The Power

The Power

by

Naomi Alderman

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Power makes teaching easy.

Tatiana Moskalev Character Analysis

Tatiana is the wife of Viktor Moskalev, the President of Moldova. After women begin to rise up against the government, it is implied that she kills Viktor with her power (though outwardly it appears that he had a heart attack). Tatiana is then appointed by the Supreme Court as the President of Moldova. Following this, a military coup forces Tatiana to flee to the south of the country, where she declares a new state called Bessapara in which women will be free. Though Tatiana’s initial goals are noble, over time she is shown to be more and more corrupted. She works with Roxy’s drug ring in order to get Glitter for her soldiers and enhance their power; she also uses Eve’s and Margot’s own self-interest in order to drum up support for Bessapara. At a reception, she is shown to be cruel to men, as she forces Peter to lick up a broken bottle of wine from the floor after he interrupts her. She then shows that female rulers can be just as corrupted as men when she enacts unjust laws that mirror those of the old patriarchal regime. For example, she curtails men’s freedom to drive, travel, and work without the consent of a female guardian. This quickly trickles down to the citizens of Bessapara, who rape, murder, and electrify men at will. When Eve realizes how unreliable Tatiana is, she uses her power to control the electrical impulses in Tatiana’s mind and makes her slit her own throat.

Tatiana Moskalev Quotes in The Power

The The Power quotes below are all either spoken by Tatiana Moskalev or refer to Tatiana Moskalev. 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:
Power and Violence Theme Icon
).
Chapter 13: Tunde Quotes

Moldova is the world capital of human sex-trafficking. There are a thousand little towns here with staging posts in basements and apartments in condemned buildings. They trade in men, too, and in children. The girl children grow day by day until the power comes to their hands and they can teach the grown women. This thing happens again and again and again; the change has happened too fast for the men to learn the new tricks they need. It is a gift. Who is to say it does not come from God?

Related Characters: Allie/Eve, Tunde Edo, Tatiana Moskalev, Viktor Moskalev
Page Number: 102
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 19: Roxy Quotes

You can turn money into anything. One, two, three, presto. Turn drugs into influence with Tatiana Moskalev, President of Bessapara. Turn your ability to bring pain and fear into a factory where the authorities will turn a blind eye to whatever you're cooking up there that sends purple-tinged steam into the skies at midnight.

Related Characters: Roxy Monke (speaker), Tatiana Moskalev, Bernie Monke
Page Number: 177
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 26: Margot Quotes

“You want to employ NorthStar girls yourself.”
“As my private army, here and on the border.”
It’s worth a lot of money. […] The board would be very happy to continue their association with Margot Cleary until the end of time if she could pull this off.
“And, in exchange, you want...”
“We are going to alter our laws a little. During this time of trouble. To prevent more traitors giving away our secrets to the North. We want you to stand by us.”

Related Characters: Margot Cleary (speaker), Tatiana Moskalev (speaker)
Page Number: 249
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 29: Tunde Quotes

Thus, we institute today this law, that each man in the country must have his passport and other official documents stamped with the name of his female guardian. Her written permission will be needed for any journey he undertakes. We know that men have their tricks and we cannot allow them to band together.

Related Characters: Margot Cleary, Tunde Edo, Tatiana Moskalev
Page Number: 272
Explanation and Analysis:
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Tatiana Moskalev Quotes in The Power

The The Power quotes below are all either spoken by Tatiana Moskalev or refer to Tatiana Moskalev. 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:
Power and Violence Theme Icon
).
Chapter 13: Tunde Quotes

Moldova is the world capital of human sex-trafficking. There are a thousand little towns here with staging posts in basements and apartments in condemned buildings. They trade in men, too, and in children. The girl children grow day by day until the power comes to their hands and they can teach the grown women. This thing happens again and again and again; the change has happened too fast for the men to learn the new tricks they need. It is a gift. Who is to say it does not come from God?

Related Characters: Allie/Eve, Tunde Edo, Tatiana Moskalev, Viktor Moskalev
Page Number: 102
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 19: Roxy Quotes

You can turn money into anything. One, two, three, presto. Turn drugs into influence with Tatiana Moskalev, President of Bessapara. Turn your ability to bring pain and fear into a factory where the authorities will turn a blind eye to whatever you're cooking up there that sends purple-tinged steam into the skies at midnight.

Related Characters: Roxy Monke (speaker), Tatiana Moskalev, Bernie Monke
Page Number: 177
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 26: Margot Quotes

“You want to employ NorthStar girls yourself.”
“As my private army, here and on the border.”
It’s worth a lot of money. […] The board would be very happy to continue their association with Margot Cleary until the end of time if she could pull this off.
“And, in exchange, you want...”
“We are going to alter our laws a little. During this time of trouble. To prevent more traitors giving away our secrets to the North. We want you to stand by us.”

Related Characters: Margot Cleary (speaker), Tatiana Moskalev (speaker)
Page Number: 249
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 29: Tunde Quotes

Thus, we institute today this law, that each man in the country must have his passport and other official documents stamped with the name of his female guardian. Her written permission will be needed for any journey he undertakes. We know that men have their tricks and we cannot allow them to band together.

Related Characters: Margot Cleary, Tunde Edo, Tatiana Moskalev
Page Number: 272
Explanation and Analysis: