Being There

Chance is the story’s protagonist. He is a young man, approximately 20 years old. He is handsome, well-built, and dresses impeccably. He lives in the Old Man’s house, where he works as a gardener. Chance has a mild, childlike personality, which endears him to those around him. He lacks the ability to connect socially and emotionally, but he is a master at mimicking social interactions, all of which he has learned from TV.

Chance cannot read or write. His mother, who had intellectual disabilities, died in childbirth, and he does not know his biological father. Chance is not a blood relation of the Old Man in whose house he lives. When Chance was young, the Old Man threatened to send him to an institution if he strayed from his room or the garden. A maid brought Chance’s meals to his room so that he did not need to enter any other part of the house. Aside from gardening, Chance watches TV; it is the window through which he experiences the world.

Chance identifies as a gardener. When he enters society, his experience gardening is the only authentic information he can offer. The rest of his remarks are empty phrases he has learned from watching television.