Part One: Ludvik Summary

Ludvik Jahn has returned to Moravia, which is where he grew up as a boy. He feels no emotion, but sees its monuments in an aggressive and negative light. He is a man on a mission and when he checks into the hotel, he realizes that this bed will not work to his advantage. He sets off to the local hospital to find Mr. Kostka, who greets him surprised. When Kostka invites him back to his apartment, he realizes that this setting is much more appropriate and asks to borrow the flat for the afternoon, which Kostka agrees to.

Kostka has to return to work, but Jahn asks him to recommend a barber. When he enters the shop, a woman that he was deeply in love with for many years, although it is unclear whether she recognizes him or...