Carol Joyce Oates’ “Where Are You Going Where Have You Been?” presents how falling into temptation leads to giving up control and innocence. Though her mother is unapproving of her actions, Connie spends her time seeking attention from male strangers. Home alone, Connie is approached by a compelling creature who convinces her to leave her life and join him on his unknown journey. Through disapproving her family, having multiple appearances, listening to music, and her desperation to receive attention from boys, Connie gives up control of herself losing the purity of adolescents and contributing to her detrimental fate. It is imperative that one should not be controlled because of a desire to impress others. Apparent in the beginning stages of the short story, Connie despises her sister, June, for the glory she receives for being the reliable child. She hates her mother for liking her sister more than her, …show more content…
“She ‘was intrigued by the music of Bob Dylan, particularly the hauntingly elegiac song 'It's All Over Now, Baby Blue,' [and she] dedicated [it] to Bob Dylan”’(Nyiknos). Clues from the story allow readers to understand that his music heavily influenced the writings. For instance, Friends use of “blue eyes” when the short story states that Connie has brown eyes. Additionally, Dylan obtained the nickname “The Pied Piper” for his musical ability and a tie to the mythological story of music misleading the innocent children to their death. “Much like the Pied Piper, Friend is able to lure Connie to her probable death and the strange sound of the music that was playing both is the house and in his car” (David). Connie contributes to listening to music that fills her head with ideas about how her life should be lived, rather than deciding for herself. the music has a compelling factor which leads Connie to temptation and allows her to partake in dangerous, misleading
The line comes from the Joyce Carol Oates' story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? " I believe the author is referring to how her family and her friend perceive here. Connie sees herself while at home as dull and quiet compared to the rebellious and outgoing look she presents to her friends. It appears that that neither groups, family or friends, know who she really is. I believe its natural for you to act one way with you friends and another way with your family.
In Joyce Carol Oates’s, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, a teen girl named Connie is more worried about her appearance than her mother’s reprimands. Connie’s mother, who is given no name in the story, is trying to convince her to be more like her older sister, June. June goes out with her girlfriends, so their mother allows Connie to go out as well, with her best friend. Once night Connie goes out with a guy named Eddie; they eat at a restaurant together. In the parking lot Connie comes across a man in a gold convertible that say he is going to get her (146).
His idea of women is enforced by the patriarchy and leaves Connie with the realization of what adulthood truly entitles, Oates is sharing a cautionary tale for young girls that are looking for independence. Obviously, her decision to go out on dates with boys at night puts her in danger because she refused to conform with social norms or abide by the rules of her
Connie the fifteen-year-old protagonist who spends much of her time going out with friends and meeting boys. Connie and her mother do not get along. They disagree about almost everything. Connie does not get attention she desires from her family. She is greatly mistreated by her family.
The short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” and movie Smooth Talk took over the nation by storm. Both loosely based off and inspired from true events committed by Charles Schimid .Whose terrible acts made America gasp in stock but also were able to allow a wee bit of light to be able to shed down on literature. “Where Are You Going,Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates .
That also made her become more vulnerable to the real dangers and the evilness that exists in the world. That danger was represented by an old man who pretends to be an eighteen year old boy that seduced and kidnaped Connie. The end of the story Joyce Carol Oates leaves it open to the readers, because that way it makes the reader think of what might have happened, whether she got raped or whether she is killed, after the main character leaves with the antagonist of the story. Oates shows that ignorance, narcissism and the lack of
Again, the reader sees traditional values placed against changing times, reinforcing Connie’s internal struggle to define
Although he’s older than Arnold, he’s only riding shotgun but he’s taking orders from Arnold which gives him the impression of being the Devil’s advocate. In conclusion, conclusion “For Bob Dylan”, reads the dedication in the story’s initial’s publication. Few years prior to this story’s initial release Dylan recorded a song “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue”, which has lyrics such as
The short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates can be interpreted in a multitude of ways due to its ambiguity. A psychological lens, however, provides the most accurate viewpoint for analyzing the story as it clarifies certain obscure scenes and actions of Connie. One psychological issue of Connie that is easily inferred from the beginning of the story is her insecurity about her looks. Connie constantly worries about the way that she looks and takes any opportunity to do so, “craning her neck to glance into mirrors or checking other people's faces to make sure her own was all right” (1).
“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates dives deep in the realm of suspense and the psychological mind. The story revolves around Connie who can best be described as the stereotypical teenage girl who’s shallow mind focuses on her appearance and her male counterparts. The tone of the story starts off light-hearted depicting Connie’s halcyon days of summer adolescence. However the tone shifts dramatically to a more mystical and suspenseful element when a man named Arnold Friend suddenly arrives at her house. Connie is quizzical about the fact that this strange older looking “boy” arrives at her house with his friend Ellie.
Once when I was about five, I was alone in my room coloring in my Hot Wheels coloring book. Then as I was picking up the Yellow Crayon, at the corner of my eye, I see a small little shadow just creep my cabinet in front of me. I quickly got up and ran towards my parent’s room with my coloring book, and I looked behind me and I saw that shadow running after me. As I was running, I stumbled over my own foot and fell.
Why do individuals do certain things; one may not understand the consequences of an action, or realize that it has a positive or negative effect on the present and future of their lives. The cause of an action can tell why it has a specific effect. For instance, a short story by Joyce Carol Oates titled, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” is very interesting and allows you to make inferences based on the information given. One can evaluate from the material given the causes and effects of certain situations. This story is about a teenage girl named Connie, who replaces the traditional family values with her own because of how the music of that time period influenced her.
“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” is about a teenager named Connie who is trying to come to terms with her transformation from childhood to adulthood. Through this process, Connie attempts to act older than she is an tries to gain the attention of boys. In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” Joyce Oates portrays Connie as obsessed with men to symbolize how one’s obsession and narcissistic attitude can cause danger to seem surreal. In the short story, Carol Oates describes Connie as having two different personalities, one being a narcissistic attitude.
Where Are You Going Where Have You Been? By Joyce Carol Oates Psychoanalytic Criticism Question How are id, ego and superego represented in “Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?” By Joyce Carol Oates?
Since the beginning of the written language, the reader's perception of a literary work has been based on their interpretation of how the story was portrayed. Differing points of view within the story generate diverse interpretations among readers. From Shakespeare to Faulkner, the aspect of differing viewpoints allows each story to convey contrasting feelings to the reader. In Eudora Welty’s Why I Live at the P.O., she uses a first-person view to reinforce this idea. The attitude of the narrator, sister, is biased in many respects to further her agenda.