Chapter 4: To Build Is to Perish Summary

Chapter four tells the story of Makeyev. He is born a peasant and becomes a soldier and works his way up the ladder of success within the Party. He eventually lands as the Regional Secretary of Kurgansk. Makeyev believes strongly in himself and in Socialism, and the two are intertwined in his mind. One of his strategies for moving to the top is to conveniently forget about troubles of the past.

Makeyev is a builder. He is known as an honorable, tough man who builds the success of the country literally through roads, schools, factors, and so on. He lives on his instinct more than thought and does not like to dwell on anything negative. When Makeyev's old friend Kasparov visits him, Kasparov gives bad news about what he believes will be the...