Cigarettes
In Film Noir, (Dark Film) a genre based in the 20th century, cigarettes are used as props to convey a sexual charge. This is shown in Spies through Barbara Berril, a girl who has taken an liking to Stephen encourages him to smoke with her, "She puts the cigarette in her mouth, then glances slyly at me as I light it for her" In Film Noir, the act of lighting a woman's cigarette was a flirtatious gesture and creates sexual tension. Frayn uses this scene to show the level of growth Stephen has succumbed to, from the beginning of the play.
Fear
There are many concepts of fear throughout the novel. Stephen has the fear of failing Keith and the fear of his safety, as Keith dominates him through threats in order to maintain his alpha male dominance which stems from his father. While Mrs.Hayward, Keith's mother, has a hidden fear. This fear stems from the physical abuse she receives from Keith's father. This is implicated through her clothing, "a pale blue silk cravat around her neck" hiding the scars from the damage of the infamous bayonet Keith's dad stores in his garage. Additionally, Uncle Peter's fear stems from his anxiety from his short warfare experience and it's after effects, "The darkness inside you...In your head, in your stomach". This conveys how the fear built up within him caused him to flee and become a war coward, "They trusted you and you failed them"
