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Significant Cigarettes (The Road Home)
Rose Tremain
Ideas
This extract is the start of the novel. Lev is on a bus from Eastern Europe to London. He is alone in the
beginning but then he starts talking to Lydia, who is sat next to him. Lev tells us about his unemployment
and that he decided to go to London to support his family.
Context
This is an extract from a much longer novel. Tremain won an ‘Orange Broadband Prize’ for ‘The Road Home’.
Tremain goes on to criticise the selfishness of the upper class in the novel, using the eyes of Lev to achieve
this.
Author’s purpose
Rose Tremain was born in 1943, London. She is famous for writing short-stories and television/radio scripts.
She is a historical novelist and she enjoys the writing of William Golding (‘Lord of the Flies’).
Language
Informal/colloquial language vs formal language
Informal language is language that is not perceived to be grammatically correct, whilst formal language is
the standard form.
We immediately learn that Lydia is highly educated, as she was a teacher. She struggles to understand Lev’s
informalities:
‘May I say some words and you can tell me if I’m pronouncing them correctly?’
‘Yes, of course,’ said Lydia.
Lev said: ‘Lovely. Sorry. I am legal. How much please. Thank you. May you help me.’
‘May I help you,’ corrected Lydia.’’
Lev perceives his English as a way of achieving success. He wants perfect English, so that he can gain a
position of employment. He sees Lydia as an opportunity of achieving this.
Symbolism
Symbolism is a linguistic device that is used when one object represents another. Lev’s craving for a
cigarette grows extremely strong, to the extent that ‘his hands grew fidgety’. This reflects his anxiety at
leaving his home and travelling to a new country. He craves for it to go well but it is Lydia who is calm: ‘I’m
sorry, but there is no smoking allowed on this bus.’ She is apologising and more willing to please than Lev.
Structure
Opening
It is important to remember that this is the opening of a wider novel. This means we should not assume
that the ending of the extract is the end of the story. It is much harder to consider the ending of this
particular extract.
Tremain is attempting to hook us in and keep our interest for the remaining story. It is important to consider
how this opening achieves this purpose.
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The two characters are particularly contrasting. Lydia aspires to be a ‘translator’, whilst Lev is just hopeful
for work.
Memory
Tremain uses moments on the train to help to present important memories for Lev:
‘Sleeping upright was not something Lev was practised in. The old seemed to be able to do it, but forty-two
was not yet old. Lev’s father, Stefan, sometimes used to sleep upright, in summer, on a hard wooden chair in
his lunch break at the Baryn sawmill, with the hot sun falling onto the slices of sausage wrapped in paper on
his knee and onto his flask of tea.’
It is interesting how Tremain connects the idea of the present (of ‘sleeping’) with the past (Lev’s father).
Exam practice
The sense of hope in ‘Significant Cigarettes’
"The Road Home" by Rose Tremain indeed begins with a sense of hope amidst the challenges faced by the
protagonist, Lev, as he embarks on a journey to build a new life in a foreign land. Here's how hope is
depicted in the opening of the novel:
1. Lev's Determination: At the beginning of the novel, Lev leaves his home in Eastern Europe and
travels to London in search of work and a better future. Despite the uncertainty and hardships he
faces along the way, there is a sense of determination and optimism in Lev's character. He believes
that he can overcome the obstacles before him and create a new life for himself in a foreign land,
embodying a hopeful spirit of resilience and perseverance.
2. Dreams of Opportunity: Lev's decision to leave his homeland is driven by dreams of opportunity
and a better life. He hopes to find work in London that will enable him to support his family back
home and improve their circumstances. This sense of hope for a brighter future motivates Lev to
endure the challenges of migration and adapt to life in a new country, despite the difficulties he
encounters along the way.
3. The Promise of a Fresh Start: As Lev arrives in London and begins to navigate his new surroundings,
there is a palpable sense of hope for a fresh start. He is optimistic about the possibilities that lie
ahead and eager to embrace the opportunities that await him in his adopted home. Despite the
obstacles and setbacks he may face, Lev remains hopeful that he can build a better life for himself
and his loved ones, embodying the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
In these ways, "The Road Home" opens with a sense of hope as Lev embarks on a journey of self-discovery
and transformation in pursuit of a brighter future.
