The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Main Characters and Their Development

• Tomas — a successful surgeon in Prague. He is characterized by his passion for women and his quest for freedom through sexual relationships. Due to the 1968 invasion, he moves to Geneva but eventually returns to Czechoslovakia. Through his relationship with Tereza, he realizes the significance of love and responsibility.
• Tereza — a young waitress and photographer who falls in love with Tomas. Her relationship with Tomas develops against the backdrop of her struggle with his infidelity and her own questions of identity and self-worth. Her defining trait is her ability to love despite the circumstances.
• Sabina — an artist and close friend of Tomas, through whom Kundera explores the theme of freedom and escape. Her life and personality are imbued with a desire to avoid burdensome ties and to seek art as a means of expressing her individuality.
• Franz — a professor from Geneva, in love with Sabina. He represents a contrast to Tomas in his perception of love and relationships. His love for Sabina leads to the destruction of his notions of morality and fidelity.