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In Let the Right One In (orig.: Låt den rätte komma in), after Oskar found out about Eli's true nature and let her into his apartment he asks her:

Oskar: Who are you?

Eli: I'm like you.

Oskar: What do you mean?

Eli: "What are you staring at? Well? Are you looking at me? So scream! Squeal!", those were the first I heard you say.

Oskar: I don't kill people.

Eli: But you'd like to, if you could...to get revenge. Right?

Oskar: Yes.

Eli: I do it because I have to. Be me, for a little while. Please... be me, for a little while.

But I don't understand what she means with her last words. What does she want to say with "Be me, for a little while"?

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I think that with her last words, she is trying to say that she wants Oskar to be in her shoes. In the conversation, Oscar says that he does not kill people like Eli as she is a vampire, and Eli is trying to say that he should try to be in her position, understand that she needs to kill people to survive and live.

Eli is saying that she is like Oskar because they're nature is alike, Oskar wanting to kill for revenge and Eli killing to survival.

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  • 1
    Also Eli is a he, not a she.
    – jsedano
    Commented Nov 1, 2013 at 16:35
  • 1
    Eli is a she, not a he @anakata
    – user5018
    Commented Nov 1, 2013 at 19:05
  • 3
    In the American release she probably is, but not in the original film and neither in the book, While Eli states, "I'm not a girl", Oskar ignores this. and * Eli changes out of bloody clothes and Oskar, deciding to sneak a peek, is horrified when he sees a scar where Eli's genitalia should be. Eli quickly leaves his apartment through his window when his mother returns home.* en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let_the_Right_One_In_(film)
    – jsedano
    Commented Nov 3, 2013 at 4:44
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    hinting strongly this Among the details revealed is that Eli is a boy who was castrated when he was turned into a vampire over 200 years ago. However, Eli dresses in female clothing and is perceived by outsiders as a young girl. from the book en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let_the_Right_One_In_(novel)
    – jsedano
    Commented Nov 3, 2013 at 4:44
  • woah, now that is something I missed.
    – John
    Commented Oct 3, 2016 at 12:52

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