Stroking Franz´s arms in bed in one of the many hotels where they made love, Sabina said, "The muscles you have! They are unbelievable!"
Franz took pleasure in her praise. He climbed out of bed, got down on his haunches, grabbed a heavy oak chair by one leg, and lifted it slowly into the air. "You never have to be afraid", he said. "I can protect you no matter what. I used to be a judo champion".
When he raised the hand with the heavy chair above his head, Sabina said, "It´s good to know you are so strong". But deep down she said to herself, Franz may be strong, but his strength is directed outward; when it comes to the people he lives with, the people he loves, he´s weak. Franz weakness is called goodness. Franz would never give Sabina orders, as Tomas had, to lay the mirror on the floor and walk back and forth on it naked. Not that he lacks sensuality; he simply lacks the strength to give orders. These are things that can be accomplished only by violence. Physical love is unthinkable without violence.
(...)
Sabina proceeded with her melancholy musings: What if she had a man who ordered her about? A man who wanted to master her? How long would she put up with him? Not five minutes! From which it follows that no man was right for her, strong or weak.
"Why don´t you ever use your strength on me?", she said.
"Because love means renouncing strength", said Franz softly.
Sabina realized two things: first, that Franz´s words were noble and just; second, that they disqualified him from her love life.
Franz took pleasure in her praise. He climbed out of bed, got down on his haunches, grabbed a heavy oak chair by one leg, and lifted it slowly into the air. "You never have to be afraid", he said. "I can protect you no matter what. I used to be a judo champion".
When he raised the hand with the heavy chair above his head, Sabina said, "It´s good to know you are so strong". But deep down she said to herself, Franz may be strong, but his strength is directed outward; when it comes to the people he lives with, the people he loves, he´s weak. Franz weakness is called goodness. Franz would never give Sabina orders, as Tomas had, to lay the mirror on the floor and walk back and forth on it naked. Not that he lacks sensuality; he simply lacks the strength to give orders. These are things that can be accomplished only by violence. Physical love is unthinkable without violence.
(...)
Sabina proceeded with her melancholy musings: What if she had a man who ordered her about? A man who wanted to master her? How long would she put up with him? Not five minutes! From which it follows that no man was right for her, strong or weak.
"Why don´t you ever use your strength on me?", she said.
"Because love means renouncing strength", said Franz softly.
Sabina realized two things: first, that Franz´s words were noble and just; second, that they disqualified him from her love life.
-Milan Kundera, "The unbearable lightness of being".
1 comentario:
I think love means finding strength in renouncing strength.
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