Clandestine affairs
Throughout the novel, István engages in two clandestine affairs. His first affair, when he is only fifteen, is with a forty-two-year-old woman who grooms him. Although this affair creates the central conflict in the novel, ultimately causing him to join the military and find a new life for himself (and woman) in London. In London, he has yet another clandestine affair with a married woman. Ultimately, he marries this woman, putting their relationship in the public eye. These affairs serve to underscore István's feelings of alienation and feeling not good enough. They also illuminate one key aspect of István's character: that he feels like he was ignored while in poverty, so he needs to remain ignored and not prioritized as an adult.
Violence
For István, violence is a tool and a means to an end. He certainly doesn't ever want to be violent, but when forced to be violent, he invariably will be. For instance, when he is forcefully confronted by the husband of the woman who groomed him, the two start to argue. Things escalate, and István ultimately kills the man because of the threat he poses. Later, after joining the military, he is forced to be violent in Iraq to protect himself and those around him. He never revels in the violence; instead, he does what he has to do. Being violent is a necessity for him.
