Cyril Character Analysis in Bonjour Tristesse

Cyril is a young law student who becomes infatuated with Cécile after meeting her on holiday on the Mediterranean. Though Cécile initially doesn’t seem to see Cyril as anything more than a summer fling, she feels a passionate desire for him, which she mistakes for love. Several years Cécile’s senior, Cyril is far more responsible and pragmatic than Cécile. As such, he struggles to understand the unconventional trio that Cécile is a part of, alongside her father Raymond and his current lover, Elsa, finding it unsettling and inappropriate that Raymond so openly flaunts his affairs around his young daughter. Cyril is relieved, then, when Anne becomes engaged to Raymond, viewing Anne as a voice of moral reason and a good example for Cécile to follow. Though Cyril supports the marriage and Anne’s influence, he nevertheless agrees (albeit reluctantly) to participate in Cécile’s plan to break up Anne and Raymond, a scheme Cécile cooks up partly as revenge after Anne demands that Cécile stop seeing Raymond and focus on her schoolwork instead. After Anne’s death, Cécile realizes that she never loved Cyril to begin with, and, though she recognizes it is unfair, she grows to resent him for the role he played in Cécile’s deluded scheme and its tragic, unexpected outcome.

Cyril Quotes in Bonjour Tristesse

The Bonjour Tristesse quotes below are all either spoken by Cyril or refer to Cyril. 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:

“You should realize that such diversions usually end up in a hospital.”

Related Characters: Anne (speaker), Cyril, Cécile

Related Symbols: Pine Wood

Page Number and Citation: 48

Explanation and Analysis:

On the terrace, in the rectangle of light that projected from the dining-room window, I saw Anne’s long nervous hand reach out to find my father’s. I thought of Cyril. I would have liked him to take me in his arms on that terrace, flooded with moonlight and the noise of the crickets. I would have liked to be caressed, consoled, reconciled with myself. My father and Anne were silent. They had a night of love to look forward to; I had Bergson. I tried to cry, to feel sorry for myself, but in vain. I was sorry for Anne, as if I were certain that I would conquer her.

Related Characters: Cécile (speaker), Anne, Cyril, Raymond (Cécile’s Father)

Page Number and Citation: 54

Explanation and Analysis:

My father suffered as much as his nature permitted, that is to say, hardly at all, for he was mad about Anne, intensely proud and happy, and nothing else existed for him.

Related Characters: Cécile (speaker), Anne, Cyril, Raymond (Cécile’s Father)

Page Number and Citation: 59

Explanation and Analysis:

[Raymond] shrugged his shoulders. On the way back I noticed he was preoccupied. Perhaps he was thinking that both Cyril and Elsa were young, and that in marrying a woman of his own age, he would cease to belong to the age group of men who are looked upon as still young. I had a momentary feeling of triumph but when I saw the tiny wrinkles at the corners of Anne’s eyes, and the fine lines around her mouth, I felt ashamed of myself. It was only too easy to follow my impulses and repent afterward.

Related Characters: Cécile (speaker), Elsa, Cyril, Raymond (Cécile’s Father), Anne

Page Number and Citation: 82

Explanation and Analysis:

In three weeks we would be back in Paris, and the main thing was that nothing should happen before then. Elsa would be out of our way, and my father and Anne would get married if by then they had not changed their minds. In Paris I would have Cyril, and just as Anne had been unable to keep us apart here, so she would find it impossible to stop me from seeing him once we were home. In Paris, Cyril had a room away from his mother. I could already imagine the window open to the pink and blue sky, the wonderful sky of Paris, with the pigeons cooing on the window sill, and with Cyril beside me on the narrow bed…

Related Characters: Cécile (speaker), Elsa, Anne, Raymond (Cécile’s Father), Cyril’s Mother, Cyril

Page Number and Citation: 96-97

Explanation and Analysis:

Cyril Character Timeline in Bonjour Tristesse

The timeline below shows where the character Cyril appears in Bonjour Tristesse. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Decadence and Self-Destruction Theme Icon

...but pale, red-headed Elsa gets a horrible sunburn. On the sixth day there, Cécile spots Cyril, a “tall and almost beautiful” young law student. Usually, Cécile avoids university students, who she... (full context)

That night, Cécile is too distracted with daydreams of Cyril that she doesn’t notice how nervous her father is. After dinner, Cécile, her father, and... (full context)

As Cyril approaches Cécile, she says, “We were so happy,” lamenting Anne’s imminent arrival. Cyril kisses her,... (full context)

After breakfast, Cécile changes into her bathing suit and heads to the sea. She encounters Cyril there, sitting on his boat. He embraces her tenderly, and Cécile muses that he must... (full context)

Cyril leaves at half-past 11:00, and then Cécile sees Raymond, Anne, and Elsa make their way... (full context)

The holiday carries on. Cécile spends her evenings with Cyril, driving to bars in Saint-Tropez to go dancing. In the moment, they feel deeply in... (full context)

One afternoon, Cécile, Raymond, and Anne have tea with Cyril and his mother, an older woman who speaks of her struggles as a widow and... (full context)

Cyril observes the change from afar and seems “comforted” by it. He and Cécile continue to... (full context)

Dinner that evening is awful. Anne tells Raymond about catching Cécile with Cyril in the forest. She suggests that Raymond be a little stricter with Cécile and push... (full context)

...the plan she’s cooked up: to ask Elsa to pretend to be in love with Cyril to make Raymond, out of jealousy, make a move on Elsa and betray Anne. But... (full context)

...and she starts to second-guess her resolve about calling off her plans to ruin Anne. Cyril meets her at his gate and gathers her in an embrace—it’s been so long, and... (full context)

Elsa appears just then, sparing Cécile the trouble of having to respond to Cyril. Eagerly, Elsa asks Cécile if Raymond knows she’s back yet. Cyril goes to fetch some... (full context)

...Anne for Elsa. Mostly, though, she’s preoccupied with daydreams of her future married life with Cyril. If he’s willing to wait a couple years for her grow up, she’d happily marry... (full context)

...They all swim, and then they lie side by side in the sand. Just then, Cyril’s boat rounds the corner and comes into view. When Raymond sees, he good naturedly suggests... (full context)

At first, Raymond is only surprised, not jealous, to see Elsa with Cyril. To Cécile’s dismay, he and Anne take care to treat Cécile kindly. Still, she starts... (full context)

A week passes. Cécile is too nervous to stop by Cyril’s to let him and Elsa know what’s going on. Instead, she shuts herself in her... (full context)

After Anne leaves, Cécile puts on some old clothes and sprints from the villa to Cyril’s house. She goes to Cyril’s room and finds him sleeping in bed. Cyril rouses and... (full context)

After lying in bed with Cyril, Cécile heads home, walking through the pine forest toward the villa. She finds Anne lying... (full context)

Later, Cécile meets Cyril in the wood, per their arrangement. There, Cécile tells him the next phase of the... (full context)

...Cécile suggests they cut through the pine wood on the way back. There, they encounter Cyril and Elsa lying together on the pine needles. Though Cécile has orchestrated the scene herself,... (full context)

That afternoon, Cécile clandestinely meets Cyril at the beach, and they sail out to sea in his boat. Cyril tries to... (full context)

In retrospect, Cécile recalls how her and Cyril’s love made time pass quickly during this stretch of days. Elsa, on the other hand,... (full context)

...Charles and claims that he “simply adores” her (she was his lover for a time). Cyril is indifferent about going but agrees to accompany Elsa, if only to be around Cécile. (full context)

...order, Cécile notices Webb’s expression brighten—and she turns around and sees Elsa, who’s there with Cyril. Webb makes a big deal of how beautiful Elsa has become and how much he... (full context)

After dinner, Raymond, Anne, and Cécile head to another bar—and Elsa and Cyril soon follow. Raymond, miffed at seeing Elsa with Cyril, insists that their affair is “just... (full context)

...unable to grasp how Anne will fit into their life. Even so, her love for Cyril has allowed her to stop being so apprehensive about how Anne’s presence will negatively affect... (full context)

...to Elsa, and she no longer feels guilty about it. Meanwhile, Cécile continues to see Cyril and have sex with him in secret. Cyril feels increasingly guilty for the role he... (full context)

...to laugh as often and as loudly as possible whenever Cécile arranges for Elsa and Cyril to run into Raymond. Meanwhile, Anne continues to treat Raymond and Cécile with kindness and... (full context)

...not is entirely up to Elsa. Then she leaves Elsa and goes off to meet Cyril. (full context)

Cécile meets up with Cyril. Lying beside him, she declares that she hates herself. She smiles as she says this,... (full context)

Cécile and Raymond return to the villa the following day. Elsa and Cyril are waiting for them there, and the two of them strike Cécile as “two comic,... (full context)

...held in Paris. Raymond and Cécile greet Anne’s elderly relatives. People give Raymond their condolences. Cyril attends the service, but Cécile feels only “resentment” toward him and avoids him. Cécile feels... (full context)

Bonjour Tristesse

Cyril Character Analysis

Cyril Quotes in Bonjour Tristesse

Part 1, Chapter 6 Quotes

Part 2, Chapter 1 Quotes

Part 2, Chapter 4 Quotes

Part 2, Chapter 6 Quotes

Cyril Character Timeline in Bonjour Tristesse