Boekverslag Jerzy Kosinski

Geschreven door:	Tjitze [meer]
Datum ingestuurd:	22 juli 2001
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Titel:	Being there
Auteur:	Jerzy Kosinski
Jaar van uitgave:	1971
Aantal pagina's:	111
Moeilijkheidsgraad:	bovenbouw havo/vwo
Verfilmd als:	Being There (1979)

Auteur:	Jerzy Kosinski
Geslacht:	man
Nationaliteit:	Engels
Geboren:	14 juni 1933
Overleden:	03 mei 1991
Populaire titels:	1971Being there (17) 1965The painted bird (11) 1975Cockpit (1)

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• 
  Door rian op 06-12-2003
  hallo, ik ken je nie en jij mij niet, maar kgebruik je uittreksel van Being There, maar nu had ik een vraagje.. Hoe weet je dat dit verhaal speelt aan het einde van de jaren zestig?? waar heb je dat vandaan gehaald? alvast bedankt,
• 
  Door pietje op 28-09-2001
  it's a very good repport

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Author:
Jerzy Kosinsky. Kosinsky was born in Poland in 1933. He lost most of his relatives in World War II. He spent some time in Russia as a professor of social psychology, then went to the U.S. when he was 24. There he became successful as a writer, and he married a rich widow. His first novel was The painted bird (1965). It is about his experiences during the war. Also his other novels, Steps, Cockpit and Blinddate, are inspired by things he has experienced in his own life.

When was the novel first published?
The novel was first published in 1971.

The setting:
The story takes place in New York City at the end of the 1960’s. The story takes about a week, from Sunday to Friday.

Main Characters:
-Chanceè: A feeble minded forty-year-old man who cannot read or write. He is an orphan he was named Chance because he was born by chance. Chance has no real feelings. He knows only two things: his garden and what the TV has shown him of the outside world. Chance is not curious about life; he just accepts things as they are. People are misled by his perfect-imitating- behavior.

-Elizabeth Eve (EE) Rand: The second wife of Mr. Rand. She is much younger than her husband is and she considers it her duty to take good care of him.
It is more than a coincidence that Chance, a man who is only at peace in his garden, is seduced by a woman called Eve.

Minor Characters:
-The old man: He has taken care of Chance all of his life. He threatened Chance that he would be sent to “a special home for the insane” to keep him under control. His expensive suits fit Chance perfectly.

-Mr. Rand: An old, dying man. He is a powerful businessman. The President of the U.S.A seeks his advice.

-The President of the U.S.A.: Someone who does not know what to do about the economic recession. He is very much impressed by Chance’s simple
“ View on the economy”.

-Mr. Skrapinov: He is the Russian ambassador who respects Chance for being the President’s adviser and for his supposed knowledge of Russian literature.

Story teller:
The writer tells the story in a way that it looks like we see most of the things through the eyes of Chance. He still tells the things Chance cannot understand in such a way that the reader gets it. He does this to make sure that the reader understands the story completely.

The plot:
Chance (a feeble minded man) lives in the garden of an old man and he likes to watch TV. The only one he knows is the old man but he knows he is dying. The day after the old man has died and the people who do everything for the old men are surprised to find Chance living in the garden. Because his name isn’t mentioned in any of the official papers. He hears from them that the old man has died and that he must leave the garden the next day. The following morning Chance goes out of the garden with a suitcase in his hands. When he starts to walk on the street a car hits him with Mrs. Rand in it. He has a wounded leg and Mrs. Rand insists on Chance coming home with her. Her husband is ill and there is a doctor staying with them who can take care of Chance’s wounded leg. Chance tells them that his name is Chauncey Gardiner. They want him to stay for a few days. During diner he talks about his garden, but Mr. Rand thinks he is a businessman who compares himself to a garden. The next day the President of the United States drops by to look at Mr. Rand who is considering himself to be a dying man. The President asks Chance what he thinks about the bad economical situation. He talks about seasons and the President praises his common sense. In a speech that afternoon the President says the same thing as Chance and he names his name. After that rumors are send in to the world and Chance is suddenly asked on TV. He just talks about seasons again and everybody is very impressed. Mr. Rand asks him to go with EE and so he does. When they come home late that evening EE tries to seduce him but he doesn’t understand and she thinks he doesn’t want it because she is still married to Mr. Rand. That next morning Mr. Rand’s condition is very bad and Chance’s word are quoted in every newspaper. They go to a U.N. reception and Chance gets to know the Russian ambassador and by coincidence makes him think that he knows a lot about Russian literature. He is introduced to many important people and someone offers him money to write a book about on any subject. Later a man takes Chance to a room upstairs and, when Chance does not answer his advances, he masturbates in Chance’s presence. When they are home EE does the same.
That following day Chance is again in every newspaper and everybody wants an interview with him, he refuses. In the meantime everybody is trying to find some background of Chance, but nobody can find anything. The following day some men are discussing who should run for President on the coming elections, one of them suggests Chance because he has no background. Chance himself is at a ball with EE. He is not comfortable among the people that are dancing. He slips into the garden, and he is completely at peace with himself by just being there.

Theme:
- What is wrong with our society when a feeble-minded man like Chance is able to succeed in getting a high position in governing a world power?
- The mindlessness of people. They cannot tell what is important and what not or tell what is real and what is not.
- The shortsightedness of the news, media, TV, magazines and newspapers.

Organization of the novel:
The novel is written in a chronological way and there are no flashbacks at all.

Point of view of the author:
He wants to make sure that the reader thinks about things like how it is possible that a feeble-minded person like Chance can make a career by just answering “I like to watch”.

Sort of Novel:
It is a social novel. Different groups of society are dealt with. It is also a satire. It tackles business, politics, power, sex, TV, (but what is most important it shows how important it is to own a good suit).