84 pages • 2 hours read
Ruta SepetysI Must Betray You
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2022A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Chapters 63-71Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 63 Summary
Cristian avoids his home, unwilling to face Cici again. One afternoon, Luca tracks him down and tells him a group of university students plans to attend a speech that Ceauşescu is preparing to give. The boys rush to the location, but Cristian is disappointed by what appears to be just a customary pro-communism rally. As Ceauşescu and his wife approach the stage, however, a loud boom erupts. The crowd begins to shout, jeering at Ceauşescu, who becomes flustered. Shouts of “Timişoara!” erupt, and Ceauşescu and his wife cannot quiet the crowd. Cristian and Luca join the chanting. Clearly rattled, Ceauşescu leaves the stage. Cristian is certain that now Romania is united in its desire to defy Ceauşescu’s regime.
Chapter 64 Summary
The crowd does not disperse despite warnings they will be captured on camera and face consequences. One of the university students speaks out, insisting they are asking for basic freedoms and seek to maintain peace. An elderly man begins singing an old, patriotic song, forbidden under Ceauşescu’s rule. Others join in. The student introduces himself to Luca and Cristian and they lead a march through the streets of Bucharest.
Cristian is overjoyed by the feeling of connection and camaraderie. The crowd grows as the marching continues. Information reaches them that Ceauşescu’s army is setting up to retaliate, and the demonstrators set up a blockade to protect themselves. Cristian knows they face danger, as the military could attack with gunfire.
Chapter 65 Summary
Soldiers and army vehicles encroach upon the group. A young soldier encourages Cristian and Luca to flee, but they refuse. They take cover behind a car, but snipers fire on them. Luca is shot in his right shoulder. As Cristian crawls to him, everything goes black.
Chapter 66 Summary
Cristian awakens in a police van and is told by another boy that he is suffering from a blow to the head. Cristian wants to know where Luca is and is told he was dragged away. Cristian worries about the Amnesty International papers in his pocket. The captured protestors have been marked with green paint. They are unloaded from the van into a garage. Fortunately, the papers Cristian carries are not discovered. He is separated from the others and severely beaten. After the beating, a vicious dog is released upon him, but the dog turns on the guards instead.
The protestors are ordered to make official statements. Instead, Cristian shouts that he knows about Paddle Hands. They are herded into another van that will take them to Jilava—a maximum security prison. Cristian is in disbelief and refuses to get in the van. Suddenly, someone in the van catches his attention and he jumps in.
Chapter 67 Summary
Liliana is in the van. Relieved to see her, Cristian tries to put on a brave face. He sustained several injuries, likely broken ribs and a broken nose. Liliana asks about Luca, and Cristian explains that he was shot. They learn that the demonstrations expanded to other Romanian cities. Cristian wonders if the military can be turned against the government to support the dissenters. Liliana suddenly shouts out information about her and Cristian, asking that their parents be informed if anything happens to them.
Chapter 68 Summary
The van arrives at Jilava, rumored to be the worst prison in the country. Upon exiting the van, the new prisoners are beaten with batons as they pass through a tunnel of militia. The prisoners try to pass information to one another but are ordered to be silent.
Cristian hides the Amnesty International papers in his pants. Liliana uses her scarf to bandage his ribs. She explains that she attended the uprising with Alex and Cici. Cristian is shocked to hear that Cici searched for him, certain that she does not care about him. Liliana says Cici asked her to pass a message to Cristian: Mr. Van Dorn found the notebook that Cristian left. Liliana sees that Cristian is determined to do all he can to bring an end to the regime. They decide to stay together but are unsure where they will be taken next. As the chapter closes, a stranger whispers to Cristian that he knew Bunu, who would be proud of his actions.
Chapter 69 Summary
Liliana and Cristian are brought into a room with tables and benches. Portraits of the Ceauşescus adorn the wall, but Cristian pulls them down. Guards enter, angered by what he did. Guards order them to kiss the portraits. As Cristian complies, Liliana whispers to him, asking him to kiss her first. They kiss and then quickly separate.
Cristian is taken with a group into a room filled with feces and forced to clean it. Cristian gives a brief speech of encouragement, assuring the group that they are worthy human beings. Then, knowing that he will be killed if the Amnesty International papers are found, Cristian removes them from his pants and uses them as a shovel for the waste pile.
Chapter 70 Summary
Cristian and the others finish the job and are taken outside and put into a van. Cristian tries to get updates from the new prisoners being brought inside and is told that the protests continue. Questions swirl as they travel to an unknown destination. He wonders if his family knows where he is. Liliana tries to loosen the rope that binds Cristian’s hands but cannot. They arrive at an ornate building, which Cristian learned about from Starfish. Despite its splendid exterior, it is a juvenile jail. Cristian briefly considers trying to escape, but Liliana feels they should not leave the others. Then, she abruptly changes her mind and urges Cristian to attempt to escape alone.
Chapter 71 Summary
Cristian sneaks out of the van and escapes into the city. He feels guilty for leaving Liliana and the others but continues to the US embassy where he asks to speak to Mr. Van Dorn. He is not permitted entrance, but an American soldier asks his son to take Cristian to his home on his bicycle. The streets are stained with blood and marked with bullet holes. Cristian asks the boy where the injured have been taken, hoping to find Luca, and the boy suggests he search Colţea Hospital. Cristian asks the cyclist to share the information that children are being detained. The cyclist agrees that everyone is in danger.
Chapters 63-71 Analysis
This section marks the novel’s climax. The atmosphere around the protest is exciting and inspiring and the tone of the novel becomes one of celebration and elation. As the protest unfolds, Cristian becomes increasingly bold in his actions, culminating in speaking out publicly against the Ceauşescus. As the protest grows, he and Luca recognize the danger, but Cristian decides to accept the risk. Cristian has lost much of the caution he previously maintained. There is no retreating once Cristian has immersed himself in the protest. He is committed to playing a role in Romania’s freedom, certain, it appears, that any danger will be worth the outcome. Buoyed by the camaraderie of his fellow protesters—and by his dedication to and love for Bunu—Cristian participates in the revolt.
Cristian’s actions are both supported and driven by his friendship with Luca. Luca seeks out knowledge of the rally, and the boys spur one another on as it gets underway. His dedication to Luca proves a significant driving force for Cristian in this section. Cristian stands firm in his resistance, fighting against the guards as they attempt to load him into the van. Only when he discovers that Liliana has been captured does Cristian enter the van. This is proof of his dedication to Liliana: he is willing to risk his safety to do what he can to ensure that she remains safe. Any distrust or animosity Liliana held against him appears to vanish, as she now has proof of Cristian’s commitment to her and the revolution. Her conveyance of the message from Mr. Van Dorn brings Cristian relief: he is certain that his efforts have been successful, and this gives him the confidence needed to fight despite the dire circumstances.
At times, luck prevails, and Cristian avoids a much worse fate: the dog that decides not to attack him and the way he avoids discovery of the Amnesty International papers can be attributed to good fortune. It is luck that Luca, rather than Cristian, is shot.
Cristian’s daring continues once he is imprisoned. He speaks of wanting to turn the Romanian military to join the side of the dissenters, further evidence of the extremes he is willing to consider. The way he tears down the portraits of the Ceauşescus shocks Liliana, but Cristian is now unafraid. It seems the worst has come true, and he has little to lose. His anger toward the regime is overwhelming as he made to kiss the portrait of the dictator. However, Cristian’s actions are not completely reckless. He can overcome his emotions by thinking logically and taking steps to minimize risk. He hides and then essentially destroys the Amnesty International papers. The violence that Cristian was warned of has become a reality, and yet he does not cower.
When they are transferred from Jilava, Cristian is briefly torn as to whether he should attempt to escape or remain to protect Liliana and the children. That he indeed escapes displays his daring. He momentarily ignores the physical pain of the injuries he sustained as he travels the streets hoping to find Luca’s whereabouts and ultimately free Liliana.
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