Milan Kundera Analysis

Milan Kundera and the narrator share a persona that sets up the philosophical structure of the book. By doing he has one foot in the narrative and one in reality ensuring his omnipresence and omniscience. These two qualities in particular makes him a reliable narrator. The authorial intrusions used, seek to firmly cement the story in the realm of fiction. It is used to continuously remind the readers that what they are reading is purely fiction, not reality. This also makes the narrator seem more present and seems to involve himself with the reader, in a sort of dialogue. One of the most important aspects of Kundera including an intrusive narrator is to, perhaps, explicitly establish the fact that the characters are a sole product of his imagination. His own creation. Although one may think of fictional characters as dimensionless and shallow, by admitting that his characters are entirely fictional, Kundera adds more depth to his characters. Each of his characters experience a wave of lightness and weight, the underlying binary opposition the novel rests on. For instance, Sabinas inclination to cutting off relationships as well

In doing so he makes use of various narrative techniques such as the use or prolepsis or advance notice. The most pertinent aspect of the authorial intrusions is eliminating the possibility of suspense or any sort of feeling that would want to make readers flip to the end. When there is no suspense or speculation on the side of the reader, they are forced to answer the profound, broad, metaphysical and often philosophical questions raised by Kundera. In part six for instance, when he describes the entire scene revolving around the American senator and Sabina as kitsch, he poses questions such as “How did the senator know what children meant by happiness”. By doing so compels his readers to think and reflect on the substance