Imaginary Escape: An Analysis of Connie's Desperation

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Can a person get so subconsciously desperate that he/she, unknowingly, creates an imaginary figure to rescue them? While that may seem like an insane notion to ponder, it is all too real for Connie, a fifteen year old girl in “Where are you going, Where have you been?” by Joyce Oates. There are three separate writers whose interpretations of Oates’ story prove that the answer to that question, in Connie’s case is yes. Arnold Friend is a figment of Connie’s imagination created by her desperate need for a reality check.
Within Connie’s mind there is a split between her reality and her fantasy, and she seems to be trapped within the fantasy realm. Being stuck in a fantasy at all times cause Connie to subconsciously create a means to her escape, …show more content…

Rubin argues that Connie is dreaming and that’s why Arnold seems like the radio caster “indeed Arnold’s voice is perceived by Connie as being the same as that of the disc jockey on the radio.”(Rubin 212). Finally Rubin continues to say that the way Connie seems to be paralyzed is commonly reported by dreamers during a nightmare “Leaves her will paralyzed and she cannot even dial the phone for help. Such physical paralysis...is a phenomenon familiar to all dreamers.”(Rubin 212)A tertiary interpretation of Oates story is that of Joyce M Wegs who argues that Arnold is a ‘satanic figure.’ Wegs argues that Arnold is satan in disguise because of “the distortions in his appearance and behavior.” (Wegs 213) The final thing Wegs exemplifies to prove her point, is how unnatural Arnold’s “mysterious knowledge about her, her family, and her friends” is, and how “he is even able to see all the way to the

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