Elevation: A Novel

Elevation’s final chapter, titled “The Incredible Lightness of Being,” hints at a connection to a famous novel of the same name by Czech-born writer Milan Kundera. In The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1984), Kundera challenges the idea of eternal recurrence, which influenced—and was influenced by—the philosophies of Friedrich Nietzsche. The theory of eternal recurrence states that time repeats itself in an infinite loop, with the same events recurring for eternity. Thus, every individual choice must be made with painstaking care. Nietzsche considered this an enormous burden, yet believed life would be meaningless without it (“The Unbearable Lightness of Being.” SuperSummary).

In The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Kundera attributes weight to the oppressive responsibility of making choices with such enduring consequences. The weight of these choices, and of human existence, also comes from metaphoric baggage like history, tradition, and societal expectations. These are things that can simultaneously give life meaning and create overwhelming sources of suffering. Lightness, then, reflects that which is transient and free from the pressure of eternal consequence. The Unbearable Lightness of Being revolves around this dichotomy and the question of which is preferable, lightness or weight. Ultimately, the novel concludes that lightness—the absence of burden—brings humans the greatest happiness and freedom.

In Elevation, King explores the burdens of human existence and the sources of meaning, in similar metaphoric terms of weight and lightness. His portrayal of Weightlessness as Liberation From Human Suffering reinforces some of Kundera’s ideas, but departs from others. Like The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Elevation argues for individuals’ ability to shape their lives and the lives of those around them through their choices. For Kundera’s characters, though, lightness means facing the possibility that their actions and their lives have no lasting impact. In contrast, in Elevation, protagonist Scott Carey’s choices and actions matter: He influences social attitudes and makes a meaningful difference in his community. Both novels examine love and sexuality, but Kundera characterizes committed relationships as a source of weight, arguing that lightness requires a lack of attachments. Elevation doesn’t equate relationships with weight. As Scott gets lighter, his friendships grow stronger and deeper.

Through his weight loss, Scott becomes less vulnerable to sources of human suffering—events that cause doubt, anger, alienation, and fear. Though he cannot live long in this state, Scott’s final months see him forming personal connections, experiencing beauty and joy like he’s never known before, and leaving the town of Castle Rock a happier, more open-minded place. These developments imbue Scott’s existence with meaning, allowing him to accept death and even transcend its power and finality. The connections King draws between Scott’s weight loss and his liberation from human suffering ultimately echo The Unbearable Lightness of Being’s message that the weighty burdens of human existence are not what gives life meaning—the absence of these burdens elevates humans to greater heights.