Child 44 Theme of Fear

There's nothing to fear except fear itself—except if you're having a run-in with the Soviet secret police. In that case, feel free to get terrified to your heart's content. We see it all in Child 44.These guys can arrest you in the middle of the night for no reason; they can turn your family and friends against you; heck, they can even turn you against yourself. It's some crazy stuff. Though Leo Demidov was once a high-ranking member of the secret police, he now finds himself a victim of these very same intimidation tactics. As it turns out, fear is an even more potent weapon then he ever imagined.

Questions About Fear

  1. How does the MGB use fear to achieve its goals?
  2. In what ways does Raisa's fear of Leo affect their marriage?
  3. How does Leo justify inspiring so much fear into regular citizens?
  4. What does Leo learn about fear after being driven out of the MGB?