Essay Questions

The Festival of Insignificance How do the narrator and fellow central characters manage to get through the severity and tribulations of the Cold War?

The narrator explains vividly that the main approach they are using to get through the ruthlessness and quandary of the Cold War is staying close to one another. The Cold War brings along many problems including fear, lack of essentials, and at worst death. To avoid these bad outcomes, the narrator and fellow protagonists are helping and assisting one another to cope with the situation that they are in. Whenever they are faced with dilemmas, they provide the best solution on how to get through. Out of the five protagonists, the narrator is the leader and guider of every step they are taking to get through the evils of the Cold War.

What is the role of hilarity in the book The Festival of Insignificance by Milan Kundera?

According to Milan Kundera, hilarity cures tedium and this is demonstrated by the five protagonists who use jokes during the time of difficulties to move forward. Humor can help people to forget the difficult situations they are in and this is vital in helping them to move forward. The protagonists in the book The Festival of Insignificance are in the middle of the Cold War but their conversation is full of wit and this pushes away boredom. The reader realizes that the protagonists in this story are people who are not optimistic about good things to come because they are always expecting the worse to come.

Why is Milan Kundera considering friendship as a sacred souvenir?

Milan Kundera is the narrator of the story The Festival of Insignificance and he acts as the lead protagonist amongst his four friends. He values friendship because it establishes long-lasting relationships. Friends are vital during the time of difficulties such as the Cold War which Kundera and his friends find themselves in. However, their friendship plays a significant role in helping them to get through difficult times. Consequently, Kundera compares true friendship to a sacred present from God.