Kunder, a Nation Which Cannot Take Itself for Granted
Andrew Obarski
Dr. Suszko
History 300c-01w
June 9, 2013
A Nation Which Cannot Take Itself for Granted is an excerpt from From Czechoslovakia: The Party and the People, published in June of 1967, by Milan Kundera. Although it focuses upon Czechoslovakia (the nation which cannot take itself for granted), it is more than a warning to the Czechoslovakian people of Czechoslovakia; it is also a foreshadowing of the coming danger to all nations. Although Kundera speaks directly to the Czech people, the significance of this work is its universal applicability. Kundera begins by quickly describing what makes a nation. He summarizes it as an amalgam of a people’s culture, political system, and history. He notes that though nations are a new phenomenon their existence is usually taken for granted by that nation’s people. Here is where the focus upon Czechoslovakia is so valuable Unlike many of its western neighbors, like France, England or Spain, or the states that lie to its east, Russia or Poland, Czechoslovakia is a more recent nation, and so Kundera believes this is why Czechoslovakia in particular cannot take itself for granted. Czechoslovakia slept through several vital phases in the evolution of the European spirit. Although they experienced the Czech Revival in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, which began a light national consciousness, this consciousness has risen and fallen. At this consciousness’s height, at the beginning of the 20th century, it was quickly broken. Stunted by foreign occupation and followed almost immediately by the crushing anti-nationalism of Stalin and Soviet Union. Viewing Czechoslovakia under Kundera’s lens we see what may be the inevitable result for all nations. Czechoslovakia was at the time, and still is a small nation, weak in all of the features by which Kundera judge’s nations. But we see many nations following Czechoslovakia’s path. Kundera notes that because man has reached a point in his evolution where mass
Dr. Suszko
History 300c-01w
June 9, 2013
A Nation Which Cannot Take Itself for Granted is an excerpt from From Czechoslovakia: The Party and the People, published in June of 1967, by Milan Kundera. Although it focuses upon Czechoslovakia (the nation which cannot take itself for granted), it is more than a warning to the Czechoslovakian people of Czechoslovakia; it is also a foreshadowing of the coming danger to all nations. Although Kundera speaks directly to the Czech people, the significance of this work is its universal applicability. Kundera begins by quickly describing what makes a nation. He summarizes it as an amalgam of a people’s culture, political system, and history. He notes that though nations are a new phenomenon their existence is usually taken for granted by that nation’s people. Here is where the focus upon Czechoslovakia is so valuable Unlike many of its western neighbors, like France, England or Spain, or the states that lie to its east, Russia or Poland, Czechoslovakia is a more recent nation, and so Kundera believes this is why Czechoslovakia in particular cannot take itself for granted. Czechoslovakia slept through several vital phases in the evolution of the European spirit. Although they experienced the Czech Revival in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, which began a light national consciousness, this consciousness has risen and fallen. At this consciousness’s height, at the beginning of the 20th century, it was quickly broken. Stunted by foreign occupation and followed almost immediately by the crushing anti-nationalism of Stalin and Soviet Union. Viewing Czechoslovakia under Kundera’s lens we see what may be the inevitable result for all nations. Czechoslovakia was at the time, and still is a small nation, weak in all of the features by which Kundera judge’s nations. But we see many nations following Czechoslovakia’s path. Kundera notes that because man has reached a point in his evolution where mass