Powerlessness

One of the things that Jahn and Jaroslav have in common is a sense of powerlessness, although Jahn does not openly admit or acknowledge his lack of power over his own life. He attempts to excuse it by looking at the things that have happened to him as a potential key in the mystery of deciphering why he exists at all. However, both men handle their powerlessness differently.

Despite his enormous size, Jaroslav is essentially a weak person. He says that he will only be aggressive around people bigger than him, but since no one is ever larger than Jaroslav, he is never aggressive or proactive. Instead, he is easily manipulated and mocked by those around him, especially his wife Vlasta, and resented by his son Vladimir. He is also powerless against the rising tide of the modern world that threatens his imaginative world that he loves and...