The TV
By Ben Loory
“The TV” is a short story written by Ben Loory, and his story was published in the April 12, 2010.
First I will look at the course of events in this story. The story “The TV” is about a man, who stays home one day suddenly from his work. On this day he discovers that there is a special TV channel about himself or his life - but it could be his other self he had. After that the man becomes very engrossed with the TV show. In time he saw reflections of himself of the man's world in the TV show. At one point, he discovers that he chews on his lips on TV, so he starts trying to stop chewing her lips in his really life - not in the TV show, causing his other self to stop chewing his lips. And yet, his other self is different, better. He reads intellectual books, asks his boss for a raise, hosts corporate meetings and his “real self” begins to feel jealous.
The author also used religious words in this story, such as the word "God," when he says: "My God.” This could symbolizes that he thinks that he is his God, because he is different, but there are still some who are like him, but maybe he has not felt.
If we are looking at the author, he use third-person narrator, because he called the man for “the man.” Authors of novels and composers of papers use “he,” “she,” or “it” when referring to a person, place, thing, or idea. The reader gets not a name for the man in the story, but only one fact of the man, and it is that he has the name “the man”. The narrator is third-person narrator, because the third person narrative form is writing from the omniscient point of view. We can also see it, because she narrator can look inside in other persons. For example in this quotation: “At home, the man on the couch, though filled with admiration for his other, better self, feels a twinge of jealousy, and even, strangely, something like fear.” Here you are in a way inside the person, as the narrator knows exactly what the man feels.
Now I will look at the man in the story. The man in the story does not usually have time to watch TV, but when he is home from work, it captures his interest. This may have something to do with the fact that he may feel lonely, and can finally see himself in the life he has.
The focus of this story, I think that you can see yourself living life. Not be afraid to take new steps. Even though you may not feel that you fit in, so I think that the author's point of view to this story is that we as human beings can empathize with other people's world, if you feel you have the same characteristics, if you already feel alone.
The main theme I mean is that you have to appreciate the values you have but that you can easily be a great man, even if you feel you do not have the same values as others. The man in this story sees himself in this TV show and feels a sense of jealousy. He can finally see that he is no different, but he's still a good person.