life negatively, while also realising the difficult task of keeping him in his room off of any medication in order to stop him from relapsing, as cruel as it may be perceived from Renton’s perspective.

Working Class People:

Trainspotting does not try to glamourize the working class, instead it shows that despite now having a steady income, Renton still lives on the bare minimum. However, compared to the drug-centric life he lived beforehand, he says he feels ‘almost content’ with this new life.

Scottish People:

Scottish people are represented as being bitter and ashamed at the fact that they are from Scotland, with Renton referring to them as ‘the lowest of the low’ and ‘the scum of the earth’. He also expresses his annoyance with the fact they ‘can’t even find a good culture to be colonized by’, in reference to the English.

Addicts:

Addicts in Trainspotting are shown to feel sorry for themselves and each other that they can’t give up drugs, but make no attempt to stop each other. The character of Tommy doesn’t take heroin until his girlfriend leaves him, but by the end of the film he becomes addicted, leading to a positive HIV test (despite Renton being more at risk to it but testing negative) and his eventual fatal stroke.

Men:

Men are represented as being very much influenced by their heterosexual and masculine identities. For example, Begbie is horrified when he discovers a potential love interest is transgender, and is overly aggressive towards other men, taking any opportunity to start a fight.

Women:

Most women in Trainspotting are mainly used as love interests to the main characters, and aren’t really focused on past the first act of the film. However, Diane recurs throughout the film and is arguably a countertype of women in film, establishing power over Renton with the fact she can report him to the police at any time for sleeping with her.