Very Punny

    You say something one way, and someone perceives it another way. Ever happen to you? I know it has happened to me. If this has happened to you then you have experienced something known as a double entendre, or a word/figure of speech that can be interpreted or understood two different ways. Take a look at this silly picture below that is quite punny double entendre indeed (Ha-Ha).



     For those of your keeping up with my independent reading novel, lets take a look at our main character, our good ol' friend Chance. It is actually quite humorous that throughout the novel, Chance's life is essentially a double entendre! He is an illiterate gardener who is perceived to be an innovative and diplomatic man of great fortune! Talk about false perception again huh? Imagine yourself as Chance, just newly introduced to the world outside of his garden standing in front of the President of the United States of America being questioned about the failing US economy. A little nerve wracking I'd say. And the conversation goes a little something like this: “‘Mr. Gardiner? What do you think about the bad season on the street?’” … ‘“In a garden,’ Chance said, ‘growth has its season. There are spring and summer, but there are also fall and winter. And then spring and summer again. As long as the roots are not severed, all is well and all will be well.’ He raised his eyes. Rand was look at him, nodding. The President seemed quite pleased” (Kozinski 54). Safe to say Chance luckily hit that one out of the park!



     But what the President perceives Chance to be implying is not really what Chance means by his words. The President asks Chance about the "Street" (Wall Street, of course) but Chance immediately thinks back to his roots in the garden. This double entendre expressed here is essentially the main message of the novel, the failed differentiation between reality and perception leads to a false identity of characters and events. Chance VERY LUCKILY talks about how his garden grows throughout the year and the President perceives this message and an intellectually striking idea! His seemingly silly statement about a garden is understood as a message relating to Wall Street.

     The language of interpretation known as double entendre that Kozinski expresses here shows the ongoing theme of the novel. We see this over and over again in everyday life, how one statement can be perceived in a completely different way. How saying something to your mother one way can be interpreted as rude and "flip" and then you're grounded for a week! Well let's hope that does not happen, but keep this theme and message in mind, as you continue to read "Being There" and staye tuned for more blog posts!