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Symbols
Cigarettes symbolize the narrator’s coming of age over the course of the novel. Initially, cigarettes reflect the narrator’s immaturity: cigarettes are banned from the narrator’s school, and anyone caught smoking is immediately expelled. Still, the narrator says that he has to satisfy his addiction—not to the cigarettes, but rather to the thrill of trying to keep up the habit despite knowing he might be caught. This reckless rule-breaking indicates the narrator’s immaturity, as he’s more concerned about seeking thrills and looking cool than he is about the consequences of his action.
One day, however, the narrator is almost caught—and a boy who was smoking with him is expelled. Following this incident, the narrator throws away his stash of cigarettes, an act that symbolizes a greater sense of maturity and an intention to be less deceptive. This incident happens around the same time that the narrator starts wanting to be more open about his identity, tying the narrator’s disposal of his cigarettes to an overall desire to be more honest and honorable—which the novel suggests are hallmarks of maturity.
Later on, after the narrator is later expelled for plagiarism, the symbolic meaning of cigarettes changes. When his teacher, Mr. Ramsey, is seeing the narrator off at the train, he offers to smoke with the narrator and gives him a pack of cigarettes to take on the trip. This shift indicates that the narrator has come of age: he no longer has to adhere to strict school rules—now, he can smoke openly. The fact that that Mr. Ramsey gives him the cigarettes suggests that he, too, recognizes the narrator’s maturity as he leaves school and enters the adult world.
Cigarettes Quotes in Old School
The Old School quotes below all refer to the symbol of Cigarettes. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 7: When in Disgrace with Fortune Quotes
A steady line of wilted-looking passengers jostled past me into the carriage. Time to make a move. I pushed through to a forward-facing window seat, claimed it with my overnighter—my gladstone—took out In Our Time, and made my way to the smoking car.
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The narrator has just been expelled and boarded the train from school, and this passage—which closes out the chapter—reflects the narrator’s outlook and marks a turning point in his life. The narrator’s assertion that he has to “make a move” and his taking of a forward-facing window seat both imply that the narrator is looking toward the future. He doesn’t dwell on the past; instead, he is open to what lies ahead, even in the midst of failure. This calls back to Hemingway’s earlier advice that he should go out and find other things to know about, and here it Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut ma
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Cigarettes Symbol Timeline in Old School
The timeline below shows where the symbol Cigarettes appears in Old School. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2: On Fire
...burned to the ground with 13 boys inside. The fire was supposedly started by a cigarette, which led to a harsh ban on smoking. If the boys were caught, they were...
(full context)
...and grateful that he was able to remain at the school, and he collected his cigarettes and lighters and stuffed them into the trash, vowing to never smoke again.
(full context)
Thus, when the firefighters arrive that Sunday afternoon, the narrator assumes a cigarette started it. When they arrive, he is working on his poem in the library. It...
(full context)
Chapter 6: The Forked Tongue
...her mother that she needs more typing supplies so that she can get money for cigarettes.
(full context)
Chapter 7: When in Disgrace with Fortune
...then buys the narrator a ticket and waits for the train. He takes out a cigarette and starts smoking, but when he offers the pack to the narrator, the narrator doesn’t...
(full context)
...Mr. Ramsey tells the narrator that he’ll work things out and sticks the pack of cigarettes in the narrator’s shirt pocket. Then Mr. Ramsey walks away, and the narrator claims a...
(full context)
