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Cristian Florescu
Liliana Pavel is an intelligent young woman who lives in the building across from Cristian. Over the course of the novel, Liliana and Cristian fall in love, though Liliana avoids Cristian for some time because she thinks he informed on Liliana’s father. Like Cristian, Liliana studies English and often dreams about what life would be like in the West, where there is no communist rule. Also, like Cristian, Liliana bravely protests during the Romanian Revolution and ends up tortured and jailed because of it.
Liliana Pavel Quotes in I Must Betray You
The I Must Betray You quotes below are all either spoken by Liliana Pavel or refer to Liliana Pavel. 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:
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Chapter 6 Quotes
“Cristian,” she suddenly whispered. “Do you ever wonder . . . if any of it’s real?”
“If what’s real?”
“The things we see in videos—in American movies.”
It was an odd question. Or maybe it felt odd because I had wondered the same thing but never had the courage to say it out loud. But it also felt . . . suspicious somehow. Too honest.
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Starfish has just invited Cristian and Liliana to watch an American film, which is illegal in Romania. Cristian and Liliana have seen American movies before, and in this passage they reflect on how unfamiliar and unreal the West. Feels to them due to Romania’s suppression of outside influences. Because America’s everyday reality is so different from what Cristian and Liliana experience in Romania, it is difficult for them to believe the values and ideals that American movies express exist in reality. This moment sheds light on the conflicted feelings that Romanian citizens have toward the West and the United States, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possi
Chapter 19 Quotes
I gently wrapped my arms around her.
She pulled me closer and pressed against me, placing the side of her face on my chest. We held each other. Soundless yet somehow boundless. And in that quiet moment, all hardship melted away. For once, the shadows weren’t gloomy. They were private. Holding Liliana, alone in the stillness of that dark apartment, feeling her breathe, it was everything.
I had everything.
I closed my eyes, held on to the moment—and for once, thanked the heavens for the darkness of communism.
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In this passage, Cristian gets a rare private moment with Liliana. The two of them are alone in Liliana’s apartment and the power has gone out, which often happens because the government controls the country’s electricity. This moment alone with Liliana is one Cristian cherishes precisely because it is so rare. Rather than worry about the woes of the world, for once Cristian gets to act like a normal teenager and share an embrace with someone for whom he has romantic feelings. However, for the most part, Romanian youths don’t get to have such typical teenage experiences due to the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti s
Chapter 69 Quotes
They pushed us into a room with long tables and benches. The guard ordered us to sit, locked the door, and left. Facing me, next to the door, were two framed portraits. One featured Mother Elena and the other, a one-eared Ceauşescu. I stared at their faces.
We had no food or freedom.
Because of them.
We were surrounded by spies and torturers.
Because of them.
We had no trust.
Because of them.
I couldn’t look at the portraits. I grabbed them from the wall and tossed them in the corner.
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Still in prison, Cristian, Liliana, and some other young people end up in a room where portraits of the Ceauşescus are hanging on the wall. All his life, Cristian has had to look at these portraits and despise the faces that stare down at him. In a symbolic act of rebellion, Cristian decides he has had enough and angrily rips the portraits off the wall. Cristian’s behavior is a microcosm of the Romanian Revolution. He knows there will be consequences for his actions, but he simply refuses to live under such oppressive circumstances any longer. What Cristian does not think Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostru
I turned to the kids.
“Dracula is a fictional character created by some Irish author. Dracula has no connection to our history,” I said.
“We know that,” replied the sister.
“And Romanians are brilliant people. Some are Nobel Prize winners!” I yelled.
“Why are you saying this?”
“Because we’re not shit. Do you hear me? We’re more Romanian than those guards are!”
The room fell still. A pulse of emotion pushed at my hoarse throat. “No matter what they do or say, we’re better than this.”
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As punishment for Cristian’s behavior, Cristian, Liliana, and the other young people imprisoned with them are forced to clean a pile of human waste. Cristian believes the guards give them the job in order to dehumanize them, so he adamantly reinforces the inherent value of the humanity present in everyone around him. Of the many rebellious behaviors Cristian partakes in throughout the novel, this is perhaps his most admirable, as he manages to lift the spirits of everyone around him while keeping the spirit of rebellion alive. Additionally, he does so by appealing to the humanity of his peers without Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omni
Chapter 70 Quotes
“You see, even out here in the street, you’re paranoid to be speaking with your own father! You’ve become a man without a voice. Mistrust. It’s insidious. It causes multiple personality syndrome and rots relationships. At home, you’re one person, speaking in whispers. Outside, on the street, and standing in lines at the shops, you’re someone else. Tell me, who are you?”
Bunu’s question lingered. Who are you?
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Here, Cristian is recalling a conversation between his father and Bunu. Bunu is angry with Cristian’s father because he feels as though Cristian’s father is succumbing to the pressure of Ceauşescu’s regime. This passage helps illustrate how Ceauşescu’s surveillance state dissolved the identities of those living under it. Although people like Cristian’s father want to maintain their individuality, the state does not allow them to. Although Cristian does not know it at the time, his father knows that Cristian’s mother is an informer. As such, Cristian’s father cannot be himself even when alone with his wife. Although Bunu may be Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et
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Liliana Pavel Character Timeline in I Must Betray You
The timeline below shows where the character Liliana Pavel appears in I Must Betray You. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 5
Cristian hears a quiet voice say hi and turns around to see Liliana Pavel, a girl he has a crush on. Earlier, Cristian had been hoping to talk...
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Liliana walks with Cristian. The two of them discuss the poor living conditions in Romania. Jokingly,...
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Chapter 6
While walking home, Cristian and Liliana see a group of stray dogs attacking a young girl. Cristian, Liliana, and everyone else...
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...players are difficult to obtain but not illegal, and Starfish’s parents managed to get one. Liliana and Cristian agree to go to the movie night together. Liliana asks Cristian if he...
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Chapter 11
Outside, Cristian finds Liliana with a dog, whom she is fond of even though he scares everyone else. She...
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Chapter 12
At Starfish’s place, Cristian and Liliana watch Die Hard, which a mysterious Romanian woman has dubbed. This woman dubs all the...
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Chapter 16
At home, Cristian wants to give Liliana a gift and asks Cici for advice. Cici suggests tampons, which Cristian rejects, and then...
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Chapter 18
...is angrier with Luca or himself. The following day, Cristian hopes to walk home with Liliana to give her the chocolate but gets called to a meeting with Paddle Hands instead....
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Chapter 19
...Bunu believes is yet another type of government control. One day, Cristian walks home with Liliana, and Liliana invites him inside her apartment. There, Cristian gives her the chocolate, which they...
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Chapter 24
...with Paddle Hands. He reflects on the student’s sudden declaration and starts to suspect that Liliana might also be an informer. When he arrives at his building, he meets Cici outside....
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Chapter 26
Liliana and Cristian secretly meet in a darkened stairwell. Cristian informs her that their siblings are...
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Chapter 28
...contemplates handing over his secret notebook to Mr. Van Dorn but keeps the details from Liliana, though he feels guilty for lying to her. The following day, he goes to the...
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Chapter 30
...with Dan, who asks about Cristian’s interests in music and girls. When Cristian mentions that Liliana likes Bruce Springsteen, Dan rips out a photo of Springsteen from a magazine. Cristian does...
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Chapter 31
...catching wind of Hungary’s freedom. After the fight, Cici hands Cristian a sealed envelope that Liliana left for him. He opens it to find a note from Liliana accusing him of...
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Chapter 32
Frantic and worried that Liliana might think he befriended her just to gather information, Cristian rushes to her apartment to...
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Chapter 34
...is an informer and refuses to have an honest conversation with him. Cristian also sees Liliana at school, but she avoids him. At home, Cici tells Cristian that she knows something...
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Chapter 39
While standing on his balcony, Cristian spots Liliana and Alex walking in the street and tries to convince himself he no longer cares...
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Chapter 47
Liliana, Alex, and their parents visit Cristian’s apartment for Bunu’s funeral. Cristian is surprised to see...
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Chapter 50
...the next day, Cristian feels a constant thrum of anxiety. He catches sight of both Liliana and Luca but chooses not to engage with either of them. The notebook weighs on...
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Chapter 52
...house arrest. While they talk, Cristian’s gaze drifts to the street below where he sees Liliana and Luca talking. Cici advises Cristian not to worry about them. Cristian wishes he could...
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Chapter 60
...guilt of being an informer still weighs on him. As he exits, he runs into Liliana, and they share a brief but friendly conversation.
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Chapter 67
The familiar face Cristian sees turns out to be Liliana, who is relatively unharmed. Despite his injuries, which likely include broken ribs and a broken...
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Chapter 68
...to make things worse for himself, Cristian conceals the Amnesty International papers inside his pants. Liliana uses her scarf to bandage his injured ribs and shares that she, along with Alex...
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Chapter 69
Liliana and Cristian are ushered into a room adorned with portraits of the Ceaușescus. In a...
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Chapter 70
...Amnesty International and the Van Dorns’ apartment. Although he feels guilty leaving everyone else beyond, Liliana urges him to go and get help.
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Chapter 72
...Starfish and updates him about his imprisonment and Luca’s condition. With Starfish’s help, he enters Liliana and Luca’s building and convinces Luca’s sisters to let him into their apartment. Luca’s sisters...
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Chapter 74
...to be carrying the fleeing Ceaușescus. The chants grow louder. Thinking of Bunu, Luca, and Liliana, Cristian rushes to find a pay phone.
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Chapter 75
...He instructs her to tell Luca’s parents that he’s at Colţea Hospital and to inform Liliana’s parents that she’s in a detention facility. She asks about Cici, who went out looking...
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Chapter 76
...says they need to talk. However, Cristian brushes her off, urging her to help get Liliana released instead. After a brief argument, he continues his search and eventually finds Luca’s hospital...
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Chapter 77
...are still dangerous. Cristian promises Luca’s parents he will go home, but he stops by Liliana’s apartment first.
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Alex answers the door, confirming that Liliana is okay and asleep. He thanks Cristian for helping Liliana. Cristian questions Alex to figure...
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Chapter 78
Cristian has troubling dreams which are interrupted when Cristian’s father wakes him to announce Liliana’s arrival. Cristian and Liliana exchange concerns about each other’s injuries, both claiming to be fine...
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Chapter 79
It’s December 24, 1989. Liliana, Cristian, and his family are tuned into radio reports and watching Free Romania Television. They...
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Chapter 81
Cristian and Liliana rendezvous in a stairwell where Liliana presents him with a beautiful pen for Christmas. She...
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