How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph), with the exception of Part V, which runs (Part#. "Short Title". Paragraph). Part V has no numbered chapters—only title headings.
Quote #4
That conversation with the taxi driver suddenly made clear to me the essence of the writer's occupation. We write books because our children aren't interested in us. We address ourselves to an anonymous world because our wives plug their ears when we speak to them. (IV.9.8)
This conversation helps Kundera understand that words sometimes become barriers to relationships and communication, rather than facilitators. The desire to speak or write one's own story blots out the possibility of listening to others: if we're constantly screaming about our own experiences, we can't possibly hear what's going on around us. And Kundera came up with this theory before the existence of Twitter, Facebook, or blogging.
Quote #5
For everyone is pained by the thought of disappearing, unheard and unseen, into an indifferent universe, and because of that everyone wants, while there is still time, to turn himself into a universe of words. (IV.18.11)
This is Kundera's explanation for the epidemic of graphomania: we all fear death, and we all have the desire to tell our stories before we are silenced forever. But the trade-off is huge. In order to write, we have to isolate ourselves from others—which seems like a pretty bonehead move when you want people to remember you and your life story.
Quote #6
Lermontov said the word "subtle" as if it were in italics. Yes, there are words unlike all others, those words whose particular meaning is known only to initiates. (V. "Lermontov's Side". 4)
We all understand the phenomenon of talking IN ALL CAPS. Well, this is another version. Kundera knows that even the spoken word can carry special emphasis, and he expresses it here through italics. Lermontov is trying to find a way to differentiate himself from the gaggle of great poets in the bar at the Writers Club, to show that he is another kind of sublime. The student isn't really buying it, but he empathizes with Lermontov's isolation and admires his stance on what it means to be a poet.