Hare-lip (Young Kieffer) Character Analysis in Darkness at Noon

Another fellow prisoner, who seems to be especially interested in Rubashov from the start, though Rubashov isn’t certain why. Eventually, it becomes clear that Hare-lip is the son of Professor Kieffer, an old friend of Rubashov’s, and Hare-lip is attempting to lighten his own sentence by accusing Rubashov of plotting to kill No. 1. Hare-lip is described as young, cowardly, and desperate to the extent that he is willing to do whatever he can to save is own life. In the end, his accusation ends up being insufficient to save him.

Hare-lip (Young Kieffer) Quotes in Darkness at Noon

The Darkness at Noon quotes below are all either spoken by Hare-lip (Young Kieffer) or refer to Hare-lip (Young Kieffer). For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

). Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Scribner edition of Darkness at Noon published in 2006.

“Rubashov laughed at my father, and repeated that he was a fool and a Don Quixote. Then he declared that No. 1 was no accidental phenomenon, but the embodiment of a certain human characteristic—namely, of an absolute belief in the infallibility of one’s own conviction, from which he drew the strength for his complete unscrupulousness.”

Related Characters: (speaker), ,

Page Number and Citation: 208

Explanation and Analysis:

Hare-lip (Young Kieffer) Character Timeline in Darkness at Noon

The timeline below shows where the character Hare-lip (Young Kieffer) appears in Darkness at Noon. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Logical Reasoning and Bureaucracy Theme Icon

...man next to him are. 402 says they’re political, of Rubashov’s kind, not his own. “Hare-lip” is No. 400 and was tortured yesterday through steambath: while Rubashov was beaten up during... (full context)

The Individual, or the “Grammatical Fiction, vs. the Collective Theme Icon

...if he must pay for those deeds all the same. 402 taps to him that Hare-lip sends him greetings. (full context)

Truth, Confession, and Performance Theme Icon

...can extract it, but there are no anaesthetics. Rubashov breaths deeply and declines, thinking of Hare-lip and the “steambath.” Back in his cell, he immediately falls asleep. The toothache eases; three... (full context)

...the canteen. The snow has been cleared from the courtyard for the prisoners to exercise: Hare-lip always looks up at Rubashov’s window. Rubashov often looks down at them, relieved not to... (full context)

...it too. 402 says that this is the night when political differences are being settled: Hare-lip has told him that executions are happening for political prisoners. Rubashov knows that executions happen... (full context)

...booms over him, asking if he recognizes a third person now in the room: it’s Hare-lip. When Gletkin asks if Rubashov has seen this man before, a faint memory seizes Rubashov... (full context)

Gletkin turns to Hare-lip, who says in a deep, resounding voice, that Citizen Rubashov ordered him to poison the... (full context)

Hare-lip continues, saying that his father and he had made a detour to B to visit... (full context)

Hare-lip says that the two men talked scornfully about the present state of affairs of the... (full context)

Then Gletkin asks Hare-lip if what followed was Rubashov’s direct instigation to violence. After a silence, Gletkin asks if... (full context)

Rubashov, after confirming that he has the right to ask questions, asks Hare-lip if he’d just finished his university studies when he and his father came to visit.... (full context)

Hare-lip looks at Gletkin in fear and astonishment. Rubashov feels fleetingly triumphant, but the feeling vanishes.... (full context)

Change and the Laws of History Theme Icon

...them all: no one could unveil the truth to the world like Danton. Some like Hare-lip were silenced by fear, others by cowardice, others by the hope to save their families,... (full context)

...402, who’s been silent since Rubashov said he was capitulating, tells him that they’re fetching Hare-lip, who sends Rubashov his greetings. Peering through the spy-hole, Rubashov sees Hare-lip standing there, trembling,... (full context)