Being There by Jerzy Kosinski. Published December 1970
Chauncey is a gardener for a wealthy old invalid referred to as the “Old Man.” Chauncey cannot read or write, and his days are spent watching television and working in the garden. The Old Man adopted Chauncey when he was a small child, and maintains an iron grip over his life. Chauncey has never seen the outside world, never interacted with people or left any trace of himself in the outside world.
When the Old Man dies, Chauncey dresses in one of his suits and within minutes of leaving his cocoon, he is injured by a chauffeur driven limousine belonging to a very rich and influential man. He gives his name as Chance the Gardener and it is misunderstood as Chauncey Gardiner. His vast experience with television tells him that if that is what someone tells him is his name, then that is his name.
Whenever Chance enters into a conversation, he speaks of what he knows, the garden. Within a short time, his simple utterances in response to questions about the future economic climate, are taken to be the astute observations of a brilliant man. That, coupled with his total lack of a background, make him into media idol and, seemingly, the ideal candidate for Vice President of the United States. After all, if he has no background, there is nothing for the opposition to attack, and his garden variety, visionary, comments don’t have enough substance to be contradicted.
Kosinski’s book was intended to be a scathing indictment of the media culture and it stands as one today. Chauncey’s fascination with television is the only way he can relate to those he meets in the larger world. When meeting people, Chauncey remembers how people act on television and then he mimics their behavior. Like a television character, Chauncey has no substance. He lives in the present with no past or future. It is up to others to fill in the details of Chauncey’s existence, and their own needs and wants are so great that that is exactly what happens.
Although Being There was published in 1970, it stands today as a commentary on our media driven society and its’ inability to distinguish between substance and hype.
The Yocum Library owns the book Being There and it can be found for a short time on the new bookshelf on the second floor. Kosinski also wrote the screenplay for the successful movie made from the book and starring Peter Sellers. The library owns this movie and it is in the Drama section of the DVD’s.
The author of Being There is as fascinating as his material. Jerzy Kosinski arrived in New York from Poland at the age of 24 with little money and few contacts. He rose to the pinnacle of success and just as quickly, he fell. He wrote nine novels and received more awards than can be named. He was a favorite guest on the Johnny Carson show, taught at Princeton and Yale, lived the highlife in New York and was sought out by highly placed political figures for his opinions.
But then came the accusations. One was that Kosinski didn’t deserve credit as the author of his books. Seven of his novels, it was claimed were ghostwritten. Another accusation was plagiarism – that Kosinski stole the concept and structure of Being There from a 1932 Polish novel written by Tadeusz Dolega Mostowicz.
Truth can be elusive. There are so many contradictory and questionable “facts” that everything became suspect. Kosinski was no help in clearing up matters. The only thing that stands as truth is the fact that in 1991 at the age of 57, Kosinski committed suicide.
