FROM EXISTENTIAL CODE TO EXPERIMENTAL SELF: A SURVEY OF NARRATION AND CHARACTERIZATION IN MILAN KUNDERA’S THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING

Dismissing most of the traditional novelistic structures, Milan Kundera utilizes particular narrative devices to illustrate his own aesthetic of the novel, which emphasizes parallel explorations of related themes, active philosophical contemplation and the integration of dreams and fantasy with realistic analysis. Kundera succeeds in upgrading his specific subjects, characters and contexts to the worldwide level. Such success is attained through the implementation of various stylistic devices particularly narrative techniques. The multiperspective narration of the story gives more freedom to the readers in approaching the mind and consciousness of the writer. In addition, readers become encouraged to conjure up the imaginary being or the experimental self of the characters while taking advantage from Kudera’s relevant contemplation of existential code formula for characters; a fact which helps them more in a better understanding of the writer’s technique in characterization.