The Unbearable Lightness of Being is one of those occasional attempts by American filmmakers to make a European arthouse movie in English, in this case taking on an `unfilmable' novel and trying to solve the problem of turning inner monologue into a credible narrative. The first glimpse of this melodious theme is presented in the conversation between Tomas and the director of a hospital, in which the actual notes of Beethoven’s last quarter are incorporated in the text, infusing the novel with a more holistic artistic feeling through the unorthodox structure. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must. However, he still manages to deliver the facts about lightness of being while leaning on history. Hence, we feel "the unbearable lightness of being" not only as the consequence of our pristine actions but also in the public sphere, and the two inevitably intertwine. "The Unbearable Lightness of Being." Soon after, the totalitarian policies began being reinstated. The novel projects and addresses a variety of sociocultural, political and ideological issues of the period of publication, with many of the events serving to draw parallels between the lives of the characters and the author himself. He depended upon it too heavily as an escape from life; to the extent it eventually overpowered the reality of his life. Even if this was the case, there is still an undeniable relationship between history and fiction in “The Unbearable Lightness of Being”. First it was signed by a number of intellectuals [and] anyone who admitted to having done so was summarily dismissed from his job” (212). Recognizing that self-created examples alone are not capable of swaying the reader’s opinion, he turns towards referencing these known events and personalities to strengthen his argument and create a sense of verisimilitude, allowing the reader to have a connection of sorts to the characters in the novel. Tomas’s ideal life is one where he could indulge in the sin of selfishness and live without the influence of others affecting his decisions. Nietzsche claims that time moves in a circular manner and that our lives repeat indefinitely. They all take a different attitude towards becoming attached and staying monogamous, or running away. The use of self-created examples and self-justification gives the author’s actions significance. “The Joke” is a novel published by Kundera and it featured subtle criticisms of communism. Therefore, like most of Kundera’s characters, most citizens were experiencing the “unbearable lightness of being”. This would tie the subject matter of this book to the history of this country. Once her affairs become public, there is now an outside influence affecting her decisions. December 12, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-unbearable-lightness-of-being/. This allows Kundera to draw big-picture conclusions based on scaled down scenarios. He utilizes elements of postmodern literature such as intertextuality, pastiche, temporal distortion and metafiction to convey the grandeur of man’s thoughts through the juxtaposition of the simple plot and complex abstract ideas. Following the three-part persuasive essay model, the author first explains the fundamental idea behind his philosophy and defines the terms to be used in his essay, then moves on to discuss his stance and other scholars viewpoints and once this is established, he hones the argument with fictional characters that he has interjected himself into to control their actions and validate his point. Milan Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being explores the opposition between heaviness and lightness through love’s relationship dynamics. Kundera seems to justify his choice to go to exile through this book. Kundera’s beliefs were themselves heavily influenced by circumstances in history. The Unbearable Lightness of Being. The existent totalitarian authority started to relax gradually. Sabina, one of the most extreme characters depicted by Kundera, lives and seemingly revels in her completely emotional alienation. Selfishness permeates, overpowers, and tarnishes the purity and goodness that existed in society, and force individuals to place themselves as the top priority in order to avoid the pain inflicted by others. She refuses to allow society to control her decisions or impulses. Milan Kundera the author of this book disagrees with this notion. Due to the metafictional quality of the work, external scholars are commonly referenced, namely Nietzsche and Parmenides, to add a sense of verisimilitude and create a foundation for the author’s stance on the “Lightness vs. Weight” conflict. If you continue, The philosophy behind “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” was something the author must have encountered around the time this book was published. The novel projects and addresses a variety of sociocultural, political and ideological issues of the period of publication, with many of the events serving to draw parallels between the lives of the characters and the author himself. Technologies LLC, a company registered in Wyoming, USA. The author maintains that the events that transpire in his novel do not necessarily reflect the history of Czechoslovak. The author had a firsthand experience with the situation when it happened. For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. This wave of reforms continued until the Soviet tanks invaded Prague in 1968. (2018, December 12). The ‘being’ also includes the collection of decisions that each character makes. Through the postmodern technique of metafiction, the author bridges the gap between his own life and the seemingly abstract ideas conveyed in the text by giving the narrator’s account of writing the story within the novel. She is emotionally needy and very attached to Tomas, despite his flaws. The setting of Prague in 1968, with the political liberalization it undergoes in the “Prague Spring”, places the characters in situations that pose fundamental questions. 2018. In his book, Kundera notes that incase the French Revolution was to happen again, Robespierre’s contribution would be compromised. Therefore, the circumstances faced by most of the characters in “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” coincide with the above definitions. The book strongly suggests that authenticity cannot be tested by either oppression or totalitarianism (Kundera 224). Sabina well understands this power of destruction society holds. He can easily differentiate between sex and love, and refuses to give up his affairs even when he realizes he loves his wife.Tereza is on the other end of the spectrum, demonstrating that her ‘being’ is radically dissimilar by sticking by Tomas’ side throughout his affairs.