Even at the age of eight she would fall asleep by pressing one hand into the other and making believe she was holding the hand of the man whom she loved, the man of her life. So if in her sleep she pressed Tomas hand with such tenacity, we can understand why: she had been training since childhood.
In Milan Kundera's "The Unbearable Lightness of Being," the protagonist's emotional connection manifests even in her childhood. At just eight years old, she develops a unique way to cope with her feelings of love and desire by imagining she is holding hands with the man she dreams about. This childlike gesture reflects her deep longing and the importance of this imaginary relationship in shaping her emotional landscape.
The narrative illustrates how this childhood practice train her for future experiences in love. As she grows, the intensity with which she presses her hands together at night reveals not just a simple wish, but a profound yearning that has been nurtured since her earliest days. Kundera beautifully captures the complexities of love and attachment that begin in the innocence of childhood.
