In At Swim-Two-Birds, alcohol is a regular feature of life. The consumption of alcohol has various symbolic meanings for different characters. To the student’s uncle, alcohol is a clear indication of his nephew’s laziness. The uncle considers himself a reputable Christian man and member of his community. The thought that his nephew may be drifting between bars and drinking to the point of sickness horrifically undermines his reputation. The uncle considers alcohol a distraction for young men, a scourge upon society, and a symbol of the extent to which the student would rather indulge his vices than work hard at his university studies. From the uncle’s perspective, alcohol symbolizes everything that is wrong with the young generation.

The student and the characters that he creates disagree with the uncle’s view of alcohol. To the student, alcohol is a pleasant distraction and a symbol of social bonding. On the rare occasions that he leaves his room, the student limits his activities to pubs where he can sit and talk with his friends about important issues. While sipping pints of porter, they discuss politics, literature, history, and philosophy. Alcohol facilities these important conversations, in the student’s opinion, so it provides a social good that men like his uncle shouldn’t disparage.