But when the strong were too weak to hurt the weak, the weak had to be strong enough to leave.
Milan KunderaThe basis of shame is not some personal mistake of ours, but the ignominy, the humiliation we feel that we must be what we are without any choice in the matter, and that this humiliation is seen by everyone.
Milan KunderaDraw a line; draw a line that pleases you. And remember that it is not the artist's role to copy the outlines of things but to create a world of his own lines on paper." (pp.28-29)
Milan KunderaThe novel is not the author's confession; it is an investigation of human life in the trap the world has become
Milan Kundera