ULOB- words misunderstood

Summary

1. Geneva- Franzs' mistress sabina, bowler hat misundertstandment


2. Sabina's dissapointment in lack of frenzs' understnading of bowler hat


3. misunderstood words- woman, fidelity and betrayal, music, light and darkness


4. Sabina meets fellow emigrees


5. Misunderstood words- parades, beauty of new york, Sabinas country, cemetry


6. Marie-claude art gallery


7. Misunderstood words- the church in amsterdam, strength, living in truth,


8. Sabina decides to leave Franz


9. Sabina is gone


10. Sabina in paris


11. Franz's idolisation of Sabina

Themes and motifs

• contrasts


• misunderstanding


• bowler hat


• betrayal


• fidelity


• truth


• beauty


• judgement

Characters

Franz

Franz is parallel to Tereza. He is less weak/ dependant than her but is just as needy emotionally. He also has very idealistic views of truth, beauty and love. However, unlike Tereza who thinks she is unworthy of such romance, Franz wishes to immerse himself in it. He appears naive... especially in terms of his relationships.

Sabina

Sabina is parallel to Tomas. She is strong, dominant and wants to be in control of her own life. Her independance is very important to her; just like Tomas. Sabina seems to illustrate the other choices that Tomas could have made... perhaps to show to the reader which is the more fulfilling path even though one is more work? Her art and the sense of being different to others is also important to Sabina. The reader has the impression in Misunderstood words that she misses Tomas.

Place

This section is set in Geneva mainly, but also visits other European and one american city. Geneva is the opposite of Prague. It is orderly, peaceful and quiet. It seems that Kundera wishes to portray opposites in every sense. Franz thoroughly loves the serenity of Geneva but is drawn by the romance of being in a chaos city such as Prague. Sabina does not seem to feel at home anywhere... At every place that she lives she finds something to betray and run from. In Geneva Sabina finds a hippocitical natureto the city which she finds abhorrent...along with Franz who seems to good to be true.

Narrative Voice

The Narration still flows seamlessly despite the frequent lacunae. I think Kundera manages this by linking ideas from one chapter to the next... having the narration of the story merely being a menas to explain the philosophical point he wishes to make. The fact that he is telling a story is less emphasised in this section.