Quote 4
"I'm going to go back and… fish with Nicholai" […] Peter laughed, and his laugh […] sounded warm and good to Alex because it sounded like Peter. (13.83-85)
In the end, Peter makes it his life's mission to help suffering Soviet citizens get a second chance. Good for you, dude. Although we don't know exactly why Peter makes this choice, it's very much in line with the guy we've gotten to know over the course of The Wild Children.
Quote 5
"If I say he gets no soup, he gets no soup," said Peter angrily. "If you are staying here, you must know that what I say is the law." (4.20)
Peter's rule is simple: If you work hard, you'll eat well. We're using the word "well" relatively speaking, of course. Still, you have to give Peter props for running such a tight ship, especially because it would be really easy for him to act like a jerk and hoard all of the food for himself. Nom nom nom.
Quote 6
"Sometimes we had to throw out some who would not live by our rules. I still wanted to be the kind of man, Jacob, the baker, was, and we called it the Baker's Band." (5.67)
See what we mean? While most of the homeless kids in Moscow are getting into serious trouble (trouble that could land them in jail or worse), Peter manages to keep his crew on the straight-and-narrow. That's a big deal. Once again, it's pretty easy to see how important Peter's leadership is to the group.