Aleph
The Aleph is the first word in alphabet of multiple languages. It is considered as a starting point of any journey, but for the writer it is a symbol for an indescribable energy that comes from the vicinity of two people which is capable of them putting in an omnipresent stage. The narrator describes this a condition where one is capable of traveling in time and space.
Train
The Trans-Siberian train from Moscow to Vladivostok is often symbolized as life itself. A person may feel stagnant even though life keeps going on. No point is similar to the point before. There is a whole world inside, and still one may often feel trapped and getting into repetitive conditions. Nonetheless, one needs to keeps moving ahead, and keep having new experiences to live life fullest.
Rituals
Rituals as the one J. uses with the narrator in the starting of the book, or as Hilal follows with the narrator and Tatiana are part of their understanding of the world. They try to understand the world in their own way and while the narrator is sceptic of the whole thing as he believes these are just words to induce a person in to a Placebo-like Euphoria, the rituals form a deeper connection between other people based on their beliefs.
Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal is the symbol of narrator’s limited belief of the enormity of the world. The narrator, at the age of 69, feels like he has seen most of the world and understands the workings of it. But, his words are conflicted as he looks at the enormity of Lake Baikal which looks more like an ocean. He is astonished by the sheer size of the lake. It makes him realize the possibilities a person can have in the world and makes him humbler.
Stories
Stories are a constant motif in the book, since people tell stories to make certain points. This trait is not just limited to the narrator but to almost all the other major characters. Stories, particularly those from scriptures, are used as well as folklore.
Prophecy
The Narrator's wife receives a prophecy about her husband that the soul of Turkey would give him all her love, "but she will spill his blood before she reveals what it is she is seeking”. This ultimately comes true as the Narrator is hit by Hilal and dragged on to the train.
