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Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Summary
1572 Words4 Pages
“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?,” published in 1966, was a short story written by Joyce Carol Oates. Oates inspiration to write the story was she wanted to make an impact on twentieth-century American fiction. Many of Oates stomach churning stories were based upon true events, which made them even more horrendous. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?,” was a love story gone wrong, published by Joyce Carol Oates in 1966 (Wilson).
Joyce Carol Oates was born on June 16, 1938 in Lockport, New York. Oates parents, despite their tenuous existence, encouraged her creative development and she began to form narratives even before she was able to write. Even before she graduated from Syracuse, her talent as a young writer was nationally
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One of the main themes is appearance and reality. When the story began, Connie wanted to appear as an older girl so she would attract men. Connie dressed, acted, laughed, talked, and walked a certain way to appear older. Once Connie began to receive attention from a grown man, reality set in. She soon realized that she was a child and she needed to be young men, not adults. She also realized she was not the confident flirt she thought she was, but a weak and powerless girl in the hands of a powerful and dangerous grown man. The second evident theme is victim versus self-inflicted conflict. When Arnold Friend shows up at Connie’s house to basically kidnap her, she wanted to play the victim. Connie also knows she brought this problem upon herself by talking to older men …show more content…
The 1960’s and 1970’s marked the start of the Women’s Rights Movement. Economic shifts meant that more women got to work out in the real world, with real jobs. This also meant they would be around men all the time and this made them more vulnerable. Many guys took advantage of girls in this time period because women didn’t know what it was like to be out in the “real world”. Connie was taken advantage of by Arnold Friend because she wanted an older man but then Arnold took it too far and disrespected Connie and invaded her privacy
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Character Analysis Of Wallace Stegner's Chip Off The Old Block
1479 Words | 3 Pagesdue to her family leaving to attend a barbeque. Like Chet, Connie also has to rely on herself to overcome her obstacles, such as the threatening Arnold Friend. Stegner and Oates both use this plot point in order to establish that their characters cannot rely on their family for help or protection, which emphasizes their transition to adulthood. In Stegner’s depiction, the purpose seems to be the successful overcoming of obstacles that a child, specifically a boy, has to go through in order to become a man.
Edgar Allan Poe's The Cask of Amontillado and Joy C. Oates' Where Are You Going Where Have You Been
935 Words | 2 PagesOates, Joyce C. "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been"" N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2014.
The Character Analysis Of Connie's Search For Independence
789 Words | 2 PagesThe main theme of this story is that of Connie’s search for independence. Oates portrays this theme by exemplifying Connie’s tendency to frequent places where older people are, in her attempt to quicken her path to adulthood. This theme is also portrayed by Connie’s desire to go with Arnold who is exploiting her need for independence, and in the end forces Connie to grow up faster through cruel means.
Literary Techniques In Where Are You Going Where Have You Been?
788 Words | 2 PagesThough thoroughly distinguishable, the short stories “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” by Joyce Carol Oates and “Interpreter of Maladies” by Jhumpa Lahiri present wide opportunities for one to compare and contrast literary elements. The two works, published within thirty years of one another, may be compared through the common theme of appearance versus reality, which is furthered through analogous instances of sexual symbolism, and contrasted through dissimilar settings and plot lines.
Carol Oats' Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?
1108 Words | 3 PagesConnie's character plays a big role in what ultimately happens to her. Connie is a vain girl that thinks the way you look is everything. She plays the stereotypical part for girls in today's society. She thinks that as long as you are pretty and dress a certain way then you are everything. This comes across when Oates writes "Connie thought that her mother preferred her to June because she was prettier" (980). By flaunting her looks she could easily give a guy like Arnold Friend perverted ideas about her. It could make them see her as easy, which he did.
"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?"
1062 Words | 3 Pages"I mean, anybody can break through a screen door and glass and wood and iron or anything else if he needs to, anybody at all, and specially Arnold Friend.” (Where Are you Going, Where Have You Been, Joyce Carol Oates, pg. 8) Oates manages to make the story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” a true horror, because it is relatable. The story leads us through the life of Connie until she encounters Arnold Friend and Ellie Oscar, who pressures Connie into leave her home and leaving thus leading to her murder. Throughout the story we have three main characters: Connie, Arnold Friend, and Ellie Oscar. We relate to Connie, we know people like Arnold Friend exist, and we could be Ellie Oscar.
Archetypes In Where Are You Going Where Have You Been
536 Words | 2 PagesIn “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, Oates wants to show a more intellectual and symbolic meaning in this short story. Oates has many symbolic archetypes throughout the short story along with an allegory. Oates uses these elements in her story by the selection of detail and word choice used. Oates does this because she wants to teach her audience a moral lesson.
Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?
1230 Words | 3 PagesJoyce Carol Oates' short story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" written in the late sixties, reveals several explanations of its plot. The story revolves around a young girl being seduced, kidnapped, raped and then killed. The story is purposely vague and that may lead to different interpretations. Teenage sex is one way to look at it while drug use or the eerie thought that something supernatural may be happening may be another. The story combines elements of what everyone may have experienced as an adolescent mixed with the unexpected dangers of vanity, drugs, music and trust at an early age. Ultimately, it is up to the reader to choose what the real meaning of this story is. At one point or another one has encountered, either through personal experience or through observation, a teenager who believes that the world is plotting against them. The angst of older siblings, peer pressure set upon them by their friends, the need for individualism, and the false pretense that at fifteen years of age, they are grown are all factors which affect the main character in this story.
What Is The Theme Of Age In Where Are You Going Where Have You Been
1277 Words | 3 PagesIn this instance, that’s what is being expressed in the text. It took for an age increase to cause a young girl to have more respect for herself. The level of respect and self-worth effected how the guy with the shaggy black hair approached her. He had to try harder, which caused her to become more aware of the issue at hand. The difference now, is that Connie is not seeking attention; she merely wants to make new friends and fit in. In addition, she realizes that it’s not normal for a stranger to come to her home. These traumatic events, frightens her to a point where she calls the police. Connie wasted no time when it came to her overall safety. This young adult was not caught up in the moment; her instincts and common sense kicked in immediately. The age difference is what created the slut shaming and naïve behavior. Eighteen-year-old Connie did not recreate herself for attention, however, fifteen-year-old Connie did. The short story expresses how a young girl had some growing up to do. Connie tried to act so grown up, when she didn’t know what it took to grow
Arnold Friend Symbolism
1043 Words | 3 PagesThe short story Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? was written by author Joyce Carol Oates and published in 1966. Oates was inspired to write this story after hearing the song “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” by Bob Dylan (book). She also got inspiration to write the story from the true happenings of serial killer, Charles Schmid, whom was also known as “The Pied Piper of Tucson” (book). Oates uses the literary elements of symbolism, character development and the short story being based on a true story and a song, helps the reader relate to the story in a more realistic way to see the real evil in Arnold Friend.
Joyce Carol Oates Research Paper
700 Words | 2 PagesBorn on June 16, 1938, in Lockport, New York, Joyce Carol Oates developed a love for writing as a child and went on to become an acclaimed, best-selling scribe known for her novels, stories, poetry and essays, winning the National Book Award for in 1969. Her other notable works include “A Garden of Earthly Delights”, “We Were the
Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown versus Oates' Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been
1590 Words | 4 PagesOates, Joyce Carol. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Celestial Timepiece. July 2007. U of San Francisco. 15 Mar. 2008.
Little Red Riding Hood by Bill Delaney
937 Words | 2 PagesHer father works out of town and does not seem to be involved in his daughters lives as much. Her older sister, who works at the school, is nothing but plain Jane. Connie’s mother, who did nothing nag at her, to Connie, her mother’s words were nothing but jealousy from the beauty she had once had. The only thing Connie seems to enjoy is going out with her best friend to the mall, at times even sneaking into a drive-in restaurant across the road. Connie has two sides to herself, a version her family sees and a version everyone else sees.
Comparing Where Are you going, Where Have You Been and Hills Like White Elephants
1329 Words | 3 PagesGale Kozikowski, Stan. " The Wishes and Dreams Our Hearts Make in Oates's 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?'. " Journal of the Short Story in English. 33 (Autumn 1999): 89-103.
Where Are You Going Where Have You Been
1447 Words | 3 PagesRoles of women have altered over time from working as a homemaker to holding careers in the work force and in some cases, the head of the household. According to Lois Tyson, a feminist critic would dissect "...the ways in which literature (and other cultural productions) reinforce or undermine the economic, political, social, and psychological oppression of women". While reading short stories through the feminist lens, I narrowed my focus directly to analyzing the role women have in their families, relationships, careers, and society. In the short stories “Where are You Going? Where have you Been?”, “A Good Man is Hard to Find”, and “Barn Burning”, the female characters are overpowered by a dominate male character that uses fear to gain control
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