Romanticizing of the Other

            Throughout the novel I found the romanticizing of the occupation of 1968 intriguing, especially that which came from Franz. I found Franz’s comments during the “words misunderstood” section of the novel concerning the occupation to be especially revealing of the outside perspective of the event.

            National identity often goes hand in hand with the experiences, and specifically the bad experiences, that a country endures. For Sabina, the occupation will always be a time of grueling turbulence. Moreover, it will be an intensely personal experience that incites a further connection with her country.

            Franz does not have this outlook. It is easy for him to see the occupation nearly as a work of fiction. His need to feel as though he has a degree of knowledge about everything presented to him promotes him to feel as though he is in a position to talk about such an event in a familiar manner. His familiarity makes his conversation with Sabina all the more shocking. His tone is not one questioning the realities from someone knowledgeable on the subject, or lamenting a country seeing a loss of identity, but one of false nostalgia.