Smiling grandfather
In the prologue, David describes his grandfather, the man who will become the main character of the novel. David opens the book by stating how his grandfather once killed two men with a knife when he was just 18. After that, he goes on to describe the grandfather as a cheerful man, someone who is always positive and someone who would never hurt anyone. The initial image of the grandfather is important because it will be changed constantly throughout the novel.
Dead man falling from the sky
Lev’s first chapter opens with the description of a German soldier falling from the sky. Lev and his friends rush towards the man and they quickly strip his of everything he has. The image of the dead soldier is important because it shows just how war affected both sides. On one side, the Russians inside Leningrad suffered because they had no access to resources and the Germans suffered from the cold. Neither were ready to give up so dead bodies became a common sight for both parties. The fact that the children did not react in any way when they saw the dead body proves just how accustomed they were with death and suffering.
Skating girl
When the colonel takes Lev and Kolya outside, they are shown the colonel’s daughter, a beautiful girl skating on a frozen lake. The boys realize that in comparison with them, two poor men who are starved and extremely thin, the young woman is the epitome of happiness and healthiness, being able to enjoy life. The image of the colonel’s daughter is important because it shows that while some people do not have enough to eat, other people lead a relatively happy and easy life for the single reason that they were members of the right family.
Haymarket
When Lev and Koyla were sent to get eggs, they went to Haymarket, the only place where contraband produce could still be found. Lev described the market as he passed through it and the produce they were selling. The people were selling boots taken from the dead soldiers or dead people in the street and jars of dirt some were trying to sell as being food. This description describes a grim picture of the city, a picture of a city that has no other choice but the eat dirt in order to survive.
