Study Guide

The Unbearable Lightness of Being Part 5, Chapter 14

By Milan Kundera

Part 5, Chapter 14

The editor then congratulates Tomas for his article on Oedipus.
Tomas laments that he can't operate anymore, but the editor tells him to think about how many people his article helped.
Tomas argues that no, he helped people when he was a surgeon.
Now Tomas's son jumps in and says that ideas can save lives too.
But Tomas doesn't want to be famous for his idea. His whole was taken the wrong way, after all.
He remembers why he wrote it in the first place. It was his image of Tereza as a baby in a basket sent downstream that sent him to the myths of Romulus, Moses, and Oedipus.
Tomas's son tells him that it is his [Tomas's] duty to sign the petition.
Again Tomas thinks about Tereza – she is the only thing that matters to him now. If he signs the petition, she will continue to be bothered by undercover spies at the bar.
Finally, he tells the two men that it is more important to dig a crow out of the ground than send petitions about political prisoners.
He knows they don't understand, but he's happy anyway. He's doing what he wants.

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