Unbearable Lightness of BeingSTRUCTURE

Keyvious Avery

Background

• Milan Kundera, before studying literature, studied music and piano composition.

• Kundera describes his characters’ lives as music compositions: polyphonies forming a fugue.

Polyphony: music with several melodies; musical composition that uses simultaneous, largely independent, melodic parts, lines, or voices

Fugue

• a contrapuntal composition in which a short melody or phrase (the subject) is introduced by one part and successively taken up by others and developed by interweaving the parts.

First

• Main Melody (subject)

Eternal Return…Idea that events repeat themselves over and over

Fugue…Melodies that simultaneously repeat themselves to form a harmony.

The is the way Kendura themes Unbearable Lightness of Being… His themes are all related but different and unique.

Main Melody

AnswerSecond VoiceSubject Imitation

Counter Subject

Separate melody that enters occasionally with the answer.

Main Melody

AnswerSecond VoiceSubject Imitation

Counter Subject

Separate melody that enters occasionally with the answer.

Eternal Return

Lightness And Weight

Kendura uses lightness and weight to tie in with eternal return by saying, “Life which disappears once and for all, which does not return is like a shadow, without weight.”

(Harmonies that tie in with the answer) --------- Body vs. Soul

Associated with Light and Weight but cannot be independent.

Example:Tereza is a heavy character and her conflict is between her body and soul.

Other Counter Subjects Include…

• Tereza’s Suitcase• Tomas’ Promiscuity• Sabina’s Bowler’s Hat• Tomas and Franz’s political association• es muss sien

Variations of melodies.

ComposerThe ideas of the composer (Kendura) is stressed through the performers (his characters).

ComposerThe ideas of the composer (Kendura) is stressed through the performers (his characters). “Words Misunderstood”…

Human lives are shaped like musical compositions.

Example:Sabina’s life is described as a musical composition motif. “It repeats over and over again, each time with a different meaning.”

This tells us that each character possess motifs and recurring ideas (subjects, answers, and counter arguments) in the composition if their lives.

Beethoven?

• Melody within two separate compositions forming a harmony.

Beethoven?

• Melody within two separate compositions forming a harmony.

Tereza and Tomas

Tomas meets Tereza and while they are talking, Beethoven plays on the radio…Tereza reminisces on why she fell in love with Tomas (Beethoven plays)

Binding of the 2 Compositions.

Call and ResponseIn “Words Misunderstood”, Franz and Sabina are the two speakers.

Call and ResponseIn “Words Misunderstood”, Franz and Sabina are the two speakers.

Sabina Franz

Old Church in Amsterdam

Beauty “… the image of old liberation.”

Betrayal Magnificent Separation of people.

Call and Response ContinuedOPINION OF TRUTH

Sabina

Franz

Living in truth is only possible away from the public.

Being different in public and in private “spheres” into the source of all lies.

Call and Response ContinuedOPINION OF TRUTH

Sabina

Franz

Living in truth is only possible away from the public.

Being different in public and in private “spheres” into the source of all lies.

The differences between them is too much so they call quits. (2 unlike compositions)…2 unlike compositions cannot harmonize together to form one Fugue.

Parallel To….This is parallel to Tereza and Tomas in “Words Misunderstood”.

Parallel To….This is parallel to Tereza and Tomas in “Words Misunderstood”.

Tereza Tomas

Subject: Body and SoulCounter Subject: Weight

Subject: es muss sienCounter Subject: Promiscuity

Parallel To….This is parallel to Tereza and Tomas in “Words Misunderstood”.

Tereza Tomas

Subject: Body and SoulCounter Subject: Weight

Subject: es muss sienCounter Subject: Promiscuity

Common Theme----- Call Quits

Later In Novel…

Later In Novel…

• Developmental Episode

Individual Fugue deviated from the subject then goes back into it.

Later In Novel…

• Developmental Episode

Individual Fugue deviated from the subject then goes back into it.

Tomas and Tereza sees Prague from 2 different perspectives.

THEY HAVE TO HARMONIZE!!!

Later In Novel…

• Developmental Episode

Individual Fugue deviates from the subject then goes back into it.

Tomas and Tereza sees Prague from 2 different perspectives.

Common theme?Mutual Love

Their problems came to a resolution.

Tricky Composer

• In Chapter 29, Kundera ties in all the motifs into what we sense as a Grand Finale… but then he adds a Coda.

Tricky Composer

• Early in the book, Kundera ties in all the motifs into what we sense as a Grand Finale… but then he adds a Coda.

Conclusion of a piece and is used to return the piece to its original subject.

Tricky Composer

• In Chapter 29, Kundera ties in all the motifs into what we sense as a Grand Finale… but then he adds a Coda.

Conclusion of a piece and is used to return the piece to its original subject.

PREVIOUS HARMONIES

“Karenin’s Smile”

“Karenin’s Smile”Another discussion of Eternal Return.

Thomas and Tereza

Common Motif

The Dog, Karenin

“Karenin’s Smile”Another discussion of Eternal Return.

Thomas and Tereza

Common Motif

The Dog, Karenin

Karenin was compared to the Garden of Eden, remaining at peace with the day to day cycle/ life of Tereza and Tomas. The Karenin developed cancer… his life went in a linear direction, never to repeat again and again, grew depression and stopped smiling.Karenin was the instrument/ player that couldn’t keep up.

What is the Coda?

• End of eternal return in Karenin’s life and the end of eternal return in the fugue’s theme.

AT LAST

• Tomas and Tereza became harmonies.

AT LAST

• Tomas and Tereza became harmonies.

Meaning…“Human time does not turn in a circle, it runs ahead in a straight line. That is why we can’t be happy; happiness is the longing for repetition.”

-Kendura

AT LAST

• Tomas and Tereza became harmonies.

Meaning…“Human time does not turn in a circle, it runs ahead in a straight line. That is why we can’t be happy; happiness is the longing for repetion.”

-Kendura

Kendura helps us see the motifs within out own lives and how they are harmonies.