--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Marketa really desired, with both her…" description: "\"“Marketa really desired, with both her body and her senses, the women she considered Karel's mistresses. And she also desired them with her head: fulfi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac0/milan-kundera-120_first-time_marketa-really-desired-with-both-her-bod_2806515.jpg" --- # Marketa really desired, with both her body and her senses… ![“Marketa really desired, with both her body and her senses, the women she considered Karel's mistresses. And she also desired them with her head: fulfilling the prophecy of her old math teacher, she wanted - at least to the limits of the disastrous contract - to show herself enterprising and…” quote by Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac0/milan-kundera-120_first-time_marketa-really-desired-with-both-her-bod_2806515.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac0/milan-kundera-120_first-time_marketa-really-desired-with-both-her-bod_2806515.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac0/milan-kundera-120_first-time_marketa-really-desired-with-both-her-bod_2806515.jpg) > ““Marketa really desired, with both her body and her senses, the women she considered Karel's mistresses. And she also desired them with her head: fulfilling the prophecy of her old math teacher, she wanted - at least to the limits of the disastrous contract - to show herself enterprising and playful, and to astonish Karel. But as soon as she found herself naked with them on the wide daybed, the sensual wanderings immediately vanished from her mind, and seeing her husband was enough to return her to her role, the role of the better one, the one who is wronged, Even when she was with Eva, whom she loved very much and of whom she was not jealous, the presence of the man she loved too well weighed heavily on her, stifling the pleasure of the senses. The moment she removed his head from the body, she felt the strange and intoxicating touch of freedom. That anonymity of the body was a suddenly discovered paradise. With an odd delight, she expelled her wounded and too vigilant soul and was transformed into a simple body without past or memory, but all the more eager and receptive. She tenderly caressed Eva's face, while the headless body moved vigorously on top of her. But here the headless body interrupted his movements and, in a voice that reminded her unpleasantly of Karel's, uttered unbelievably idiotic words: "I'm Bobby Fischer! I'm Bobby Fischer!" It was like being awakened from a dream. And just then, as she lay snuggled against Eva (as the awakening sleeper snuggles against his pillow to hide from the dim first light of day), Eva had asked her, "All right?" and she had consented with a sign, pressing her lips against Eva's. She had always loved her, but today for the first time sh loved her with all her senses, for herself, for her body, and for her skin, becoming intoxicated with this fleshly love as with a sudden revelation. Afterward, while they lay side by side on their stomachs, with their buttocks slightly raised, Marketa could feel on her skin that the infinitely efficient body was again fixing its eyes on hers and at any moment was going to start again making love to them. She tried to ignore the voice talking about seeing beautiful Mrs. Nora, tried simply to be a body hearing nothing while lying pressed between a very soft-skinned girlfriend and some headless man.”” [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Marketa's desire for freedom clashes with her marital constraints, revealing how love and identity can be suppressed by societal roles. **In simple terms:** Desire for freedom versus duty Key Takeaway Recognize how roles limit authentic self Themes identity love freedom self‑discovery Mood conflicted intense Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - marital conflict - sexual exploration - personal awakening Key Concepts existentialism psychology gender dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How do societal expectations shape personal desire? - Can true intimacy exist without self‑loss? A Different Perspective Freedom can be fleeting when external expectations dominate. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Math teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/math-teacher/) [Side by side](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/side-by-side/) ## Related quotes > [Frequently, visualization is the key to lose weight. Imagine yourself with your desired body, and work for it. 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And she also desired them with her head: fulfilling the prophecy of her old math teacher, she wanted - at least to the limits of the disastrous contract - to show herself enterprising and playful, and to astonish Karel. But as soon as she found herself naked with them on the wide daybed, the sensual wanderings immediately vanished from her mind, and seeing her husband was enough to return her to her role, the role of the better one, the one who is wronged, Even when she was with Eva, whom she loved very much and of whom she was not jealous, the presence of the man she loved too well weighed heavily on her, stifling the pleasure of the senses. The moment she removed his head from the body, she felt the strange and intoxicating touch of freedom. That anonymity of the body was a suddenly discovered paradise. With an odd delight, she expelled her wounded and too vigilant soul and was transformed into a simple body without past or memory, but all the more eager and receptive. She tenderly caressed Eva's face, while the headless body moved vigorously on top of her. But here the headless body interrupted his movements and, in a voice that reminded her unpleasantly of Karel's, uttered unbelievably idiotic words: \"I'm Bobby Fischer! I'm Bobby Fischer!\" It was like being awakened from a dream. And just then, as she lay snuggled against Eva (as the awakening sleeper snuggles against his pillow to hide from the dim first light of day), Eva had asked her, \"All right?\" and she had consented with a sign, pressing her lips against Eva's. She had always loved her, but today for the first time sh loved her with all her senses, for herself, for her body, and for her skin, becoming intoxicated with this fleshly love as with a sudden revelation. Afterward, while they lay side by side on their stomachs, with their buttocks slightly raised, Marketa could feel on her skin that the infinitely efficient body was again fixing its eyes on hers and at any moment was going to start again making love to them. She tried to ignore the voice talking about seeing beautiful Mrs. Nora, tried simply to be a body hearing nothing while lying pressed between a very soft-skinned girlfriend and some headless man.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Milan Kundera" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/marketa-really-desired-with-both-her-body-and-her-senses-the-women/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "First time" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/marketa-really-desired-with-both-her-body-and-her-senses-the-women/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac0/milan-kundera-120_first-time_marketa-really-desired-with-both-her-bod_2806515.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac0/milan-kundera-120_first-time_marketa-really-desired-with-both-her-bod_2806515.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac0/milan-kundera-120_first-time_marketa-really-desired-with-both-her-bod_2806515.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Marketa really desired, with both her body and her senses, the women she considered Karel's mistresses. 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