A Work Against Kitsch

Throughout the Unbearable Lightness of Being there is an obvious sense of negativity concerning the concept of kitsch, especially with Sabina. Sabina herself is guided by the avoidance of kitsch, and the artifice that comes with it.

            However, if you look at the novel as a whole, the entire piece is a work against kitsch. Milan Kundera maintains a complete honesty throughout the novel, discussing things that would be considered crude and unglamorous. Kundera consistently avoids any form of escapism, which would bring about a façade, and narrates the stories of four distinctly real people (distinctly real meaning that they are not void of our natural human tendencies and imperfections).

            Kundera’s characters aren’t necessarily characters that would appeal to the general public either. From a personal perspective, people might find Tomas’s sexual exploits distasteful, Tereza’s attachments overbearing, Franz’s obsession with women disturbing, and Sabina’s lack of concern with communism compared to kitsch unbelievable. However, contradictions are what bring about personal identity, and personal identity in the enemy of kitsch.