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The Unbearable Lightness Of Being Character Analysis

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The Unbearable Lightness of Being is written by Milan Kundera, a Czech novelist. It is mostly set in late 1960's Prague. The novel explores the state of life after the Russian military occupation of Prague. The author does not follow a chronological order throughout the novel, which is a reflection of how disorderly life is. It is a time of conflict both spiritually and physically. People start to question the meaning of life if there is any meaning at all. Kundera begins the novel by refusing both Nietzsche's interpretation of eternal return and Parmenides' classification of lightness as positive and weight as negative. Then he argues the point that lightness is unbearable and proves his point through his observations of the four main characters' …show more content…

Both of them perceive the world, and more importantly, each other differently. They are complete opposites. For Franz, Sabina is an enigma, a mystery to be solved and an unearthly being. For Sabina, Franz is the next person to betray. Franz weighs Sabina down back to earth. In betraying him, Sabina escapes the clutches of heaviness; she lives her life through these series of betrayals. Their inability to understand each other is glaring when they both misinterpret each other's perception of their last love making. Franz is gravely mistaken. Sabina's excitement is fueled by the idea that she is going to betray Franz by finally abandoning him. This, in her perception, is her way of retreating back to her comfort zone but what happens when her comfort zone becomes uncomfortable? What is it called? After Sabina's abandonment of Franz, she feels great melancholy however; she is unable to describe her emotions in familiar terms.Sabina refuses to be anything but a being of extreme lightness. However, she is unable to find happiness in her life. After leaving Franz, she does not feel content. She receives a letter from Tomas' son informing her of Tomas and Teresa's death. This letter prompts new realizations. She realizes that happiness is heavy, but it is still happiness. Even though she misses Franz she does not make contact with him. She has been betrayed by lightness, the only thing she was extremely devoted to …show more content…

He begins by explaining Nietzsche's interpretation of the concept of "eternal return". Then, he tries to prove that the concept does not exist for humans outside the realm of paradise. Thus, it is unachievable. Later on he rejects Parmenides' classification of lightness as positive and weight as negative. Kundera believes that lightness may seem initially freeing and sweet but this sweetness disintegrates gradually and eventually becomes unbearable. On the other hand categorizing one theory as unbearable does not necessarily make the other bearable. If Kundera rejects both lightness and weight; identifying them as extremities, where does that leave human beings? Do they choose lightness, weight or maybe a little of both? These questions are not directly answered but are insinuated through Tomas' and Teresa's

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