Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Living… on the Rand estate in Washington D.C. Before that, he had only ever lived in one place: the house where he was found abandoned as a baby. He worked as a gardener for the man who owned it—but when the Old Man died, Chance was put out on the street. Fortunately for him, the wealthy Rand couple misunderstands his situation, and takes him in, thinking him to be an upper-class man who ran into some legal troubles.
Profession… gardener, but now apparently adviser to the Washington elite. Chance is a simple man and talks mostly about gardening, but his statements about horticulture are mistaken for gems of wisdom. Mr. Rand is a high-powered politician, and uses Chance's advice at work, even introducing him to the President of the United States. When meeting the President, Chance says, “Yes. In the garden, growth has its seasons. First comes spring and summer, but then we have fall and winter. And then we get spring and summer again.” It’s taken as a statement about the economy.
Interests… gardening. Lately, though, it’s been talking to the President of the United States about gardening. The President actually used Chance’s gardening insights in shaping his economic and foreign policy. Now Chance is a national celebrity, with talk show appearances. He becomes an icon, a source of wisdom for the working man.
Relationship Status… not on his radar. Chance is not exactly sure what one is supposed to do in those types of situations. He knows what people do on television, but when they are outside it's quite a bit different. For now, he knows Mrs. Rand likes him and he likes her too.
Challenge… adjusting to his new life. Chance never knew anything outside the house he grew up in, and now he’s suddenly become a sought-after political adviser.
Personality… affable and simple-minded. Chance has not had much contact with the outside world besides the television and radio. Obviously this makes socializing difficult, and yet his singular perspective on the world makes him a magnetic source of wisdom for everyone he encounters. They seem unsure what to make of him; he feels the same about them.
Get to Know him in...
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A simple-minded gardener named Chance has spent all his life in the Washington D.C. house of an old man. When the man dies, Chance is put out on the street with no knowledge of the world except what he has learned from television.
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A quirky, brilliant novel starring Chauncey Gardiner, an enigmatic man who rises from nowhere to become a media phenomenon—“a fabulous creature of our age” (Newsweek). One of the most beloved novels by the New York Times–bestselling and National Book Award–winning author of The Painted Bird and Pinball, Being There is the story of a mysterious man who finds himself at the center of Wall Street and Washington power—including his role as a policy adviser to the president—despite the fact that no one is quite sure where he comes from, or what he is actually talking about. Nevertheless, Chauncey “Chance” Gardiner is celebrated by the media, and hailed as a visionary, in this satirical masterpiece that became an award-winning film starring Peter Sellers. As wise and timely as ever, Being There is “a tantalizing knuckleball of a book delivered with perfectly timed satirical hops and metaphysical flutters” (Time).
