Significant Cigarettes (From The Road Home) Igcse Notes
Uploaded by
hamdhafowzan06Significant Cigarettes (From The Road Home) Igcse Notes
Uploaded by
hamdhafowzan06Significant Cigarettes (From the Road Home)
By Rose Tremain
Background
Rose Tremain is an established and very successful English novelist who seeks out
the strange, the unfamiliar and the near-unknowable as subjects for her fiction,
‘Significant Cigarettes’ is an extract from her novel, The Road Home. It tells the
story of a journey of a desperately poor man called Lev. He travels from Eastern
Europe to London, where he hopes to make a better life for himself. Before Lev
left his own country, his wife had died. In order to make the journey he has to leave
his young daughter behind.
The arrival in Britain of large numbers of migrants who want to find work has
caused concern and anger among some people. In ‘Significant Cigarettes’, Tremain
shows the reader something of what it is like to be poor, homeless and desperate.
Summary
"Significant Cigarettes" is an excerpt from Rose Tremain’s novel The Road Home.
The story focuses on Lev, a middle-aged man from Eastern Europe, who is on a
bus journey to England in search of work. As Lev smokes his cigarettes, he reflects
on his life back home, his family, and the uncertain future ahead in a foreign land.
The cigarettes serve as a coping mechanism, connecting him to the familiarity of
his past while facing the unknown. The narrative introduces readers to Lev’s
emotional state—loneliness, nostalgia, and hope—as he embarks on this
life-changing journey.
Themes
● Migration and Displacement: Lev is a migrant leaving his homeland to start
a new life. The story captures the emotional turmoil associated with
displacement—loss, longing, and the challenge of adjusting to a new culture.
● Nostalgia: Lev’s memories of home, his family, and the life he left behind
are central to the narrative. The cigarettes serve as a symbol of his
connection to that past, evoking feelings of nostalgia.
● Hope and Uncertainty: Despite his sadness and fear, Lev holds onto hope.
His journey to England symbolises the pursuit of a better life, but it is tinged
with uncertainty about what lies ahead.
● Isolation and Loneliness: Lev’s physical journey mirrors his emotional
isolation. On the bus, he is alone with his thoughts, feeling disconnected
from both the country he left and the one he is heading toward.
● Identity and Change: As Lev prepares to integrate into a new society,
questions of identity arise—how much of his past can he hold onto, and how
much will he need to adapt to fit into his new environment?
Structure and Form
● Narrative Style: The story is written in third-person, providing insight into
Lev’s inner thoughts and emotions. This narrative style allows readers to
connect deeply with Lev’s experiences, emphasizing his vulnerability.
● Linear Structure: The story follows a linear structure, focusing on Lev’s
immediate journey. It is straightforward but layered with flashbacks and
reflections on his past, creating a balance between the present and his
memories.
● Symbolism: Cigarettes are a recurring motif throughout the story. They
symbolize Lev’s past life, providing comfort but also highlighting his
anxiety and dependence on familiar habits to deal with the unknown.
Effect on the Reader
● The reader is drawn into Lev’s emotional journey, feeling his sense of loss
and nostalgia as he leaves his home. The depiction of Lev’s thoughts and
feelings evokes empathy, as readers may relate to the themes of
displacement, change, and uncertainty.
● The use of cigarettes as a symbol can trigger reflection on how people cope
with difficult life changes. It adds a layer of realism to the character, making
Lev’s experience feel authentic and relatable.
● The focus on migration and the human struggle to adapt to new
environments speaks to a universal experience, especially in the context of
global migration today. Readers may reflect on the broader issues
surrounding migration, such as identity and cultural integration.
Rhythm and Rhyme
● While the story is prose, not poetry, the rhythm of the writing is deliberate
and contemplative. The pacing of the narrative mirrors Lev’s reflective state
of mind. Long, introspective sentences often convey his emotional depth,
while shorter sentences can punctuate moments of clarity or decision.
● The rhythm of Lev’s smoking—lighting, inhaling, exhaling—creates a
meditative pattern in the narrative, reinforcing his reliance on cigarettes as
both a physical and emotional crutch.
Language and Tone
● Language: Tremain uses simple, accessible language that reflects Lev’s
unembellished view of the world. There is a sense of realism in how the
dialogue and inner monologues are presented, which enhances the
authenticity of Lev’s experience.
● Tone: The tone of the story is melancholic but not without hope. Lev’s
sadness is palpable, but there is a quiet determination in his decision to leave
his home and seek a new life in England. This mix of melancholy and
hopefulness adds emotional complexity to the narrative.
Literary Devices
● Symbolism: As mentioned, cigarettes are a powerful symbol throughout the
story. They represent both comfort and addiction, tying Lev to his past and
his anxieties about the future.
● Flashbacks: Tremain uses flashbacks to reveal Lev’s memories of his life in
Eastern Europe, giving depth to his character and providing context for his
emotional state.
● Imagery: The descriptions of the landscape Lev sees from the bus, along
with the physical act of smoking, create vivid images that contrast the
natural world with Lev’s internal emotional landscape.
● Metaphor: Lev’s journey on the bus can be seen as a metaphor for his
personal journey—leaving behind the old and heading toward the unknown.
It captures both the physical and emotional aspects of migration
