"Sometimes (more in sport than from real concern) I defended myself against the charge of individualism..." -spoken by Ludvik on page 33
"...I actually came to believe them because I couldn't imagine (I wasn't bold enough to imagine) that everyone else might be wrong, that the Revolution itself, the spirit of the times, might be wrong and I, an individual might be right." - spoken by Ludvik on page 33
Both of these passages relate directly to some of the sections we've read of Havel. The first passage is interesting because what it states is completely contradictory from what Havel is suggesting people do. Ludvik tries to fight the judgment that he is an individual while Havel strives to convince everyone to embrace their individuality. But Ludvik also strengthens Havel's argument: Ludvik is a member of the Party who hates the thought of individualism. Thus he shows that Havel is speaking the truth - being an individual is a way to rebel against the Party.
The second quotation shoes Ludvik's disbelief that he may be able, as Havel would say, to "live in the truth." He cannot (or is too scared to) believe that he is able to live in the truth because that would mean that all that he currently believes (the Party) is false, and is therefore the lie. I think this mindset probably plagued many Party members at one time or another. It is human nature to experience doubt in things that you have previously taken for granted as being true, in this case the Party. But many choose to not act on the doubt, or choose to believe (in the Party) rather than believe in themselves. People are very receptive to the group mentality especially in circumstances where standing alone can come with bad consequences. We naturally want to fit into the majority rather than stand out as the individual, like Ludvik, because it is safer and more certain. Perhaps it is also significant that Ludvik is a young man. Though he is marked as an individual, he is probably more likely to be swayed by his peers and the authority to be shaped by what he has grown up believing - the Party rule.
Excellent analysis! I appreciate your perception that what Havel appears to call upon people to do is very difficult, intellectually, psychologically, and socially. Perhaps, though, Kundera offers more of the process of getting from point a to point b, rather than assuming that it can be done in a moment. That accords well with your other comments about the "realism" of the novel. Though of course the term "realism" is problematic ...
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