How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
No one could ever be sure they weren't guilty of anti-Soviet agitation [...] since no one, including Leo, could ever be sure exactly what these crimes were. (2.7.4)
It takes a while, but Leo finally begins questioning his government. After all, how can you arrest someone for a crime that even you can't define? Still, it's going to take some time for Leo to fully open his eyes: he still has thirty-something years of patriotic propaganda clouding his vision.
Quote #5
The promise of a golden age where none of this brutality would exist, where everything would be in plenty and poverty would be a memory, justified anything. (2.7.47)
This is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. There's just one problem: leprechauns aren't real, y'all. We'd give you the whole road to hell spiel, but you've already heard it—instead, just take a moment to think about how many real-life humanitarian disasters can be traced back to this twisted mentality.
Quote #6
"I don't hate this country. You hate this country. You hate the people of this country. Why else would arrest so many of them." (2.7.80)
Leo needs someone to tell him this. Though he's spent his entire life convincing himself that he'd do anything for his country, the one thing he's been unwilling to do is question his bosses. That's quite the oversight. Luckily, it's one we doubt Leo will ever make again.