Saturday, April 20, 2013
Animals.
Kundera's comparison of animals to humans has many moral, and sociological implications. One, that animals are less powerful than humans. Two, that they have less dignity. They can poop without questioning their bodily functions or their relation god's bodily functions. Three, Karenin seems to be the most selfless being in The Unbearable Lightness of Being. Tomas hurts Tereza, Tereza hurts Tomas. Franz hurts Marie Claude by having an affair, Marie Claude drives Franz insane. But Karenin is always nice, and as Teresa points out in the movie, she is not forced to love Karenin. She loves Karenin for 'better reasons'. I think the same idea is true in reverse: Karenin loves Teresa and Tomas for who they are, and for their companionship- not for sex, love, or Platonic reasons like Teresa and Tomas's relationship.
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4 comments:
Karenin was an integral part of Tomas and Teresa's relationship because in a way it was the one thing they could agree upon. They both loved Karenin very much and it seemed to be the central positive energy in their relationship. When Karenin finally dies at the end of the book it was an extremely traumatic experience for the both of them. It seemed as if the happiest part of their relationship had died, but in actuality they repaired their relationship on the farm so they did not need to worry about that. Although animals are important in the novel, I do not think they are nearly as important symbols as they were in Beloved. Sometimes they mentioned things such as the giraffe lady to compare people to animals, but I did not find it to be a very outstanding use of symbolism, especially after reading Beloved.
I think that some animal imagery in the book is used to juxtapose and relate humans and animals in order to learn more about the human condition. I think Tereza is the character that is most closely identified with animals. In Tereza’s dreams, cats represented Sabina and the bunny represented Tomas. She says her coincidental encounter with Tomas was surrounded by the “birds of fortuity.” She has a close relationship with Karenin and becomes friendly with the cows on the farm. She saves the crow and Tomas thinks fondly and often about that image of her caring for the crow. Her tenderness and connection with animals shows her humanity, respect for others weaker than herself, and decency. Considering the book’s theme of opposition (body/soul, weight/light etc) animal/ human relations seem to coexist.
I think Mitchell makes a really good point. Karenin is the one solid aspect of Tereza and Tomas' relationship. It is their foundation; Karenin is unchanging and the only member of the family that is 100% loyal. I think of their family as a triangle, each supporting each other with 2 strong legs. Kundera's exploration of animal & human relationships was one of my favorite parts of the book because it's so relatable and so true. When I think about the love I have for my dog, it seems so much purer and simpler than any human relationship. We love each other and ask for nothing in return, which makes it the most unique and special of relationships.
To me, Kerenin represents a symbol that is similar to the bowler hat. The bowler gives Sabina a masculine feature, and the fact that Kerenin is a female with a male's name, I believe both signify gender issues in the book.
These gender issues are important because is represents characters breaking the social norm. Kerenin and the bowler hat both represent the changing social times under the new liberalization of the Cezch state.
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