What remains of the dying population of Cambodia? One large photograph of an American actress holding an Asian child in her arms. What remains of Tomas? An inscription reading: He wanted the Kingdom of God on Earth. What remains of Beethoven? A frown, an improbable mane, and a somber voice intoning Es muss sein! What remains of Franz? An inscription reading: A return after long wanderings. And so on and so forth. Before we are forgotten, we will be turned into kitsch. Kitsch is the stopover between being and oblivion.
The passage reflects on the remnants of cultural and human legacies, illustrating how individuals and their desires are distilled into mere symbols or memories. Through various examples, it highlights how significant figures, like an actress or Beethoven, become simplified representations of their once vibrant existences, often reduced to images or inscriptions that fail to fully capture their essence. This evokes a sense of loss and the fleeting nature of life.
Kundera suggests that before we fade into nothingness, we risk becoming mere kitsch—superficial representations that lack depth and meaning. Kitsch serves as a transient state between existence and forgetfulness, emphasizing the tenuous grip we have on our identities and legacies over time. This contemplation of mortality and memory questions what truly endures beyond individual lives and the impact of historical narratives.
