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Chapter 1
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in I Must Betray You, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Deception, Betrayal, and Survival
Loss of Innocence
Freedom and American Influence
Hope and Resilience
Summary
Analysis
Cristian enters the director’s office. Above the director’s desk is a portrait of Nicolae Ceauşescu, the leader of the Communist Party. The flattering photo of Ceauşescu was taken when he was young, and it can be seen all over Romania. Cristian’s focus strays from the photograph when he sees a member of the Securitate, Romania’s secret police, waiting for him in the director’s office. The Securitate—which Cristian sometimes shortens to Secu—is holding a file with a picture of Cristian attached to it. When Cristian sees the file, he immediately grows concerned. The Secu looks at Cristian and says, “I know what you’ve done.”
Ceauşescu’s portrait is a symbolic reminder that the government is always watching. However, it also demonstrates the fraudulence at the heart of the party, as the image of Ceauşescu on display does not portray Ceauşescu in his present form. When Cristian meets the Secu agent at the end of this chapter, the agent’s accusation demonstrates Cristian’s youthful ignorance in thinking that he could keep anything secret from the Party.
Active
Themes
