Being There, By Jerzy Kosinski (Chapter 1-3 Journal Entry)

Being There, By Jerzy Kosinski
Journal Entry #1 (Ch. 1-3)

The book opens off with the main character Chance. Chance is talking about the garden. Chance lives with the old man, and Chance never leaves the house. Chance has never been outside the gates, he's always been inside the house. The only outside interactions he has ever had was with the TV set. The TV helps Chance get a feel of what the outside world could be like, outside the gates. For example Chance watches various TV Talk Shows, and just regular shows. The Old Man provides Chance with a job, food, and a place to sleep and live. One day the Old Man passes away. The Old Man has a fortune left behind, and this man Mr. Franklin comes by the house to see who was employed by The Old Man. Chance has no proof that he worked for the Old Man. Chance was told that he needs to leave the house by noon the next day. Chance gets up the next morning and fixes the garden then leaves. He leaves and he starts comparing everything to things he saw on TV everything in the real world was just as it was on TV. He was amazed how it was so alike. Chance was walking by some cars, and a limousine backed up and trapped him between two cars, and he got hurt. Chance tried to walk away and he collapsed and fell down. The lady then told Chance that he's more then welcome to stay at their home. Chance accepts and he stays at their house. Chance got in the car and on his way to the house he fainted in the car. Ms. Rand's husband's nurses took care of Chance. Chance was invited to a dinner, where Mr. Rand thought Chance was a really nice man. "As long as one didn't look at people they did not exist", this means that If their is no trace of you then you do not exist in the world. This relates back to Chance and how Chance had no proof of working for the old man at all, and that really made a difference in what the outcome could have been. If he had proof who knows where he would be now. This book reminds me of an experience my family had. We took this foreign exchange student into our house to live with us for a month or two, so she could get settled down, and find a permanent home.