Question

As Will's father enters the elevator, there isn't any smoke from the cigarettes. There are three people who have been smoking and there has been a cloud of smoke in the elevator each time someone got on. Why do you believe the author doesn't include smoke this time?

Answer 1

The author does not include the smoke this time to give the feeling of breathability, which alludes to freedom.

Step-by-step explanation:

This question is about "Long Way Down".

The elevator has a strong symbolism in this story because it represents the prison and the claustrophobic feeling that is inside Will's mind that cannot deviate from thoughts of revenge, mistakes, failure, fear and grief. When the author includes quotes about cigarette smoke from the ghosts who are with Will, the elevator takes on the symbolism of a suffocating and unbreathable environment, which is how Will's thoughts present themselves.

However, when the elevator reaches its destination, the ghosts disappear and the smoke disappears, creating a breathable environment. When the author stops citing smoke, he shows that the elevator can have another meaning, that of restart and freedom and that is Will's chance to follow that meaning.