While the political situation is falling apart, most everyone is more concerned with what vintage wine they should choose with dinner.
Laszlo’s and Abady’s insecurity must be what makes them friends – neither feel as if they belong the the world they live in – outsiders each.
István Tisza = real political figure
The best Hungarian officer barely speaks Hungarian because he’s always with the Germans.
Maybe I’m off base, but I imagine Quentin as being a bit cowardly and weak. And not just physically- though I do imagine him as physically small and frail – but mentally, too. He’s hanging onto some odd ideas about how he thinks people should behave but he has no idea how people really behave. Doesn’t occur to him a father would think he was trying to kidnap the girl, or get punched. Harvard has been a waste of his $