The Editor Character Analysis in The Unbearable Lightness of Being

A member of the Czech intelligentsia and the editor of a small Prague newspaper. Tomas incriminates the editor when he unwittingly implies to the dignitary that the editor was the one who had altered Tomas’s article on Oedipus. The editor later tries to pressure Tomas into signing a petition that is meant to persuade the government to grant amnesty to political prisoners. Much like the Communist regime, the editor tries to make Tomas sign something Tomas hadn’t written or even read, and he gives Tomas little time to think. Through the editor, Kundera highlights the persecution of the Czech intelligentsia under the Communist regime, but also suggests that the regime is not the only ideology that oppresses and intimidates people.

The Editor Character Timeline in The Unbearable Lightness of Being

The timeline below shows where the character The Editor appears in The Unbearable Lightness of Being. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Power, Politics, and Inequality Theme Icon

...Tomas says he was tall with black hair. The dignitary nods. He knows just the editor Tomas is talking about. “You have been manipulated, Doctor,” the dignitary says. He stands to... (full context)

...for the regime and the Soviet Union, and it is particularly harsh concerning the tall editor with dark hair. Tomas refuses to sign what he did not write, and the dignitary... (full context)

Sex, Love, and Duality of Body and Soul Theme Icon

...answers the door. He is tall and dark, and he looks familiar. It is the editor from the paper that the dignitary had mentioned. A second man is present, and Tomas... (full context)

The editor and Simon do not want Tomas to wash the windows; they want him to sign... (full context)

The editor tells Tomas that he really enjoyed the Oedipus article, and Simon comments that some ideas... (full context)

...the police, so they can study who attended the funeral. Tomas notices that the tall editor is among the mourners, but when Tomas goes to approach him, the editor mouths not... (full context)

...Prague has been lately and suggests moving to the country. They won’t run into the editor there, or colleagues from the hospital. Nature hasn’t changed, Tereza says, and Tomas agrees that... (full context)

Time, Happiness, and Eternal Return Theme Icon

...Franz looks around and decides that the Grand March is definitely over. But like the editor’s petition to free the political prisoners, they always knew that the Grand March wouldn’t amount... (full context)