Being There

“Being there” is a story of a man named Chance who knew nothing other than gardening and what he saw on television. His actions, judgements, and thoughts were all a reproduction of his experiences with television shows and gardening. After being backed up into by a limousine driver Chance became the focus of America’s daily news. Although not being able to read or having any common knowledge about the outside world Chance uses his knowledge of gardening and what he sees on television to help him in conversations with people and to excel in the real world.

Having no contact with the outside world while growing up, television was Chance’s only view of what society was like. By flipping through the channels, Chance noticed the different ways people would interact with each other. Television provided him with different ways of looking at people and society. Television was his escape to be whoever he wanted to be. When Chance came into contact with different people he had an idea of how to act in their presence. When Chance was about to have dinner with Mr. Rand and E.E. he decided to imitate “the TV program of a young businessman who often dined with his boss and the boss’s daughter” (Kosinski, 39).

Also when Chance was being interviewed on “This Evening”, he used his knowledge of gardening and what he saw on television to get him through the interview. When being asked if he agreed with the President’s views on economy the interviewer brought up the President’s point of comparing “the economy of this government to a garden, and indicated after a period of decline a time of growth would naturally follow...” (Kosinski, 66). Chance would not even let the interviewer finish; he gave this whole speech on the garden’s purpose and giving it time to build new leaves. “Gardens need a lot of care. But if you love your garden, you don’t mind working in it, and waiting. Then in the proper season you will surely see it flourish” (Kosinski, 67). Everyone watching that interview took Chances view on the garden as a metaphor for The United States of America that I'm time it will grow.

Chance also knew how to console E.E. when she was crying. He seemed to be comfortable in almost any situation even talking to world leaders such as the President of the United States. The only thing that Chance did not know how to do or even has the slightest clue of them meaning of it was sex; he had no idea what it was. “He searched his memory and recalled situations