The smoke from her cigarette passed beneath the nostrils of the brown and white girls, and their space-annihilating concupiscence seemed centered on mentholated smoke along.
In Kurt Vonnegut Jr.'s "The Sirens of Titan," a vivid image unfolds where cigarette smoke intertwines with the presence of two girls described as brown and white. The scene suggests a deep, almost intoxicating attraction that seems to revolve around the shared experience of the mentholated smoke. This highlights a moment where desire is not just personal but collectively shared, contributing to a sense of connection between the characters.
The use of specific descriptors in the passage implies an underlying complexity to their interactions. The smoke serves as a metaphor for a deeper longing or desire that transcends physical appearances, suggesting that their mutual focus on the smoke represents both a momentary indulgence and a search for something more profound in their relationship with each other and their environment.