By revealing to Tomas her dream about jabbing needles under her fingernails, Tereza unwittingly revealed that she had gone through his desk. If Tereza had been any other woman, Tomas would never have spoken to her again. Aware of that, Tereza said to him, Throw me out! But instead of throwing her out, he seized her hand and kissed the tips of her fingers, because at that moment he himself felt the pain under her fingernails as surely as if the nerves of her fingers led straight to his own brain.Anyone who has failed to benefit from the Devils gift of compassion (co-feeling) will condemn Tereza coldly for her deed, because privacy is sacred and drawers containing intimate correspondence are not to be opened. But because compassion was Tomass fate (or curse), he felt that he himself had knelt before the open desk drawer, unable to tear his eyes from Sabinas letter. He understood Tereza, and not only was he incapable of being angry with her, he loved her all the more.
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About Milan Kundera
Milan Kundera was a 20th-century French and french novelist. Milan Kundera was a Czech and French novelist. Kundera went into exile in France in 1975, acquiring citizenship in 1981. Read more on Wikipedia →
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- Love — Quotes exploring romantic love, compassion, and human connection