Box-garden by Allen Kim Lang
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"Box-Garden" by Allen K. Lang is a short story written in the late 1950s. This piece falls under the category of speculative fiction, exploring themes related to consumer culture and the impact of advertising on society. Through a conversation in a bar, the narrative examines how media presentation can distort reality and manipulate consumer perceptions. The story is centered around a dialogue between the narrator and a peculiar man with large ears.
In their exchange, the man expresses his disdain for television commercials, particularly those that overly simplify or exaggerate the relationship between products and consumers. He draws a parallel between these ads and the Japanese art of creating "bansais", or dwarf trees, explaining how commercialism and marketing often draw from psychological impacts rather than genuine insight. As the story unfolds, the man's passionate outburst culminates with a disturbing reflection on how advertisements can dehumanize individuals, turning them into mere caricatures for consumption. His emotional plea highlights the potential manipulation within media, ultimately leaving the narrator in a state of sobering contemplation about the realities hidden behind shiny advertisements. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Lang, Allen Kim, 1928- |
|---|---|
| Title | Box-garden |
| Original Publication | New York, NY: Royal Publications, Inc., 1958. |
| Series Title | Produced from Science Fiction Adventures April 1958. |
| Credits | Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 83.0 (6th grade). Easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Subject | Advertising -- Fiction |
| Subject | Bars (Drinking establishments) -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 73868 |
| ISBN (HTML) | 979-8-238-73868-0 |
| Release Date | Jun 19, 2024 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 154 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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