Violence Quotes in Child 44

Soviet propagandists use Leo's pretty face to counterbalance all of the unpleasant human suffering he has caused. In fact, violence is a lot easier to rationalize during wartime—you have a clear enemy with clear goals. As we'll come to learn, things get a lot more complicated during times of peace.

While Leo refuses to cross certain lines, Vasili leaps over them with childlike glee. These two dudes are quite different: Vasili loves violence for violence's sake, while Leo only uses it when there's good reason. In our estimation, stopping Vasili from killing two kids in cold blood is as good a reason as any.

Leo knows that the State commits gut-wrenching violence, but he tricks himself into believing that it's for a just cause. After all, what's one individual's suffering compared to the fate of an entire nation? Yeah, people sure do their best to rationalize some truly awful things.

With time, cracks form on the surface of Leo's self-rationalization, like footsteps on a frozen river. He can no longer ignore the reality of the violence he's inflicted—the countless families that he has knowingly shattered.

Unfortunately, Leo is the exception to the rule. Most agents in the MGB are like Vasili—utterly unconcerned about the ramifications of their actions. To be honest, they're not even driven by their allegiance to Soviet ideology—they'd just rather be the guys breaking ankles then the guys getting their ankles broken.

If you think that shotgun weddings are crazy, then just wait until you get a load of this shotgun marriage. Unbeknownst to Leo, Raisa lives in constant fear of violence, with the slightest screw-up potentially leading to her undoing.

Leo and Raisa's marriage radically changes the moment that Leo chokes her. No longer are Raisa's concerns about her well-being mere paranoia; no longer is her fear of her husband misplaced. No real man would ever treat his wife the way that Leo does here. This act radically changes the way Leo thinks about his own actions.

Andrei's methods are completely foreign to Leo: not even Vasili would be so obsessive about the details. This wasn't an accidental killing. This wasn't a random act of violence. This wasn't a crime of passion. This is something far more disturbing—and frightening.

Like father, like daughter. Nadya reacts to her unpleasant family life just as Andrei did—by retreating into her own world and planning awful acts of violence. One thing this book makes disturbingly clear: violence breeds violence.

Of course, Child 44 is an action-thriller, so you can bet your bottom dollar that Leo is a legit action hero. Though he doesn't love violence for its own sake, even he must admit that he's a pro: he's basically the Michael Jordan of punching people in the face.