Author David Benioff, of the suspenseful novel City of Thieves, does a remarkable job at developing the witty, humorous, brave, and optimistic character known as Kolya. Kolya begins this novel as an unlikable and unpleasant character but gradually redeems himself by displaying more admirable traits. Throughout this intriguing novel, despite his arrogance and frequent reckless behavior, Kolya has proven to be a very likeable and sympathetic character.
Kolya’s initial appearance and encounters with other characters reflect negatively upon his character as they show him to be exceedingly arrogant. However, as the story progresses, you begin to see the kind-hearted and sympathetic man that Kolya truly is as well as the vulnerability that lies within his character.
Kolya, an alleged deserter of the Red Army during World War II, was first portrayed and thought of by others as bold and overconfident. “With his manacles hands, he managed to push up the left sleeve of his great coat, the left sleeve of his army sweater, the left sleeve of the two shirts beneath it, and offered his forearm to the soldier in the front seat. ‘You want to break the arm, break it, but I am not a deserter’ (Benioff 30). By this quote, the author does a great job illustrating to the reader that Kolya is not afraid of anything. He is both fearless and daring. He does not run from confrontation, but rather stands strong and faces it.
As the story advances one of the most frequent characteristics displayed