English Notes Exam:

A passage to Africa
Summary
In ‘ Passage to Africa’, George Alagiah recounts his experiences as a journalist covering the
civil war in Somalia during the early 1990s. The passage vividly describes the horrors of famine
and war, focusing on the human suffering he witnessed. Alagiah reflects on the ethical
dilemmas of journalism, particularly the need to capture "striking" images to engage audiences,
even as he becomes desensitized to the suffering around him. He describes visiting a remote
village, Gufgadund, where he encounters unimaginable scenes of starvation and death. One
image that haunts him is that of a man who smiles at him, a smile that Alagiah interprets as one
of embarrassment for being found in such a pitiable state. This moment profoundly impacts
him, challenging his role as a detached observer and forcing him to confront the power
dynamics between the journalist and the subject, as well as the disparity between the "rich
world" and the "poor world."

Alagiah describes the physical and emotional toll of witnessing such suffering. He recounts the
story of Amina Abdirahman, a mother who returns from foraging for food to find one of her
daughters has died from starvation. He also describes an old woman with a festering wound,
abandoned by her family, and the pervasive smell of decay that fills the air. These images, while
harrowing, are presented with a sense of journalistic objectivity, though Alagiah admits to
feelings of pity and revulsion. The passage concludes with Alagiah’s regret at not learning the
name of the man who smiled at him, a moment he considers pivotal in shaping his
understanding of the human cost of war and famine.
Analysis
Alagiah’s passage is a powerful exploration of the ethical and emotional challenges faced by
journalists reporting on humanitarian crises. He critiques the media’s obsession with
sensationalism, noting how journalists become desensitized to suffering in their quest for
compelling stories. The smile of the unnamed man serves as a turning point in the narrative,
symbolizing the dignity and resilience of those suffering, even in the face of unimaginable
hardship. Alagiah’s reflection on this moment reveals his internal conflict: while he is there to
document the suffering, he is also complicit in the exploitation of these images for public
consumption. The passage raises important questions about the role of the media in shaping
public perception of global crises and the moral responsibility of journalists.
Language Structure
1. Descriptive Language: Alagiah uses vivid, sensory details to convey the horrors of famine
and war. Phrases like "the smell of decaying flesh" and "the putrid air she recycled with every
struggling breath" create a visceral impact.
2. Contrast: The passage contrasts the detached, clinical tone of a journalist with moments of
raw emotion, such as when Alagiah describes the man’s smile.
3. Reflective Tone: The narrative shifts between objective reporting and personal reflection,
particularly in the final paragraphs where Alagiah grapples with the ethical implications of his
work.
Literary Devices
1. Imagery: Alagiah uses stark, graphic imagery to depict the suffering he witnesses, such as
the description of the old woman’s festering wound.
2. Metaphor: The search for shocking images is compared to a "craving for a drug,"
highlighting the addictive and dehumanizing nature of the job.
3. Symbolism: The man’s smile symbolizes dignity and resilience, challenging Alagiah’s role
as a passive observer.
4. Repetition: The repetition of "revulsion" and "pity" emphasizes Alagiah’s internal conflict
and emotional turmoil.
Tone
The tone of the passage is a mix of ‘detached objectivity’ and ‘deep emotional reflection’.
Alagiah begins with a clinical, journalistic tone, describing the suffering he witnesses in a
matter-of-fact manner. However, as the passage progresses, the tone becomes more
introspective and emotional, particularly when he reflects on the man’s smile and its impact on
him. This shift in tone underscores the tension between the professional demands of journalism
and the personal moral dilemmas it raises.

Key Themes
1. Human Suffering and Resilience: The passage highlights the immense suffering caused
by war and famine, as well as the resilience and dignity of those who endure it.
2. Ethics of Journalism: Alagiah struggles with the moral dilemmas of his profession,
particularly the tension between capturing compelling stories and respecting the humanity
of his subjects.
3. Power Dynamics: The passage explores the unequal relationship between the observer
(the journalist) and the observed (the victims of crisis), as well as the broader disparity
between the "rich world" and the "poor world."
4. Desensitization: Alagiah reflects on how repeated exposure to suffering can lead to
emotional numbness, raising questions about the impact of such work on journalists.
Young and Dyslexic

Summary:
In Young and Dyslexic? You’ve Got It Going On, Benjamin Zephaniah shares his journey of
overcoming the challenges of dyslexia to become a successful poet and writer. He reflects on
his early struggles in school, where teachers dismissed him as unintelligent due to his
difficulties with reading and writing. Growing up in a poor, inner-city area of Britain,
Zephaniah faced additional challenges, including an unstable family life and frequent trouble
with the police. By the age of 13, he had been expelled from multiple schools and left the
education system without basic literacy skills. Despite these setbacks, Zephaniah refused to give
up, driven by a deep belief in his own intelligence and creativity.

A turning point came when Zephaniah joined an adult education class in his twenties and was
diagnosed with dyslexia. This revelation helped him understand his struggles and reframe them
as part of a broader neurological condition rather than a personal failing. With this new
understanding, Zephaniah worked tirelessly to improve his reading and writing skills,
determined to express himself and share his poetry with the world. Even as he became a
successful poet, he continued to grapple with the challenges of dyslexia, often using phonetic
spelling in his work. This unique approach to language became a hallmark of his writing,
resonating with readers and reflecting his authentic voice.

Zephaniah emphasizes the lack of understanding and compassion in the education system
during his childhood, where teachers often labeled him as "stupid" or "lazy." He recounts
instances where his creativity and critical thinking were stifled, such as when he questioned a
teacher’s assertion about sleep being a "design fault" and was dismissed as "stupid." However,
Zephaniah’s resilience and self-belief allowed him to turn his dyslexia into an advantage. He
explains how dyslexia forced him to think creatively, finding alternative ways to express
himself when he couldn’t spell a word or construct a sentence conventionally.

The article also critiques societal norms and stereotypes that marginalize dyslexic individuals.
Zephaniah challenges the notion that dyslexia is a defect or a measure of intelligence, arguing
instead that it is a natural variation in the way people think and process information. He draws a
parallel between dyslexia and racial discrimination, noting that just as he would not try to
"become white" to fit societal expectations, he refuses to see his dyslexia as a flaw. This
powerful analogy underscores his message of self-acceptance and the need for society to
accommodate and celebrate neurodiversity.

Zephaniah concludes with a message of hope and encouragement for young people with
dyslexia, urging them to embrace their creativity and individuality. He reminds them that
dyslexia is not a barrier to success but a unique way of thinking that can lead to extraordinary
achievements. His final words, "Bloody non-dyslexics … who do they think they are?" are
delivered with humor and defiance, encapsulating his belief in the value and potential of
dyslexic individuals.

Language Structure
1. Conversational Tone: Zephaniah writes in a conversational, informal style, making the
article accessible and engaging. This tone reflects his personality and helps connect with
readers, particularly young people who may share similar experiences.
o Example: “I’m of the generation where teachers didn’t know what dyslexia was.”
2. Short, Punchy Sentences: The use of short sentences and paragraphs creates a sense of
immediacy and clarity, emphasizing key points and making the text easy to follow.
o Example: “I had poems in my head even then.”
3. Chronological Structure: The article follows a chronological order, starting with
Zephaniah’s early struggles in school and progressing to his later successes. This
structure helps readers understand his journey and the development of his perspective on
dyslexia.
4. Direct Address: Zephaniah often speaks directly to the reader, using phrases like “you”
and “we,” which creates a sense of inclusivity and solidarity.
o Example: “If you’re dyslexic and you feel there’s something holding you back, just
remember: it’s not you.”
5. Anecdotes and Personal Stories: The article is filled with personal anecdotes that
illustrate Zephaniah’s experiences and struggles, making his message more relatable and
impactful.
o Example: “I remember one teacher saying that human beings sleep for one-third of
their life, and I put my hand up and said, ‘If there’s a God, isn’t that a design
fault?’”

6. Tone: The tone of the article is empowering, reflective, and encouraging. Zephaniah
writes with a sense of optimism and resilience, urging readers to embrace their dyslexia
as a source of creativity and strength. At the same time, he is critical of the education
system and societal attitudes that fail to support dyslexic individuals. His tone is also
deeply personal, as he shares his own struggles and triumphs, making the article both
inspiring and relatable.
7.

Literary Devices
1. Metaphor: Zephaniah uses metaphors to describe his experiences and the nature of
dyslexia.
o Example: “We are the architects, we are the designers.” This metaphor positions
dyslexic individuals as creators and innovators, emphasizing their potential.
2. Repetition: The repetition of key phrases reinforces Zephaniah’s message and creates a
sense of rhythm.
 o Example: “We are the architects, we are the designers” is repeated to emphasize
the creative potential of dyslexic individuals.
3. Rhetorical Questions: Zephaniah uses rhetorical questions to engage the reader and
provoke thought.
o Example: “If you look at the statistics, I should be in prison: a black man brought
up on the wrong side of town whose family fell apart, in trouble with the police
when I was a kid, unable to read and write,
o with no qualifications and, on top of that, dyslexic. But I think staying out of
prison is about conquering your fears and finding your path in life.”
4. Contrast: Zephaniah contrasts his early struggles with his later successes, highlighting
the transformative power of resilience and self-belief.
o Example: He contrasts his expulsion from school with his eventual appointment as
a professor of poetry.
5. Imagery: Vivid imagery is used to describe Zephaniah’s experiences and emotions,
making his story more engaging.
o Example: “I saw a guy who spent all his time sitting stooped over, and I thought, ‘I
don’t want to be like that,’ so I learned to sit with a straight back.”
6. Irony: Zephaniah uses irony to critique the education system and societal attitudes
toward dyslexia.
o Example: “The teacher told me, ‘You are dyslexic,’ and I was like, ‘Do I need an
operation?’” This highlights the lack of understanding about dyslexia at the time.
7. Empathy and Encouragement: Throughout the article, Zephaniah uses empathetic
language to connect with readers and encourage them to see dyslexia as a strength.
o Example: “If you’re dyslexic and you feel there’s something holding you back, just
remember: it’s not you.”

Key Themes:

Theme Analysis
 Zephaniah discusses a range of stereotypes in this article, and how
damaging they can be:
o For example, he remembers a teacher talking about Africa and the
“local savages”, stereotyping all (black) Africans as primitive and
uneducated
Challenging
o He was also stereotyped as unintelligent but probably a good
stereotypes
sportsperson, an example of racism
o Zephaniah challenges the assumption of his lack of intelligence
through his achievements in life and by the very act of writing this
article
  Zephaniah began challenging stereotypes from a young age:
o He challenged the teacher who called Africans “local savages”,
even though he got into trouble
o He challenged the idea that professors should be more educated
than their students by accepting a job at Brunel University
o He challenges the idea that dyslexia is somehow a measure of a
person’s intelligence, and that it can limit people

 The article explores the lack of awareness in the education system about
dyslexia when Zephaniah was growing up:
o “As a child I suffered…”
o When he was at school, “teachers didn’t know what dyslexia was”

 The writer argues that having dyslexia can be an advantage, as dyslexic

people see the world more creatively:
o “We are the architects. We are the designers.”

 He reveals that reading and writing were, and still are, hard work for him:
o “Still now…”
Dyslexia
o “When I look at a book, the first thing I see is the size of it”

 Zephaniah argues that people who are ignorant to differences such as

dyslexia are the problem, not the people who are dyslexic:
o “In many ways being dyslexic is a natural way to be”
o He suggests that the way we read and write are actually unnatural,
so if someone finds these things difficult, then they should not be
hard on themselves
o He embraces young people who are proud to be dyslexic as he
“didn’t have that as a child”

Disabled by Wilfred Owen

LINE-BY-LINE ANALYSIS
STANZA 1
He sat in a wheeled chair, waiting for dark,
The dark is a metaphor for death, Owen describes this man’s life as so useless and futile that death seems like a
relief among the monotony of life.

And shivered in his ghastly suit of grey,

Shivered adds a sense of vulnerability and weakness to the man. Ghastly suit of grey is a dark, menacing use of
imagery. The colour grey is very often used as imagery for death in literature.

Legless, sewn short at elbow. Through the park

Sewn short at the elbow takes us vividly back to the aftermath of the man’s injury and portrays a cumbersome
ambulance service on the front line of World War I, as “sewn” doesn’t sound very professional or meticulous.

Voices of boys rang saddening like a hymn,

The boys’ voices remind him of what he’s lost. The word hymn adds religious connotations, Owen’s way of
bringing into question the existence of God amongst the pain and anguish of war.

Voices of play and pleasure after day,

The repetition of the ‘pl’ sound in play and pleasure adds a sense of rhythm, showing the man engaging in a
sense of nostalgia for a second. The caesura at the end of the line represents a pause in his thoughts and brings
him back down to earth.

Till gathering sleep had mothered them from him

Sleep here is personified either as giving the man relief and ‘mothering’ him from his torment or taking away
the pleasure he finds in nostalgia in a cruel juxtaposition.

STANZA 2
About this time Town used to swing so gay
The capitalisation of ‘Town’ suggests that the phenomenon of naive conscription and men returning physically
and mentally disfigured was widespread in war-time Britain.

When glow-lamps budded in the light-blue trees

‘Budded’ creates an image of flowers, synonymous with new life. This is a metaphor for the youthfulness of the
men before they went to war. Light-blue is a soft, peaceful image that juxtaposes the use of grey in the previous
stanza.

And girls glanced lovelier as the air grew dim,

The alliteration of girls glanced emphasises the excitement of flirtation that the man used to experience, making
his current state even more harrowing.

In the old times, before he threw away his knees.

Owen implies that the man was in some way responsible for his injuries. ‘Threw away’ sounds careless, which
Owen links to his carelessness and naivety when enlisting.

Now he will never feel again how slim

His former lovers, who may have motivated him to enlist, have rejected him.

Girls’ waists are, or how warm their subtle hands,

The warmth of their hands implies life which contrasts the man ‘shivering in his ghastly suit of grey’ and shows
the humanity he’s lost.

All of them touch him like some queer disease.

Women don’t respect his service like he thought they would but instead treat him like an unnatural, inhumane
‘queer disease’.

STANZA 3
There was an artist silly for his face,
Implies that the man used to be very attractive. The word ‘silly’ suggests a general absurdity during this time,
an atmosphere which motivated him to enlist.

For it was younger than his youth, last year.

Now he is old; his back will never brace;
‘Now’ acts as a temporal marker taking the reader back to the present and definitively putting an end to his
former happier life. Owen is comparing the redundancy that war has led his life to become to old age.

He’s lost his colour very far from here,

The colour that he has lost is a metaphor for the life that has been drained from him. The imagery of colour also
relates to the artist that painted him in his youth, and now his colour is gone she is no longer “silly for his face”.

Poured it down shell-holes till the veins ran dry,

Shell-holes paints a vivid picture of the battlefield, plunging us into the action for the first time.

And half his lifetime lapsed in the hot race,

War has taken his life and vitality away from him

And leap of purple spurted from his thigh.

The colour purple signifies energy and vigour, the verb spurted adds a sense of reaching a climax. Purple has
connotations with royalty and this use of imagery could be mocking the romanticism of war and the notion of
‘doing it for your country’.

One time he liked a bloodsmear down his leg,

The sight of blood was a trophy and a symbol of masculinity, but the injuries he’s suffered are far from a
trophy, instead something to be ashamed of.

After the matches carried shoulder-high.

The extent to which he was celebrated after just a game is ironic as after the seriousness of war he’s not
celebrated but instead isolated and seen as a queer disease.
It was after football, when he’d drunk a peg,
The adrenaline, alcohol that made him enlist. It wasn’t a rational decision.

He thought he’d better join. He wonders why . . .

The short sentences show his impulsiveness and the fact he failed to think it through fully. The ellipsis
illustrates how he can’t find any sound reason with hindsight, other than vanity, that motivated him to enlist.
Someone had said he’d look a god in kilts.
Paints a romanticised and naive view of the war in early-war Britain. It is this misconception that leads to many
young men signing up.

STANZA 4
That’s why; and maybe, too, to please his Meg,
Please his Meg describes how women of the time encouraged their husbands or boyfriends to fight. The
grammatical complexity and use of punctuation, add a tone of turbulence which represent the man’s choking
emotions.

Aye, that was it, to please the giddy jilts,

A ‘Jilt’ is a person, especially a woman, who capriciously (describes the women as impulsive and
unpredictable) rejects a lover. Giddy is almost mocking the women, showing their ridiculousness.

He asked to join. He didn’t have to beg;

The authorities don’t ask questions, they don’t care who, the man’s youth is not a barrier.

Smiling they wrote his lie; aged nineteen years.

The man was actually too young to enlist, the authorities were ‘smiling’ as they wrote down his false age,
almost sadistically as they know war won’t be what he’s imagined. Owen paints an evil picture of these
authorities, gleeful in ruining yet more youth and innocence.

Germans he scarcely thought of; all their guilt

Naivety, he’s thought more about kilts than the opposition and dangers of war.

Of Fear came yet. He thought of jewelled hilts

‘Fear’ is capitalised to personify the Germans.

For daggers in plaid socks; of smart salutes;

The imagery of the idealised war shows how impressionable the man was in the face of propaganda.

And care of arms; and leave; and pay arrears;

The repetition of the conjuncture ‘and’ is polysyndeton which forms this a synthetic list, which shows his
excitement for war and the extent of his naivety and corrupted misconception.

Esprit de corps; and hints for young recruits.

French for ‘spirit of the body’, hints at another motivation for him to enlist, he thought it would offer him the
same sense of camaraderie he got from football matches.

And soon, he was drafted out with drums and cheers.

He was cheered out to war in a wave of excitement.
 STANZA 5
Some cheered him home, but not as crowds cheer Goal.
Contrasts with everyone cheering him off when he left and when he played football. Fighting for his country
has diminished the respect and attention he once received.

Only a solemn man who brought him fruits

A solemn man is tied to religion so could be a priest and is the only person there for him, ‘fruits’ could be
linked to the fruits of the man’s labour and his sacrifice.

Thanked him; and then inquired about his soul.

Owen is reminding us that war hasn’t just shattered him physically but psychologically too.

Now, he will spend a few sick years in Institutes,

A ‘few sick years’ is a very flippant use of language and illustrates the lack of meaning in his life now.

And do what things the rules consider wise,

This is a reference to the unsympathetic nature of the system. Owen continues to slate the system, it got him
into this place and is not supportive of his current state.

And take whatever pity they may dole.

Dole describes the pity being shared out, hence, objectifies it and taking away the emotion and empathy of it as
a result.

Tonight he noticed how the women’s eyes

Passed from him to the strong men that were whole.
Men that were ‘whole’ implies he has lost his masculinity due to his injuries. The women now are revolted by
him and look to the young men who ‘dodged the bullet’ of war.

How cold and late it is! Why don’t they come

Puts the reader inside the man’s head, making his desperation more poignant.

And put him into bed? Why don’t they come?

The repetition of rhetorical questions hints at an element of insanity and desperation in the man. The rhetorical
questions could also be seen as a euphemism for the man crying out to die and be relieved from the torture of
his life.
Summary

The man sits in his wheelchair waiting for nightfall. He is chilled in his gray suit which is legless and sewn at
the elbows. Boys' voices ring out in the park; the voices are of "play and pleasure" that echo until sleep takes
them away from him.
Around this time the town used to be lively, with lamps in the trees and girls dancing in the dim air. These were
the old days before "he threw away his knees". He will no longer have the chance to put his arms around girls'
slim waists or feel their warm hands. They look at him like he has a strange disease. Last year there was an
artist that wanted to depict his youth, but now he is old. His back will not "brace" and he gave up his color in a
land very far from here. He let it drain into "shell-holes" until it was all gone. Half of his life is now passed from
that "hot race", when a spurt of purple burst from his thigh.

One time before the war he saw a blood smear on his leg and thought it looked like the "matches carried
shoulder-high". He had been drinking after football and he thought he might as well sign up for war. Besides,
someone had told him he would look like a god in kilts. This is why he joined the war, and it was also for Meg.

It was easy for him to join. He lied about his age – said he was nineteen – and they cheerfully wrote it down. He
was not yet thinking of Germans or "fears / of Fear". All he thought about were "jewelled hilts" and "daggers in
plaid socks" and "smart salutes" and "leave" and "pay arrears". Soon he was drafted, and the air was filled with
"drums and cheer". Only one serious man who brought him fruit asked him about his soul.

Now, after war, he will spend his time in the Institutes, doing what he should do and accepting whatever pity
the rulers want to give him. This evening he saw the women's eyes pass over him to gaze on the strong men
with whole bodies. He wonders why they do not come and put him to bed since it is so cold and late.
Literary devices:
1. Imagery:
o Owen uses vivid and often harrowing imagery to depict the physical and emotional state of the
disabled soldier. This imagery evokes a strong sense of pity and horror in the reader.
 Example: “Legless, sewn short at elbow” – This stark visual description immediately
conveys the soldier’s physical mutilation.
 Example: “Poured it down shell-holes till the veins ran dry” – This graphic image of
blood being drained symbolizes the loss of vitality and youth.
2. Contrast:
o The poem is built on contrasts between the soldier’s past and present, highlighting the
devastating impact of war.
 Example: The contrast between the soldier’s former life as a handsome, athletic young
man (“an artist silly for his face”) and his current state as a disabled, isolated figure
(“Now, he is old; his back will never brace”).
 Example: The contrast between the lively, carefree atmosphere of the town before the
war (“Town used to swing so gay”) and the soldier’s current loneliness and despair.
3. Irony:
o Owen employs irony to underscore the tragic consequences of the soldier’s decision to enlist.
 Example: The soldier joined the war to impress others and gain admiration (“Someone
had said he’d look a god in kilts”), but now he is ignored and pitied by the same society.
 Example: The soldier’s youthful enthusiasm for war (“He thought he’d better join. – He
wonders why”) is contrasted with his current regret and disillusionment.
4. Symbolism:
o Objects and actions in the poem carry symbolic meaning, deepening its themes.
 Example: The “ghastly suit of grey” symbolizes the soldier’s loss of vitality and his
entrapment in a life of monotony and despair.
 Example: The “wheeled chair” symbolizes his loss of independence and mobility, as well
as his isolation from the world.
5. Repetition:
o Owen uses repetition to emphasize key ideas and create a sense of inevitability or hopelessness.
  Example: The repetition of “Why don’t they come?” at the end of the poem highlights the
soldier’s desperation and abandonment.
 Example: The repeated references to the soldier’s lost limbs (“legless,” “sewn short at
elbow”) reinforce the permanence of his injuries.
6. Alliteration:
o Alliteration is used to create rhythm and draw attention to specific phrases.
 Example: “Voices of boys rang saddening like a hymn” – The repetition of the ‘s’ sound
creates a melancholic tone.
 Example: “Girls glanced lovelier as the air grew dim” – The ‘g’ and ‘l’ sounds evoke a
sense of fleeting beauty and nostalgia.
7. Simile:
o Similes are used to make comparisons that enhance the reader’s understanding of the soldier’s
experiences.
 Example: “Voices of boys rang saddening like a hymn” – The comparison to a hymn
suggests a mournful, almost sacred quality to the boys’ voices, emphasizing the soldier’s
isolation.
 Example: “All of them touch him like some queer disease” – This simile conveys the way
society now views him as something alien and repulsive.
8. Personification:
o Owen personifies abstract concepts to make them more relatable and impactful.
 Example: “Till gathering sleep had mothered them from him” – Sleep is personified as a
mother figure, gently leading the boys away from the soldier, emphasizing his loneliness.
9. Metaphor:
o Metaphors are used to convey the soldier’s emotional and physical state.
 Example: “Now, he is old” – The soldier is not literally old, but the metaphor suggests
that his experiences have aged him beyond his years.
 Example: “Poured it down shell-holes till the veins ran dry” – The metaphor of blood
being poured like water emphasizes the senseless waste of life in war.
10. Tone:
o The tone of the poem is deeply melancholic and reflective, conveying the soldier’s sense of loss
and regret. Owen’s use of language and imagery creates a tone that is both sympathetic and
critical of the societal attitudes toward war and disability.
11. Enjambment:
o Owen uses enjambment to create a flowing, conversational rhythm, reflecting the soldier’s
stream of consciousness.
 Example: “Now, he will spend a few sick years in institutes, / And do what things the
rules consider wise” – The lack of punctuation between lines mirrors the soldier’s sense
of endless, monotonous suffering.
12. Juxtaposition:
o Owen juxtaposes the soldier’s past and present to highlight the devastating effects of war.
 Example: The soldier’s former pride in his athleticism (“One time he liked a blood-smear
down his leg”) is juxtaposed with his current helplessness (“Now, he will never feel again
how slim / Girls’ waists are”).

Significant Cigarettes by Rose Tremain

Summary:
The chapter begins with Lev traveling on a bus to England, staring out the window at the home he is leaving
behind in an unnamed East European countryside. He is almost forty-three years old, with a handsome face. As
the sun rises after a few miles, he has the urge to smoke, and he puts a cigarette in his mouth. His co-passenger,
a plump, middle-aged woman, reminds him that smoking is prohibited inside the bus. Lev knows this but has
difficulty refraining from smoking for so long, and keeps holding the unlit cigarette in his mouth. The journey
was fifty hours long, and in the course of it, Lev and the woman would be like a married couple, “side by side
with their separate aches and dreams.” They would be in close physical proximity, make the occasional small
talk, and finally separate in London, “beginning a new life.” Lev is apprehensive of the new world that he is
migrating to, “a world in which he would break his back working – if only that work could be found.” He is also
homesick and knows that he will remain emotionally distant from life in London as his heart will always be in
his homeland.
The bus has two drivers who take turns driving and sleeping. There is a built-in restroom, and the bus does not
have to stop for breaks other than to refill gas. At the gas stations, passengers go out for an occasional respite
from the journey, stretching their limbs, smoking, and staring at passing vehicles. They board the bus again, and
sometimes the journey appears never-ending. Lev has difficulty sleeping upright, which most old people do not
have a problem with, like his father. He remembers sleeping next to him on hay or moss back home, or on a rug
beside his daughter’s bed when she was afraid or sick. He also remembers sleeping on the hard linoleum floor
next to his wife Marina’s hospital bed, when she was dying. In those days, the strange dreams that he had in his
sleep have not disappeared completely.
As the woman next to Lev peels a hard-boiled egg, its smell reminds him of the sulfur springs of Jor, where he
had taken his wife in the hope that it would cure her. There, with her body immersed in the pool, Marina looks
up at a stork and desires to be one of them, as they never seem to die. As his attention wanders back to his co-
passenger again, Lev introduces himself. The woman is named Lydia, and she is going to appear for interviews
in England for the job of translator. She taught English in School 237 in Yarbl. Lev asks why she is leaving her
home if she already has a good job, but Lydia answers that it was the view outside the classroom window, with
the high fence and the apartment beyond the fence, that got to her. She is afraid that this might be the only view
she sees every day till her death, and she decides to quit her job and leave. Looking into her eyes, Lev says that
he understands. After a while, he tells her that while his English isn’t bad, his pronunciation is not good, and
asks her if she can help him with the right pronunciation. She agrees, and Lev says some common words and
phrases in English, Lydia correcting him whenever he goes wrong.
As Lev sees the darkness follow the sunset, he remembers how in his village, Auror, “darkness had always
arrived in precisely the same way, from the same direction…”. He tells Lydia about his village and the job that
he had at the local sawmill until it closed down two years ago as they ran out of trees to cut. His mother, his
five-year-old daughter Maya, and he lived on his mother’s sole income from selling tin jewelry. While Lydia
thinks that it is very resourceful, Lev tells her that it isn’t enough to sustain all of them.
As he catches his own reflection in the window, Lev thinks about how he had avoided seeing his reflection
since Marina’s death, not wanting to face himself for the guilt of having stayed alive despite the death of his
beloved wife. Lydia asks him what kinds of work he can do, and he answers that he will do any work available,
as he has a family waiting at home who needs the money to survive. England is his hope.
As people get ready for bedtime, Lev’s longing for a cigarette grows, and he starts experiencing mild
withdrawal symptoms. The next stop is not for several hours and he and the driver would be the only people
awake, with neither sleep nor nicotine available to him. He envies Lydia’s immersion in a book and knows that
he needs a distraction too. Although he has a book of fables with him, it is not enough to distract him now.
Desperately, he takes out an English twenty-pound note and examines the picture of the Queen on one side and
a man with a dark, drooping mustache on the other, probably a historical figure. He remembers his English class
where he was told that the British venerate their history because they have never experienced “occupation” or
colonization, being the biggest modern colonizing force in history themselves. Only rarely do they examine
their past wrongdoings and recognize the evil deeds that they have committed in colonies and wars across the
globe.

Analysis
The excerpt from the chapter primarily deals with the experience of a migrant while leaving his homeland,
profoundly feeling the loss of a home and the simultaneous apprehension of the new country he is
traveling to. The metaphor of co-travelers being like a married couple reflects the character’s attempt to find
some comfort in companionship during the difficult journey of migration, the momentary warmth and
comfort as they embark upon the journey to a new but shared destination. As is the experience of the majority
of the immigrant population, Lev is skeptical of his destination and is emotionally attached to his own country,
which he thinks will continue to be the place where his heart is. The constant need for a cigarette, while
obviously a result of his addiction, is also reflective of his underlying anxiety as people who are dependent on a
substance usually feel the need to consume them during stressful situations. The momentary comfort of the
cigarette is not only the sole source of comfort that he can hope for in this daunting journey, but it also provides
him with a sense of familiarity, being one of the few remaining physical connections to his life in Auror.
Throughout the journey, Lev experiences nostalgia, constantly remembering the days that he spent with his
family or his dying wife. From the brief excerpt, it appears that Lev and his wife shared a loving relationship,
and her death has traumatized him, filling him with guilt for not having died with her, and making him avoid his
own reflection. His move to England is forced by the rising financial difficulties of his family after he loses his
job at the sawmill. Thus, fundamentally unwilling to leave his beloved homeland and daughter behind, his
experience of migration is a particularly difficult one.
Lydia’s experience, although not explored in detail in this excerpt, appears to contrast with Lev’s. Having
willingly migrated from the fear of having to see the same, distasteful view outside her school in Yarbl for the
rest of her life, she does not appear to be particularly disturbed by the journey, although the narrative is
exclusively from Lev’s point of view, and hence caution needs to be exercised before drawing conclusions
about her experience. The appearance of her experience, however, is different from what Lev feels, her added
advantage is that she is comfortable in English and is applying for the job of a translator. As language plays a
major role in the immigrant experience, Lydia is less likely to feel alienated in England as compared to Lev who
is not completely confident in English.
The final two paragraphs portray his heightened agitation as he gets closer to his destination, symbolized by his
increasing need for cigarettes. The last few lines remind the reader of the colonial history of the country Lev is
heading to, and their unwillingness to acknowledge their own wrongdoings.

Key Themes
Migration – The chapter revolves around the experience of migration, with the protagonist, Lev, migrating to
England in search of employment and better economic prospects. He is, however, grieving the loss of his home
and family, constantly plagued by the memories of what he has left behind. Simultaneously, he is also anxious
about being alienated from his destination, England.

Death of a Partner – The other theme that the chapter focuses on is the experience of losing one’s partner,
through Lev’s memories of his dead wife, Marina. Theirs was a loving marriage, and consequently, Lev is
traumatized by her death, feeling guilty about being alive despite her death and not being able to face his own
reflection.

Literary Devices:
1. Imagery

 Example: "Lev was on a bus. Outside the window, England was raining."
 Effect: The imagery creates a bleak, dreary atmosphere, mirroring Lev’s emotions. The rain symbolizes
both his sorrow and the uncertain environment he is entering.

2. Symbolism

 Cigarettes:
o They symbolize Lev’s attachment to his past, especially memories of his home and family.
o They also act as a bridge between the old and the new, as his smoking becomes a point of tension
between him and Lydia.
o Example: "He lit another cigarette. Its smoke had the same stale odour as the bus upholstery."
o Effect: The association between smoke and the bus interior emphasizes his entrapment—
physically in the journey, emotionally in his past.
 The Bus:
o Represents transition, movement from one phase of life to another.
o Lev is physically moving forward but emotionally stuck in the past.

3. Contrast

 Between Lev and Lydia:

o Lev is emotional, melancholic, and slightly rebellious, while Lydia is practical and disciplined.
o Example: "She turned her face away from him and stared out of the window as if he had
disappeared."
 o Effect: Her rejection of Lev's presence reflects his overall feeling of alienation in a foreign
environment.

4. Foreshadowing

 Example: "England was raining."

 Effect: This simple statement foreshadows the challenges Lev will face in England—difficulties in
adjusting, loneliness, and the hardships of migrant life. The rain symbolizes struggle and emotional
turmoil.

5. Repetition

 Example: The repeated references to smoking: "He lit another cigarette," "Significant cigarettes."
 Effect: Reinforces how smoking is a deep-rooted habit for Lev, symbolizing his need for familiarity and
comfort in an alien environment.

6. Third-Person Limited Narration

 Example: The narrative follows Lev’s thoughts and emotions closely but does not delve into Lydia’s
perspective.
 Effect: This creates an intimate connection between the reader and Lev, making his experiences feel
more personal and real.

7. Tone and Mood

 Tone: Reflective and melancholic, as Lev contemplates his past and uncertain future.
 Mood: Somber and lonely, with subtle moments of tension, particularly in his interactions with Lydia.

8. Personification

 Example: "England was raining."

 Effect: Gives a sense that the country itself is unwelcoming and unfriendly, mirroring Lev’s emotions.

9. Short and Long Sentence Structures

 Example:
o "Lev was on a bus." (Short and blunt—mirrors his resigned state.)
o "Outside the window, England was raining." (Adds poetic depth, reinforcing a sense of
bleakness.)
 Effect: The mix of sentence lengths mirrors the ebb and flow of Lev’s thoughts, making his emotional
state feel more dynamic.