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Václav Havel: A Character Shaped by the Iron Curtain Throughout Eastern Europe and the world history and politics have infiltrated the lives of many individuals, especially writers. The influence which history and politics has on writers is usually reflected in their literary works. One example of a writer whose works reflect the influence which history and politics had upon him is Václav Havel, the former president of Czechoslovakia (1989-1992) and the Czech Republic (1993-2003). In the following essay I will illustrate how Havel’s life and literary works have been influence by the history and politics of his country, Czechoslovakia. Biography Václav Havel was born on October 5, 1936 in Prague, Czechoslovakia to a family to which owned a successful restaurant business. Unfortunately, in 1948 Havel’s family’s successful business was harshly affected by the Communist domination of Eastern Europe. Because of their successful business and acquired wealth, Havel’s family was viewed by the state as being class enemies. As a result, the state confiscated the family’s wealth and assigned them to low paying employment positions. In addition, the children of the family were denied access to the state educational system beyond the elementary level. Despite this, Havel was able to take night classes in order to finish high school and later spent two years at a technical university studying economics. In 1959, Havel found employment as a stagehand at Prague’s ABC Theater after being denied admission to the university drama school in Prague. During his employment at the ABC Theater, Havel actively pursued playwriting and later became involved in the reforms of 1968 (Prague Spring). During this period of attempted reforms, Czech intellectuals began to push for a liberal restructuring of the Czech Communist system and a break away from the Soviet form of Communism. A Soviet invasion suppressed the Prague Spring and because of his protest to this invasion, authorities banned Havel works. However, Havel continued to write numerous articles and essays for secret, unofficial publications. Authorities offered him several opportunities to leave the country but he declined as he had decided to remain in Czechoslovakia and work for change for the citizens. Along with hundreds of Czech intellectuals, in 1977 Havel helped to orchestrate and produce Charter 77, a document dedicated to ensuring that Czech citizens were afforded basic human rights. Unfortunately, Havel was arrested before Charter 77 was dispersed and in 1978 he was tried, convicted and sentenced to four and a half years in prison for involvement with a group called the Committee for Defense of the Unjustly Persecuted.
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