Johnny Swan Character Analysis in Trainspotting

Johnny Swan is a dealer who earns the nickname “Mother Superior” due to how heroin users like Rent Boy and Sick Boy come to him to cure their withdrawal. Johnny falls so deep into his addiction that he recklessly shoots heroin into an artery and has to have his leg amputated as a result. Seeing Johnny with one leg, still addicted, helps convince Rent Boy that he needs to get out of Scotland and avoid becoming like Johnny.

Johnny Swan Quotes in Trainspotting

The Trainspotting quotes below are all either spoken by Johnny Swan or refer to Johnny Swan . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

The sweat wis lashing oafay Sick Boy; he wis trembling. Ah wis jist sitting thair, focusing oan the telly, tryin no tae notice the cunt. He wis bringing me doon. Ah tried tae keep ma attention oan the Jean–Claude Van Damme video.

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Page Number and Citation: 1

Explanation and Analysis:

Funny thing wis, jist before this, ah remembered boastin thit ah’d niver OD’d in ma puff. Thir’s a first time fir everything. It wis Swanney’s fault. His gear’s normally cut tae fuck, so ye always bung that wee bit mair intae the cooking spoon tae compensate. Then whit does the cunt dae?

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Page Number and Citation: 188

Explanation and Analysis:

—It’s the fuckin best. You ken the Mother Superior, Rents. Ah believe in the free market whin it comes tae drugs. Ah’ve goat tae gic the NHS its due though. Since ah hud this pin oaf n went oan the maintenance therapy ah’ve started tae believe thit the state kin compete wi private enterprise in oor industry, n produce a satisfyin product at low cost tae the consumer.

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Page Number and Citation: 310

Explanation and Analysis:

Johnny Swan Character Timeline in Trainspotting

The timeline below shows where the character Johnny Swan appears in Trainspotting. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...movie. Sick Boy interrupts the movie to say he has to go see Mother Superior (Johnny Swan). Rent Boy wants to keep watching the movie, but Sick Boy complains that he’s... (full context)

Mother Superior is the nickname of Johnny Swan, a drug dealer who used to be good friends with Rent Boy but who... (full context)

...by Lou Reed. Sick Boy helps Alison take a speedball of heroin (“skag”) and cocaine. Johnny offers Sick Boy a shot—but only if he uses Johnny’s equipment. But Sick Boy only... (full context)

Rent Boy and Dianne stop in a record store, and Dianne looks around. Johnny Swan’s brother suddenly surprises Rent Boy in the store. They talk for a little while,... (full context)

...Rent Boy feels like it’s been a hard day. He decides maybe he’ll go to Johnny Swan for just one hit. (full context)

...childhood bedroom. As he recovers, he remembers taking too strong a dose of heroin at Johnny Swan’s place, then Johnny Swan and Alison taking him to the hospital. It’s Rent Boy’s... (full context)

...He heard recently that Lesley is on life support after an overdose. He runs into Johnny Swan at the club, and they talk about Lesley. Johnny thinks Lesley should be happy... (full context)

A Leg-Over Situation. Rent Boy goes to visit Johnny for the first time since his leg amputation. When Rent Boy last saw Johnny, he... (full context)

Johnny lost his leg because he ran out of veins and had to start shooting heroin... (full context)

Johnny says when he saw his amputated stump, he thought it might at least be a... (full context)

Johnny talks about how he’s eager to have sex but will probably have to pay for... (full context)

Somehow, Johnny is still HIV negative. He dreams of being in Bangkok and surrounded by Asian women.... (full context)

A Scottish Soldier. Johnny shaves his head, trying to look cleaner. The knee in his remaining leg is weak... (full context)

Johnny makes more money on donations than he does at most other jobs. While some people... (full context)

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Johnny Swan Character Analysis

Johnny Swan Quotes in Trainspotting

Johnny Swan Character Timeline in Trainspotting

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