The Role of the Journey
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” describes a Puritan man facing a conflict in 17th Century Salem. Connie, in Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, explores her desires in 1960s America. Even though Nathaniel Hawthorne’s world predates the creation of the United States of America and Joyce Carol Oates’s story is set in the modern world, both feature journeys that reveal the corruption and dangers hidden in American society.
Despite his wife’s desperate pleas, Goodman Brown enters the gloom of the trees to meet an old acquaintance. Not only does the Puritan man, who believes himself to be an example for others, leaves his wife, Faith, alone, but he also accuses her of not trusting him when she requests
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As she struggles to find her identity, teenage Connie cannot resist checking her appearance whenever she can. As a result, her once beautiful mother often scolds Connie for constantly looking at herself (450). Her mother does not scold Connie for her vanity; her mother is simply jealous of the beauty she once had. However, the nagging mother contrasts the role of Connie’s father. He spends most of his time at work, but even when he is home, he only reads the newspaper and sleeps (450). Despite the fact that the man of the family earns money, he fails to contribute a meaningful impact on the development of his children. In this familial unit, nobody truly cares for Connie and pushes her to become a better person. Instead, Connie’s mother often compares Connie to her older sister June, a twenty-four-year-old secretary who works at her old high school and lives at home (450). Although June contrasts Connie by saving money, helping clean the house, and cooking, June has not done very much with respect to her life (450). Honestly, the model of the ideal citizen is not attractive because the life lacks
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.
Teenagers tend to isolate themselves from their parents at this time, have more time and money for leisure activities and conformity, and have more money to spend. The short story suggests that adolescents' sexuality and violence were influenced by wealthy and celebrity-obsessed American culture. Because most of the short story is written in Connie's third person, other characters remain unidentified and mysterious. Additionally, the narrator can deviate significantly from the actual events and describe them in a manner that is more general and allegorical by using the third person to tell the story. Connie, who was just 15 years old at the time, is without a doubt a part of the culture and is influenced by everything.
Connie in Joyce Carol Oates’s story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” desperately wants to be independent from her family, while Gregor Samsa in Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis” pathetically yearns for inclusion. In this story, Oates pays special attention to the mother-daughter relationship and the lack of meaningful communication between them. Connie's mother is an image of the future Connie doesn't want – the life of a domestic housewife. Connie has a love-hate relationship with her mother, with whom she identifies, but at the same time she has to distance herself from her mother in order to establish her independence. On the other hand, The Metamorphosis, a story by Franz Kafka, is about a man who has been transformed into a giant beetle
Joyce Carol Oates’s story, “Where Is Here?” is the haunting tale of a family who receives a strange visitor who tours their home claiming to have lived there as a child. The work is incredibly elusive, leaving the reader with many questions by not naming the characters and mentioning many characters that are never seen. Oates leaves her audience in the dark with this work, but she does give them a few clues as to what is really going on. When the visitor first appears, Oates writes “He had not seen the house since January 1949… he thought of it often, dreamed of it often, never more powerfully than in recent months.”
Again, the reader sees traditional values placed against changing times, reinforcing Connie’s internal struggle to define
In the coming of age story “Where Are You Going Where Have You Been?” Joyce Carol Oates uses symbolism, conflict, and the third person to foreshadow fifteen-year-old Connie’s unfortunate, yet untimely fate. While one may think that the conflict stems from Connie’s promiscuity, it is clear to see her promiscuity is only a result to a much bigger conflict, her mother’s constant nagging and disapproval, alongside the lack of attention from her father. the author paints a vivid picture of what happens when a fifteen-year-old girl such as Connie goes elsewhere to find to find the love, attention, and approval that she lacks at home. All which is vital for her growth and wellbeing as a person.
Connie’s mother wants her to be more like her sister, June. Connie perceives her older sister as the typical boring older sibling. One flaw I see in her problem with her sister is Connie thinks she is better than her sister. She believes the reason she and her mother do not get along is that Connie is more beautiful than June. There are few things Connie truly cares about, such as hanging out with her friends, listening to music,
In her short story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?", Joyce Carol Oates utilizes a variety of literary devices to strengthen the story in its entirety. This short story is essentially about a 16-year-old girl named Connie and the conflict between her desire to be mature and her desire to remain an adolescent. Throughout the story, the audience sees this conflict through her words in addition to through her behavior. The audience is also introduced to Arnold Friend, a rather peculiar man, who essentially kidnaps her. This short story by Joyce Carol Oates functions and is additionally meaningful because of her usage of literary devices.
In this story, Oates describes Connie character as a pretty young girl with “long dark blond hair that drew anyone’s eye to it.” (86) Because Connie led two different lives, she would dress and look different at home, then she would with
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).
In Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, Connie is a fifteen-year-old girl, who does not necessarily get along with her family. During the week, she often times goes to a shopping plaza with some of her friends. However, they sneak across the highway to go to a popular diner where the older crowd hangs out at. At home, Connie is often times arguing with her family. One day her family is invited to her aunt's barbecue but Connie refuses to go.
“But now her looks were gone and that was why she was always after Connie.” (Oates ). Also, there is another opportunity for friendship within the family, between Connie and her sister, however, that is lost in their rivalry and hostility. “Her sister was so plain and chunky and steady that Connie had to hear her praised all the time – by her mother and her mother's sisters.” ( ).
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.
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?
The desires of humanity often reflect the temptations residing in the heart’s depths. Evil’s lure is a strong pull felt by all, regardless of the appearance put on through the conscious mind. In literature, temptation is explored thoroughly, especially in the short story, “Young Goodman Brown”. “The tale becomes in great part, thus, a record of temptation” (Pualits 578-579). The author of “Young Goodman Brown”, Nathaniel Hawthorne, was born in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1804.