Many of Kundera's tales are set in Czechoslovakia during the latter half of the 20th century. Delve into the political history of Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic) since World War II. What significant political and social upheavals has the nation undergone? How has the political climate influenced Kundera's life and work? How do the social, political, and economic conditions of the country today differ from those when "The Hitchhiking Game" was originally written and published?

The foremost Czech fiction writer of the early 20th century was Franz Kafka. Investigate Kafka's life and body of work, as well as the social and political environment in which he wrote. Similar to Kundera, Kafka's works were banned in his homeland, although this occurred posthumously. Choose one of Kafka's short stories to read. How does understanding the historical context in which Kafka lived and wrote shed light on his life and work?

Vaclav Havel and Miroslav Holub are prominent Czech writers from Kundera's era. Research the life and work of either Havel or Holub. How did his experiences and choices as a writer under the same political climate as Kundera differ from or resemble Kundera’s? In what ways did these experiences impact his poetry?

During much of Kundera's lifetime, the government-endorsed literary style was "socialist realism." What are the fundamental aesthetic and political principles of the "socialist realist" style in writing? How do these principles apply to other art forms? What is the history of the "socialist realist" style?

Read another story by Kundera from the collection Laughable Loves, which includes "The Hitchhiking Game." In what ways does this story explore themes similar to those in "The Hitchhiking Game"?