Lizybet Corwi Character Analysis in The City & the City

Corwi is Borlú’s partner in the policzai, and she is also working on the case of Mahalia’s murder. She is highly intelligent, courageous, and has impressive skills that Borlú desperately needs, including computer skills. Like Borlú, she is deeply dedicated to her job, and she willingly puts herself into extremely risky situations many times in her pursuit of justice. Corwi also helps Borlú track down David Bowden after the truth about Orciny comes out.

Lizybet Corwi Quotes in The City & the City

The The City & the City quotes below are all either spoken by Lizybet Corwi or refer to Lizybet Corwi. 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:

A political irony. Those most dedicated to the perforation of the boundary between Besźel and Ul Qoma had to observe it most carefully. If I or one of my friends were to have a moment’s failure of unseeing (and who did not do that? Who failed to fail to see, sometimes?), so long as it was not flaunted or indulged in, we should not be in danger. If I were to glance a second or two on some attractive passerby in Ul Qoma, if I were to silently enjoy the skyline of the two cities together, be irritated by the noise of an Ul Qoman train, I would not be taken.

Here, though, at this building not just my colleagues but the powers of Breach were always wrathful and as Old Testament as they had the powers and right to be. That terrible presence might appear and disappear a unificationist for even a somatic breach, a startled jump at a misfiring Ul Qoma car.

Related Characters: Inspector Tyador Borlú (speaker), Lizybet Corwi, Pall Drodin, Mahalia Geary (a.k.a. Fulana/Marya/Byela Mar)

Related Symbols: Breach

Page Number and Citation: 52

Explanation and Analysis:

Lizybet Corwi Character Timeline in The City & the City

The timeline below shows where the character Lizybet Corwi appears in The City & the City. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...face is disfigured such that only one open eye is visible. A constable named Lizybet Corwi explains that a wet mattress, which is now lying between two garbage bins, was on... (full context)

...to the local sex workers and bring in Ramira Yaszek, who is an “excellent questioner.” Corwi suggests that they should consider the possibility that the dead woman wasn’t a sex worker.... (full context)

Paranoia, Conspiracy, and Illicit Knowledge Theme Icon

Corwi says that she has only dealt with a couple of murders in the area; most... (full context)

...Borlú gets off downtown, where the streets are busy with citizens and tourists. He calls Corwi and asks if there’s any chance the case involves breach, but Corwi replies that it’s... (full context)

At 10pm, 40 hours after the corpse was discovered, Corwi drives herself and Borlú down GunterStrász. The area is neither busy nor totally deserted. Although... (full context)

...victim, and Borlú believes them. They keep talking to more people, some of whom know Corwi from when she used to work in the area. However, they cannot find any information... (full context)

...Borlú that a smear was found on the van’s floor, believed to be Fulana’s blood. Corwi arrives, and Borlú postulates that Fulana was already dead or unconscious by the time she... (full context)

...“ripped-up cord”—do not belong to him. Back at the office, Borlú expresses his frustration to Corwi that, so far, none of the pieces of the story are adding up. (full context)

Borlú calls Corwi’s desk and leaves her a voicemail saying that he likely won’t come in the next... (full context)

Corwi calls Borlú and says, “Boss you are on fire.” She asks him to meet her... (full context)

...selectively mute Ul Qoman conversations such that they register only as a vague hum. Now, Corwi introduces him to a unificationist named Pall Drodin, and to both Corwi and Drodin’s shock,... (full context)

...Besźel and Ul Qoma. The borders are there, but are faded to a faint grey. Corwi points out that they could easily be deemed illegal. She gets out the photo of... (full context)

As they are driving away, both Borlú and Corwi feel “watched.” Provocatively, Borlú decides they should go to lunch in Ul Qomatown. The buildings... (full context)

Once they are at a café, Corwi asks Borlú, “Why the fuck are we here?” Borlú replies that the Ul Qoman atmosphere... (full context)

...the meeting, Borlú reflects on Breach’s power, which is “almost limitless” and “frightening.” He meets Corwi and explains that the case will be handed to Breach, but that this won’t happen... (full context)

...Ul Qoma, too, but there are direct flights to Ul Qoma from Canada. Borlú and Corwi have gone to Besźel Airport to meet Mahalia Geary’s parents. While they wait, they talk... (full context)

Corwi asks why Borlú went to Berlin, and he explains it was for a conference called... (full context)

Mr. Geary says he wants to go to Ul Qoma. Borlú and Corwi are having lunch with the Gearys at their hotel, alongside a young man named James... (full context)

...Mahalia’s obsession with Orciny. Thacker seems not to know what Orciny is, and Borlú and Corwi clarify that it is a “folk tale.” Mrs. Geary mentions that Mahalia used to frequently... (full context)

After the Gearys leave, Borlú and Corwi discuss two particularly nasty nationalist groups: Qoma First, and their Besź equivalent, the True Citizens.... (full context)

Borlú and Corwi are at the address that was on Mr. Geary’s piece of paper, which is headquarters... (full context)

...Gosz steps closer to Borlú, listing all the ways in which Mahalia’s work was suspicious. Corwi comments that the nationalists truly are “batshit.” Gosz threatens to get Borlú fired. As a... (full context)

Walking away from the headquarters, Borlú and Corwi wonder if Gosz was sent over by Syedr, a Besź nationalist politician who is part... (full context)

...a brochure that came with the police station’s new computer equipment. Borlú asks to take Corwi with him, but Gadlem refuses. He mentions his disapproval of Borlú’s unauthorized trip to the... (full context)

...she now thinks the book is “ridiculous” and associates it with adolescence. After, Borlú calls Corwi and suggests that before he leaves, they investigate the footage of the van. She agrees. (full context)

Borlú and Corwi go to Khurusch’s house, and almost immediately ask him where he got the visa for... (full context)

...he gave the officer a small bribe. All of this is quite normal. Borlú takes Corwi to one side and asks her to look up all the vans stolen in Besźel... (full context)

Corwi completes this task with remarkable speed while Borlú continues his interrogation of Khurusch inside a... (full context)

Both Borlú and Corwi feel freaked out. Borlú says they need to keep investigating, but Corwi reminds him that... (full context)

Borlú calls Corwi from his hotel room and describes the search of Mahalia’s room and computer, which didn’t... (full context)

...get through some paperwork before meeting up again. In his hotel room, Borlú speaks to Corwi on the phone. At first they use the code, but eventually drop it after it... (full context)

...underground bar, where he starts making arrangements to get Yolanda exit documents. Meanwhile, Borlú calls Corwi and tells her that he and Dhatt are coming back to Besźel, along with another... (full context)

...what he can and to bring another uniform in case Bowden shows up. At 7pm, Corwi announces she has everything ready on the Besź side. (full context)

Borlú thinks he sees Corwi, but in that moment, Dhatt alerts him to a man walking behind them. He is... (full context)

...Ul Qoma or Besźel. The previous night, he spent hours watching interrogation tapes, footage of Corwi, his lovers, and the nationalists. Breach told him that Yorjavic’s apartment was searched and there... (full context)

Borlú begs to be allowed to contact Corwi and Dhatt, but Ashil will not let him. Borlú then says that they need to... (full context)

...arrest Bowden if he is indeed in Ul Qoma. Borlú thanks Dhatt and then calls Corwi, asking her to head to Copula Hall as soon as possible. In the ensuing minutes,... (full context)

Borlú can tell by a shift in Corwi’s tone that she has found Bowden, although she cannot risk saying this aloud. He gets... (full context)

...to seize Bowden and bring him into the Breach. Borlú nods in gratitude to both Corwi and Dhatt. (full context)

...compromise, Ashil allows Borlú to write letters to his lovers. He goes to see both Corwi and Dhatt, but both can tell that he is not entirely in their city and... (full context)

Lizybet Corwi Character Analysis

Lizybet Corwi Quotes in The City & the City

Chapter 5 Quotes

Lizybet Corwi Character Timeline in The City & the City