Free Essay

Kosinski’s Satire: Being There

In: Novels

Submitted By stephaniewaynee
Words 337
Pages 2
Being There is a satirical novel written by Jerzy Kosinski, that being said, his main focus of ridicule was how people are “too arty” when it comes to politics, literature, and just in general, really. There is another idea that is very prominent in the book which is the idea of chance or luck. Kosinski does a lovely and humorously plain and straightforward way of narrating the book. The narration really helps the book to reach its full potential. Chance is an ordinary gardener; he is a bit slower than most. He has always lived in an old man’s house, where he’s tended to the garden, ever since he can remember. But one day, the old man dies, causing Chance to leave all he’s ever known and step foot into a world he’s literally never seen before. In the afternoon of his departure, of his only home, he says goodbye to the garden and to the only place he’s ever been in/ to and wanders out on to the street of New York City. But shortly after his leaving, he gets hit by a limo. This is where one of the themes, chance/ luck, begins. A woman, Eve Rand, exits the limo and talks to Chance. He doesn’t really know what’s going on, but his left leg is injured so he goes with Eve to her home where his new life begins. Chance, or Chauncey, enters the home from medical treatment, but both Eve and Ben deeply admire him once they begin to talk to him. This is where the next theme, “too artsy”/ over-analyzing appears. This theme carries throughout the book, unlike luck. Throughout the book, Chance is put in situations that he is lucky to do well in. It shows that anyone’s life can change in a blink of an eye. When Chance was hit by the limo, unlucky luck, he was brought into a bigger world. He becomes famous and well-liked, compared to before, when no one even knew about him.

Similar Documents