Character Analysis
Gitanas's bizarre journey illustrates The Corrections' take on the state of modern politics.
The world that Gitanas grew up in was purely black-and-white. Lithuania had a clear enemy (the "big evil daddy" Soviet Union) and clear allies (the West) (5.951). Gitanas experienced this political tension in an intimate way, as much of his family was killed or imprisoned by Soviet occupying forces. Although these weren't good times by any stretch of the imagination, they were certainly unambiguous.
Then the Soviet Union falls. Gitanas probably expected it to be a boon for his country, but this couldn't be further from the truth. Although he did what he was told to when "the World Bank said privatize" (2.878), he discovers that Lithuania is placed in an untenable situation after its infrastructure is purchased by Americans with zero interest in his country's welfare.
In the end, Gitanas decides that if he can't beat them, he'll join them. He uses American investors' greed against them, offering a host of meaningless rewards for hefty sums. This was never going to be a long-term solution—in fact, it might end up doing more harm than good. But what other options are available to him?
It's said that the Roman Republic fell apart after the people realized that "everything can be bought"—including political power. Most people take that phrase as a warning; Gitanas, however, saw a business opportunity.