Fear Quotes in Child 44

You might just be on to something, Leo. The MGB has perfected the art of fear, using it as a tool to subjugate and control the masses. People are terrified of being brought to the Lubyanka for interrogation: it usually leads to either death or the Gulag. That's some scary stuff.

In Leo's mind, the MGB is inspiring terror for a noble reason—to build a better future for the Russian people. We're sure that the people being terrified feel a little bit different about it, but at this point, Leo doesn't question issues like guilt and innocence much; he leaves the thinking to the state.

Kids are taught to be scared of the government before they're potty trained. How do you think this will affect them when they grow up? Do you think they'll grow up to be happy, productive members of Soviet society? Or are they going to be so terrified that they lose their minds?

As usual, Raisa hits the nail on the head. Leo—like his fellow MGB agents—uses fear as a shield to protect himself from the reality of what he's doing. No one has ever told him that what he's doing is evil before, simply because they have been too scared to say anything. Leo has become so isolated in his ivory tower that he has been blinded to this obvious fact.

If Raisa and Leo are going to rebuild their marriage, then they need to trust each other unconditionally. Raisa has lived her entire life in fear, and she says that stops now.

Now that he's a prisoner, Leo understands the abject terror he has put countless people through. Fear doesn't merely cause psychological effects—it can even make a once healthy body wither away.

As he delves deeper into the case, Nesterov's feelings of security are shattered. Now, whenever he closes his eyes, he sees his children being hunted by this seemingly unrepentant serial killer. How is he supposed to turn a blind eye with those images in his head? It's all well and good until it gets personal, right?

Fear isn't a logical emotion—in fact, it's often the complete opposite. When we feel afraid, our fight-or-flight instinct kicks into full gear, overwhelming our rational faculties and often crippling us. And just think: Leo has put countless innocent people through this very experience. What did he really hope to get from that? Justice?

Fear can be a great motivator, but it's not going to get Leo and Raisa to the finish line. If they're going to make it through this ordeal in one piece, they're going to need to find something else to motivate them.

Now that he's stuck in a hopeless place, Leo can finally empathize with his victims. He understands their pain. He understands their determination. And, most importantly, he understands their fear. Now all that's left is earning forgiveness.