"Unbearable lightness of being"

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Czech writer Milan Kundera wrote a novel in 1968 that still evokes a wide variety of responses from readers. The writer says that the life of every person is full of ease, because everyone lives only once. What does he describe in his work?

Ties

The Unbearable Lightness of Being is a favorite book for some, a critique for others. Its main character is the doctor Tomas, who practices in one of the clinics in Prague. About a month ago, he meets the young beauty Teresa, who works as a waitress in a small restaurant at the hotel. The protagonist spends less than an hour with her, and after that Teresa sees him off. After some time, she collects her things and moves to live with Tomasz. The protagonist hardly knows this girl, but she arouses his curiosity and the desire to help.

He compares her to a small child that someone put in a basket and sent to travel through the stormy waves of the river. Teresa stayed with Tomas for only a week, after which she went home to her native outback. Tomas was completely confused, he did not know what to do. The choice before him was not an easy one: he had to either give upfreedom and live with Teresa, or be, as before, independent, doing whatever your heart desires.

Teresa's image

Kundera's "Unbearable Lightness of Being" is also described by the girl's mother: once she decided to leave her unloved husband, finding a replacement for him. Teresa's father died in prison, and the child was returned to her mother. The main character, her mother, three children from the new stepfather and the stepfather himself are forced to huddle together in a small room. Teresa's mother constantly blames the heroine for all the hardships that have fallen on her shoulders. Teresa is one of the most gifted students in the class, but her mother deprives her of the opportunity to study further. Teresa has to get a job as a waitress. To earn the favor of a wayward mother, the girl is ready to give everything she earns to the penny.

The whole world that surrounds her seems cruel and unfair to the heroine. Only books and a love of reading save her. That is why the girl immediately pays attention to Tomas when she sees him reading. The original cause of the warm feeling that arose in the girl’s heart was precisely the volume in his hands. It was then that she decided to leave the hateful house, to change her reality. As an uninvited guest, she goes to Prague and settles with Tomas, who, in turn, never considered the possibility of family life for himself.

Painful relationship

Due to the peculiarities of his worldview, Tomas begins to cheat on the girl. At the same time, he does not allow sentimentality on the part of hismistresses. He also has an incomprehensible relationship with his ex-wife and son. At the same time, Tomasz continues to take care of the girl who has settled with him. Gradually, Teresa begins to guess who Tomasz really is, and, of course, this causes her heartache. Although Tomas understands that he is causing her suffering, he does not intend to cope with his lust. Two years pass, and Tomasz takes Teresa as his wife - all this to make amends with her. He gives her a dog, which, despite being a bitch, is named Karenin.

Teresa's feeling of happiness

The Unbearable Lightness of Being continues with a friend of Tomasz offering him a job at a Zurich clinic, but Tomasz is hesitant to move. The girl herself works in one of the photo labs. During the days of the Soviet occupation, she removes a number of conflict situations, for which she is arrested. They threaten to shoot her, but after the girl is released, she starts taking pictures again. She is overwhelmed with a sense of happiness and freedom.

Further developments

The Unbearable Lightness of Being romance continues as the couple emigrate to Switzerland. There, Tomasz meets one of his former mistresses, Sabina, who was also forced to emigrate. Teresa is constantly tormented by jealousy, and she decides to move to the Czech Republic again, being sure that Tomas will go after her. At first, her unfaithful husband rejoices with happiness, as he received the long-awaitedfreedom. But after a few days, only Teresa is on his mind.

The heroine enters into an intimate relationship with an engineer, but finds that they are trying to compromise her. On the day off, Tomas and Teresa go on vacation to one of the small resort towns near Prague. The girl wants a quiet life, and they move to the village permanently. There, the couple feels happy, only one event overshadows their joy - the pet Karenin died.

Ending

Kundera's "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" continues with the fact that the family man Franz meets Sabina, Tomasz's mistress. She marries, but does not live long in marriage and again becomes a free artist. Franz leaves the family and is ready to marry an idle artist, but his wife does not want to get divorced. Sabina receives a letter that Tomasz and Teresa died in a car accident. Sabina is depressed. She's leaving for California.

The theme of the relationship between a man and a woman is not uncommon in literature. The main characters of Kundera's novel are, in fact, four people: Tomasz, Teresa, Franz and Sabina. The novel raises many questions. Why does Teresa, knowing about Tomasz's behavior, not end her relationship with him? Why does Sabina not have feelings for anyone and is trying to escape from a serious relationship? Milan Kundera himself said that his "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" is not the author's confession. This is a description of the trap the world has fallen into.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being Movie

Kundera's book describes the sufferingmodern man because of his depravity. Without any pathos or moralizing, the author describes the daily life of his characters. In 1988, the film The Unbearable Lightness of Being appeared. It was directed by Philip Kaufman. Actor Daniel Day-Lewis starred as Tomasz, and Juliette Binoche as Teresa. At one time, the picture became one of the most popular tapes and is suitable for those who would like to know the story of a woman who constantly endures the antics of her husband who loves to go to the side of her husband, as well as philosophize on the topic of relationships.

Philosophy of the work

In this book, the reader observes the characters who are fed up with their everyday life. The behavior and thoughts of the characters are driven only by their sexual instinct. The life of the characters is centered around the primary manifestations of the interest of a living being in the environment: for example, the hands of a child reach for objects to suck them. Kundera did nothing to defame the authorities then in power. However, with his work, he nurtured the rejection of the then regime.

Some readers write that the relationship between the heroes of the work is too long. For example, a fleeting cohabitation with Teresa, as it turned out, lasted for seven whole years. If it was really unbearable for the main character to live with Teresa, then this connection would be interrupted after a few weeks. The main philosophical idea that Kundera used in his work was the words of Parmenides that the feeling of lightness is a positive quality, and heaviness, on the contrary, is negative. Readers point out thatthe plot of the book is largely outlined in order to describe the numerous arguments of the author of a philosophical and psychological nature. However, as noted, this novel evokes a variety of responses and may well be of interest to many readers.