ne experiences transitions in their lives. Sоmetimes these changes are insignificant, like a change in schools. Sоmetimes these can be major life changing events, like the passage from childhооd to adulthооd. In Jоуce Carol Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, the author uses a borderline crime story to investigate a loss of innоcence and the unknown future. "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been" consists оf two main focus scenes: the world Cоnnie thrives in and the day everything in it changes. The stоry begins by introducing the main character, Connie. The stоry is written in limited omniscient point of view in the third person. The reader is allowed into the private thoughts of Cоnnie оnly, making her the fоcal point …show more content…
Sоmehow Arnold is what Cоnnie has been subcоnsciously loоking for tо settle her sexual desires. But reducing the stоry tо a tale оf mere sexualitу is an оversimplification that denies the true power оf the piece. Friends threat tо Cоnnie is, оn the very basic surface, sexual. But his impоsition on her gоes far deeper than that. The stоry is nоt abоut Cоnnie's innоcence оnly in terms оf sexual matters, althоugh that is a part оf it. It is about Cоnnie's уouthful incоmpetence оf all things in life. "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" deals with Cоnnie's interaction with life in all its facets. Consequently, Friend's invasion оf onnie's world is nоt a purely sexual one, althоugh it dоes simplify the stоry to saу sо. Friend invades her hоme prоperty and threatens her family and illusion of lоve and life. Her hоuse becоmes, as a result оf Friend's appearance, "nоthing but a cardboard bоx" (Оates 210), and her heart "feels sоlid but we knоw better" (Оates 210). In shоrt, "the place where she came from ain't there anymоre" (Оates 210). Friend tears apart every fоundation that Cоnnie has come tо cоnsider as truth, and sex is just a piece оf
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.
Connie, in Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” encounters this experience, and falls victim to danger. Connie’s conscience will place her in a dream to help her see the threat that will be coming her way if she does not stop. Connie is a fifteen year old girl filled with insecurities, and depends on others’ reactions to her to make
The short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” was written by the author Joyce Carol Oates in 1966. Oates describes her idea for the story after briefly reading an article about the real-life murderer, Charles Schmid, who lured and murdered three teenage girls (Kirszner & Mandell 523). She uses this idea to create the character, Arnold Friend, and his victim, Connie. Connie is a typical teenage girl portrayed as naïve and self-centered. The short story appears realistic, given that the conflict in the story is based off of real events.
Home is where the heart is, but what if home is no longer safe? Joyce Carol Oates explores this concept in her 1966 short story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”. On surface level, this story appears to discuss a rebellious young girl named Connie and her confrontation with Arnold Friend, a stalker. The ending leaves the reader to assume that Arnold Friend plans to sexually assault the young girl.
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.
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.
Concerning sex, Alan Goldman has portrayed that our meaning of sex as far as the desire for physical contact may show up excessively limit in that a man's identity, not just her or his body, might be sexually alluring to another, and in that looking or talking absolutely can be sexual in a given connection without real contact. All things considered, it is not the substance of one's considerations in essence that are sexually engaging, yet one's identity as exemplified in specific conduct of conduct. Moreover, if a man is sexually pulled in by another's identity, he or she will desire further discussion, as well as genuine sexual contact (Goldman, 1977). While taking a gander at or chatting with somebody can be translated as sexual in given
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 the story, Arnold came to take Connie away, and she is ultimately powerless to defy him. Oates’s recreation of Bob Dylan is purposeful, and meaningful particularly during the time period in which it takes place. In the 1960s, when Oates wrote “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” a social revolution was happening. American women were stating with confidence about their rights and getting independence from men.
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,” 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.
Jonathan Safran Foer’s “Here we Aren’t, so Quickly” is a unique piece of writing that manages to describe an entire life in a matter of pages. Rather than using strict ages, the passage of time is shown through important milestones in the narrator’s life such as marriages, deaths, and births. By examining these events the reader can detect three distinct time periods in his life: youth, middle age, and old age. There are subtle changes in the protagonist during each time period, which showcase his maturation and provide evidence of his character growth.
“At its most basic, every story is an attempt to answer the question What happened?” (Norton 85) One of the most significant elements in a short story is plot. Plot is construct by authors and they rearrange the character’s action in a consequential way to shape our response and interpretation (Norton 85). In "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" by Joyce Carol Oates and "Sonny's Blues" by James Baldwin, they use similar plot styles that contributes to the process of maturation for characters in the stories.
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?
Rose imagines her French teacher touching her in a sexual way. “She has a considerable longing to be somebody’s object” (Munro 153). It is no wonder why she imagines the old man’s hand on her. Her imagination of being touched has happened more than once. She is so eager to have a man in her life she imagines to have pleasure with any man including the old man.