The Joke

“Why is your freedom so important to you?”

When he returns to his hometown, Ludvik is a changed man. He has been away for 15 years, and his personal idea of freedom has been altered due to the punishment he received for his misconstrued joke. Ludvik has learned to live without freedom, so his ironic comment to Kostka reflects the changed perspective of a man whose previous jokes have shown him the importance of freedom in a literal and figurative sense.

“She goes under a different name now, but that’s who she is.”

Characters can change their names, but they cannot change the fundamental aspects of themselves. When Lucie shaves Ludvik in the barbershop, he recognizes something familiar in her. She looks different, acts different, and has a different name, but there is an immutable quality to her character that cannot be denied. The passage of time and the imposition of suffering cannot fundamentally alter a person’s character, even if they hope that it might.

“Men desire most what they consider inaccessible.”

Helena is keenly aware of her appeal to a man like Ludvik. Earlier in her narration, she confesses that she is not as slim or as attractive as she once was. Her unavailability rather than her aesthetic beauty is what makes her appealing to men.