Marta Doesn’t Want Children

Can the path to Santiago change a person’s life, or will it return them to where they came from?

There is nothing wrong with Marta’s life. She has a good job, is in a long-term relationship with Hynek, and is fond of the children from his previous marriage. She doesn’t want kids of her own and Hynek is in full agreement with her on this. So what is she trying to get to the bottom of? Why does she choose to go off on her own for ten days of discomfort and loneliness, when she could be with Hynek and the kids at the seaside? Are her loved ones right to think that this trip is nonsensical? More to the point, is Marta living the right life?

Once again, Petra Soukupová presents a brilliant examination of a woman’s mind. Marta has reached a point where she must figure out what to do with her life while managing the expectations of those around her. The protagonist’s narrative is interlaced with the opinions and viewpoints of her loved ones, making us question how much our idea of happiness is formed under pressure from others. It also considers the point at which we lose the power to decide our own future, and wonders what in our decision-making is controlled by certainties of the past and social convention.