Interchanging motifs of death and dream in Jan Balabán’s novel Zeptej se táty
This article cousiders the last novel of Jan Balabán Zeptej se táty. It is suggested that the author contructed his work around the themes of death and dream, which determine the whole interpretation of his novel. Death receives here both metaphisycal, as well as physiological meaning;social and individual. Protagonist of the novel look for an antidote to death. They find it in religion, sex and dream. None of them, however, brings them acomplete rescue from the fear of death. Dream turns out to be only asubstitute to death, its another form of being. In their quest to be freed from death the protagonists move through three dimensions: dream, illness and death. A motif of bed plays an important role here. It is apregnent with meaning symbolic space where neverending battle between life and death takes place. This is underlined by the overflow of biblical language relating to falling asleep, dreaming and waking up and themes of light, flame, morning, darkness, shadow and dark.