How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph), (Chapter.Figure)
Quote #4
When I get there, the door is open. Stukachov's wife is in our room, sweeping. What a good woman, rising from her sleep, helping to clean up. (6.2)
This is an action that we might expect from a truly tight-knit communal living situation. But, no: Sasha soon finds out that she's only tidying up the joint because Stukachov and his family are taking over (and throwing Sasha out basically on his can).
Quote #5
"I'm sorry, Sasha," she says. "If we take you in, they'll arrest us, too. We just had a baby. We have to stay alive." (8.16)
This seems pretty harsh and cold-hearted. We would imagine family would stick by each other. That whole "blood is thicker than water" thing, right? It doesn't seem to work that way in Sasha's world. Why is it such a risk for Aunt Larisa to take him in?
Quote #6
"Who's not with us is against us," Vovka says, grinning, and holds up the snowball. (12.6)
The children learn from a very young age that the only community that matters in this world is that which grows out of the barrel of a gun. Lucky for Sasha and Four-Eyes, snowballs stand in for that threat in the boys' rather macabre playground game.