Moral Ambiguity and Self-Deception

The book examines how characters justify their actions—like Wilfred Chew rationalizing his commission or Anna's guilt over the kid—revealing a gap between self-perception and reality, akin to the author's critique of Tobit's 'wistfully self-compensating' narrative.

Seryozha and Old Sergei argue about searching the dead for money, then pretend to leave to catch the soldiers grave-robbing; Seryozha's mock blessings and indifference afterward show moral complexity.

Anna's internal doubt about whether she accepted the kid goat too hastily, and Old Sergei's self-righteous advice that ignores his own failings, illustrate the characters' self-deception and moral uncertainty.

Wilfred rationalizes profiting from Mr. Fawcett's ignorance and considers matchmaking for financial gain while maintaining a self-image of Christian charity.

Pavel's story about his dealings with Bolsheviks and his self-image as an unsentimental man reveals his own moral compromises and self-justifications.