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Being there by Jerzy Kosinski In social ncountrs, popl in general project a public or on-stag slf, and w think of it as covering our authentic fac- th fac being th social mask. Popl of act in th opposite way of what thy ar rally thinking in or to impress othr's. How, Chance, in Jerzy Kosinski's Bing Thr, couldnt think or act on his own. His behavior reflects what h has observed on television and in his garden. Chance presents himself to others in such an honest manner.
What he shows the public is exactly who he is. He doesnt have a private or public self; he has only one face- the face of true human nature, which is the product of TV images and his garden. Television created Chance as did the garden. The garden seems to give him physical existence while the television gives him a mental existence. However, this mental existence is a false one.
Contrary to his life in the garden, in the outside world Chance is a blank page, acceptable to all people because he is like all those characters on television. Because Chances behavior depends on what he has seen on television, he is uninformed and incompetent in many areas. Although this book is a bit far-fetched and ridiculous at times, Kosinski makes a very valid point. He seems to point out that in the culture we live in, superficial perception is everything while real thought is often neglected.
The media plays a large part in shaping our notions of leadership. The media creates an image for Chance- they give him an occupation, a relationship of intimacy with the President, and status. They hype him up to make him seem newsworthy and interesting because they have to have people to write about. Kept in complete isolation Mr. Chance has become a person, which to the unwary might appear like mindless and jejune. He has accepted the strains put upon his life without protesting.
A combination of frugal habits and a lack of curiosity has kept him from exploring the unknown, and has left him isolated in body and soul. A universe consisting of thoughts strange to the common man exists inside his head. Despite being mentally retarded and an alliterate he is both pensive and intelligent. Though being able to distinguish humans from plants by the difference in appearance he draws clever and revealing, although unintended, parallels between the two lifeforms. Some might consider him peace-loving and gentle, but one must remember that peace is all he knows. Mr.
Chance lives in the present never worrying about neither the past nor the future. Bearing in mind that he is a creature of habit he leaves his fostering home and his garden behind with surprising calmness. As always just following the flow of events. We only hear him mentioned as The Old Man. The name itself reveals a quite comprehensive and substantial amount of information on this faceless person, and the relationship between Mr.
Chance and himself. The Old Man is an insensitive superficial and alienating designation lacking even the smallest sign of affection. Though being able to learn and remember the names of other characters in the novel Mr. Chance has never acquired that of The Old Man.
This warder has kept Mr. Chance isolated from the life outside the high brick walls, with all its dangers and pleasures. Through threatening him with a life in oblivion on a mental institution this warder furthermore kept sure that he would never leave the complex. By forcing a vast number of rules and prohibitions upon him, The Old Man has created a human robot. This android follows his every instruction, and by exploiting it he is provided with cheap labour. The only expense is food and shelter.
A prison-like shelter. Even though Chance may not be the brightest person, people are drawn to his personality and his unintentional words of wisdom. People seem to trust him, instinctively. His meaningless utterances combined with his total lack of background, turn him into a media idol and, seemingly, the ideal candidate for Vice President of the United States. Above all, it was quite amusing to read how a person, and in this case a somewhat mentally challenged person, can be made up by the media, especially television.
Just as in real life, people only saw what they wanted to see and they only heard what they wanted to hear. This book is a fine example of how warped our society is. Bibliography: Kosinski, Jerzy, Being There. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovic h, 1970
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Research essay sample on Jerzy Kosinski Mental Existence Chance
