In what many consider Milan Kundera's magnum opus, he situates his cast of characters across Czechoslovakia and the events of the Prague Spring. Their divergent histories, backgrounds, and ideologies, form the tension in their lives and relationships, as the quartet navigate their differences across the years.

The Prague Spring took place in 1968, and was a period of political liberalization led by reformist Alexander Dubček. The movement sought out to democratize Czechoslovakia and increase freedoms around media, speech, and travel. The initial stages displayed large hope, with the ironclad grip of Soviet communism seemingly loosening. However, in August of 1968, the movement was abruptly halted following the invasion of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact countries (Bulgaria, Hungary, and Poland). Harsher controls were reimposed, and author Kundera had lived through it all. While he was once a staunch supporter of socialism, he began to become a heavy critic of the authoritarian rule that followed, and became disillusioned to the Czech intelligentsia.

Tomas:

Tomas, a Prague-based surgeon, comes from a non-political, bourgeoisie background. Compared to the women in his life, his stances are apolitical, as he avoids it entirely. His training and subsequent career in science and medicine reflects the modernist ideal of individualism, carried throughout his personal life. His refusal to retract the article he penned criticizing the regime's use of Oedipal guilt is not a political act of defiance, but rather an attempt to save face and maintain personal and intellectual integrity. His punishment is internalized as a loss for his career instead of his morals, by refusing to fully comply or fully resist, he becomes infuriatingly neutral against a wildly extreme background.

Even his affairs reflect his political outlook, where he remains detached and refuses to impose any meaning. His approach to sex is ironic (his insurmountable love for Tereza, but his refusal to remain loyal), noncommittal, and resistance to change. His lack of "weight" or commitment to any woman sexually reflects his unwillingness to submit to any overarching authority. Under a regime that politicized the body through restrictions on reproduction and family, his relations are adamant that he will not be subject to any control.

The concept of "totalitarian kitsch" is introduced in the book -- where conformity is demanded by the state, and suppresses any individuality. While Tomas' untethered nature could be seen as defiance, his self given freedom is ultimately a symbol for his unwillingness to interact with any political matter.

Tereza:

Tereza comes from a modest house, with her adult manner shaped through her childhood where she was consistently shamed and humiliated by her mother. From the very start of the novel, Kundera emphasizes Tereza's desire to "transcend" and become, in some way, the truest form of herself, to have her soul exist bursting out of her pores. However, her staunch disdain towards her mother's vulgarity can be seen as a rejection of the communist vulgarity, as she is commonly disgusted by the displays of power under the regime.

When she photographs the Soviet tanks in Prague, she bears witness to a cruel act and finds the suffering meaningful. Her horror at the occupation is not extreme, or an overreaction, but still very real and visceral. Her politics and ethics are grounded in truth, which she finds to be achieved through photography. For this reason, her reaction to Tomas' affairs are not rooted in a possessive jealousy, but rather a resistance to the kind of individualism that both authoritarian regimes and apathetic lovers can enforce. Throughout the novel, Tereza represents the idea that we are responsible for our actions. That love, like history, demands remembrance instead of denial.

Sabina:

Sabina is an artist, she exists in spaces that are already "kitsch", already avant-garde. In a way, she lives her whole life steeped in rebellion. She rebels against any identity given to her, any loyalty to a partner, any truth within her life. Her view on the world is shaped directly through rejection, and is manifested through her art, sexuality, and continuous betrayals. She finds freedom in betraying those who care for her, or those she cares about her. She betrays her Party, her family, Franz. Her refusal of loyalty is akin to her political liberation.

By harboring an intense hatred for "kitsch", Sabina is in denial of all the illusions of the regime that attempt to hide the pain and complexity of the state. Her emotional rejection is seen through her self-martyrdom in relationships and her continuous infidelity, while her political rejection is seen through her disgust with protests, parades, and slogans. Her art itself is ambiguous, showing her refusal to commit or conform seeping through every space within her life. Despite sleeping with both Tomas and Franz, she refuses to belong to either of them. Contrasted to Tereza, who seeks out meaning in life, some sort of moral guideline, Sabina wants total freedom. Her life is not defined through any real code of conduct but rather her want to subvert. Her relationship with Franz collapses because she refuses to agree with any of his attempts at an earnest relationship.

Franz:

Franz is a Swiss intellectual, and therefore has no real scope on the Czechoslovakian plight. His stances conceptualize the Westerner who projects his ideal on Eastern Europe with a lack of its reality. He sees liberal democracy as the ideal, as the truth, and sees all forms of political resistance as some romantic visage. Therefore, his relationship with Sabina is strained, as neither of them will ever agree on anything, with such deep fundamental contradictions in ideology. By idealizing the political struggle, by romanticizing the suffering of civilians, he sees no problem with resistance. In fact, he joins into protests, marching for what he sees as a meaningful way to change.

The rose colored glasses that remain on for Franz contributes to the way he longs to have Sabina (and consequently Eastern Europe) as his muse. He loves the idea of Sabina, and what she means to his mind. His devotion towards her could be interpreted through a trope that occurs everywhere--a love for the tragic beauty, for struggle. Franz feels righteous, as he is participating to help improve a lesser developed country. He is a victim of the "kitsch" imposed under totalitarian rule by falling for a simplistic version of Czechoslovakia. He submits blindly to the struggles, seeing them as a way for himself to appear moral and as a good person.

Conclusion

Ultimately, each character's ideology shaped the way they interact with the Prague Spring and the repressive periods that followed. The differences in their upbringings, class, and culture, affected their interactions, and coagulated in all four characters inability to live simple lives. The tension in their relationships represented the tension in the state, serving as a wonderful link between love and history, with the state melding with the most intimate parts of human life.