In chapter 3, we were treated to Kira’s sense of justice. A bully at her school in Crimea had “declared a boycott against a freckled little girl.” Kira, who normally ate lunch alone, was confronted while sitting with this girl. “Do you know what you’re doing, Argounova?” demanded the leader of the girl gang. “Eating mush. Won’t you sit down?” Instead, the thug asks, “Do you know what this girl here has done?” Kira replies, “I haven’t the slightest idea.”

In both cases, Kira adopts the technique of playing by their rules and giving them more rope for hanging themselves. The bully responds, “You haven’t? Then why are you doing this for her?” Kira was ready, “You’re mistaken, I am not doing this for her. I am doing it against twenty-eight other girls.” The bully unravels, “So you think its smart to go against the majority?” Democracy in action.