Literary Terms & Devices
What literary device is used when Cristian reflects on compares the West as a box full of colorful crayons and his life as dull pencil leads?
This contrast between freedoms enjoyed and taken for granted by Americans is an analogy.
Analogy - a comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification.
Who is the protagonist of the story?
Cristian Florescu
What is the setting of the story?
Bucharest, Romania in 1989.
Who is the antagonist of the story that is compared to Dracula?
Nicolae Ceausescu
Who is Ruta Sepetys?
Ruta is an internationally acclaimed, #1 New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction published in over sixty countries and forty languages.
Why is darkness and poor lighting often mentioned?
Darkness is a symbol of ignorance, fear, and mistrust. It is also a symbol of control as the government has control over electricity and heat, causing real and imagined dangers. Cristian's mother fears the dark and screams in fear dropping her groceries in the dark stairway, but there is nothing really there.
Who is Bunu
Cristian's grandfather and trusted friend. He is funny, sarcastic and brave. He has a secret. He is also very ill. His need for medicine is a main cause for Cristian in becoming an informer.
What is the problem or conflict in this story?
The communist government, run by dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, controls everything in the country. It is oppressive and illegal to voice any dissent against the government. Cristian is questioned and forced to become an informer and keep secrets from everyone he cares about.
Who is Paddle Hands?
A government Secu agent with overly large hands and an interest in soccer. He questions Cristian and forces him to become an informant for the government. He may have been an orphan who was raised and tortured to become a Secu agent.
How does Sepetys use metaphor to capture the themes of memory, isolation, and silence.
While listening to the reports of the fall of the Soviet Union, Cristian wonders of Romania is "the last ring holding the Iron Curtain." The fate of the Soviet Union relies on its most depressed nations, such as Romania, which is still in isolation
What are some main motifs in the story?
Secu Reports, Code Names, Whispering, darkness, informers
Who is Lilliana Pavel?
Cristian's neighbor, crush and classmate. She is thoughtful, quiet, mysterious and hides behind her long bangs. SHe dreams of being a librarian.
When does Cristian begin to believe that everything he has been told by the government is a lie?
Cristian and Liliana go to a movie night in his apartment block. They see Die Hard. He begins to have questions.
Who is Dan?
Dan Van Dorn is the son of the American Ambassador who becomes Cristian's friend. Cristian also must inform on Dan and his family.
How do the series of short, concise chapters illustrate the writer's craft and purpose in those parts of the book?
The quick succession of concise chapters between chapters 30-40 and again later int he text, simulate a domino effect of the fall of the Soviet Union and other communist regimes in Eastern Europe and how Romania has been left behind or unnoticed.
What are four main themes in this story?
Loyalty & Betrayal, Dehumanization versus Dignity, Memory & Surveillance, and Compliance versus Resistance.
Who is Luca Oprea?
Cristian's best friend, until he feels that he informed on him. Luca dreams of being a doctor.
What causes Cristian to become guilty and paranoid?
Paddle Hands question him about the dollar bill he found. He thought it was from Dan Van DOrn in exchange for a stamp. Having only told his best friend, Luca, he begins to feel betrayed. He becomes increasingly paranoid as his guilt in becoming an infrer takes hold.
Who is Starfish?
Starfish is a young contraband smuggler in Cristian's neighborhood, nicknamed for the starfish-shaped scars around his missing eye. Starfish exploits the conditions in Bucharest for money by hosting movie nights and selling illegal products and information.
Why did Ruta write this book?
When she was researching her first book, she went to Romania. She realized that the US knew very little about this country, especially before 1990. She was appalled by the controlled state and became curious.
What does food symbolize in the story?
Food, particularly fruit, symbolizes hope, luxury and longing. Cristian logs ot taste a banana. He sees an entire bowl of bananas in Dan's friend's home, but no one eve notices it! This symbolizes the lack of awareness the American shave of the plight of those in Communist regimes.
Who is Cici Florescu?
Cristian's older sister. She is beautiful, intelligent, and has many admirers. She works in a textile plant and sews on the side for thing to barter.
How does Cristian's relationship with Liliana develop?
They help a little girl as she is attack by wild dogs. They meet for a movie She shares her cntrbnd coca cola with him in the darkness of an alley. He shares an embarrassing secret of tasting banana shampoo. They find joy in their dismal circumstances.
Who is Mr. Van Dorn?
Mr. Van Dorn is the American ambassador to Romania and Dan's father. Mr. Van Dorn is kind though cautious, attempting to subtly help Cristian by providing him with news about the outside world.
What is paradoxical language and how is it used in the story?
Cristian's notebook is called, Screaming Whispers: A Romanian Teenager in Bucharest. The characters exchange ideas and feelings in whispers. Cristian writes his ideas and feelings down illegally expressing his frustration, sharing the tragic, disturbing realities of his life in poetic veiled detail.