Child 44 Chapter 2 Summary

How It All Goes Down

Moscow, 11 February 1953

  • Two brothers named Arkady and Jora are playing in the snow. Arkady has just nailed his older brother with a snowball, which is a momentous occasion for the little guy—it feels like winning the Super Bowl.
  • Jora, on the other hand, is furious. He makes a snowball, fortifying it with "a handful of frozen mud and grit and stones," and launches it at Arkady (2.2.4). It's a direct hit.
  • Although Jora regrets it immediately, Arkady doesn't wait for an apology; instead, he sprints into the woods at full speed.