There is madness, it seems, that disengages the good people of Glasgow from their state of grace.
Violence is explored as an antidote to grief and absurdity, as a refuge for compassion.
Later, in the pub, when Thomas sings a song in memory of his mother, Michael punches a man for laughing. A brawl ensues, during which Michael is stabbed. What follows is a series of farcical and frightening incidents, culminating in the funeral itself, which can hardly be called conventional. John swears he'll kill the guy in the pub, while Michael tries to staunch his wound. Thomas mends a smashed Madonna and Sheila find her way home in the dark before the storm breaks.