Preview

In Joyce Carol Oates's 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been'

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
289 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
In Joyce Carol Oates's 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been'
Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” conveys the theme of good vs. evil through Connie and Arnold by creating a sympathetic character and using symbolism, creating a fine line between the protagonist and the antagonist. In this short story, the antagonist Arnold Friend is a seducting creep that seduces young, innocent girls to “go on a date with him”. While he is at the protagonist, Connie’s, house, he is persuading Connie by telling her all about herself, including his “Sign. And he drew an X in the air, leaning toward [Connie]” (Oates 325). The “X” is implied as a symbol of evil and death. “X” is used as the antagonist’s sign to mark himself as evil and deadly. This conveys the theme of good vs. evil because

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    When the character, Arnold Friend, was introduced I did not expect that he would play the role of the enemy in the story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been.” When he arrives at Connie’s home, I began to question my hypothesis. Similarly, Connie’s view of the mysterious man is reformed as Arnold’s true nature is revealed. The realization begins when he discloses all the information he knows about Connie and the whereabouts of her family. This is when I, the reader, and the character begin to suspect that Arnold is not a respectable guy. She then notices his eerily pale skin, aged appearance, unsettling remarks, and seemingly stuffed shoes. These suspicions were confirmed once he spoke of his intentions.…

    • 121 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In King's "The Man in the Black Suit" and Oates's "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?", fears related to family are exploited by antagonists in young and vulnerable protagonist. "The Man in the Black Suit" presents a young boy, who after the traumatic loss of his brother, has an encounter with the Devil. In this short story, the fear that the antagonist plays upon is the loss of the young boy's mother. Oates's "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been," also plays with the protagonist's family, as the antagonistic launches threats against the young female he hopes to take sexual advantage of. In this case, the antagonist, Arnold Friend, also tries to coax the young protagonist, Connie, by playing upon her sexual curiosity as well as…

    • 266 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The duality of human nature between the characters; Tom Walker, Young Goodman Brown, and Connie are revealed vastly contrarily and similarly throughout the each short stories. Tom Walker, a greedy, lazy, materialistic man throughout the short story “Devil and Tom Walker” by Washington Irving as he makes his way through the muddy unpleasant swamp. Young Goodman Brown, an innocent, guilty, follower who is a victim of the Devil, in the story “Young Goodman Brown” written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. He has a harsh time when he is tempted by the Devil in the woods. Lastly, Connie, a neglected, verballed abused, attention seeking young girl from “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates has been constantly compared and internally diminished by her mother from jealous for years. Each character while having similar experience all seem to also have similar personality traits as well.…

    • 703 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    ‘Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?’, a short story by Joyce Carol Oates, takes place in the mid-sixties and revolves around two central characters, Connie and Arnold Friend, who mysteriously appears at Connie’s home and tries to coax her into coming with him before ultimately forcing her. Arnold Friend is a much debated character among critics, largely due to hints of inhuman abilities and his intentions for Connie. It is hard to determine the answers to these because there is no direct description of Arnold Friend that states what he is, nor is it revealed what happens to Connie in the end. The article ‘Connie’s Tambourine Man: A New Reading of Arnold Friend’ by Mike Tierce and John Crafton describes Arnold as a Bob Dylan reincarnation, messiah type figure who has come to save Connie from her family and childhood. However, Mike Tierce and John Crafton’s misinterpretation of Arnold Friend being a savior is wrong because they misconstrue Arnold’s intentions towards Connie, his physical appearance, the numbers on the side of his car, and the role music plays in the portrayal of Arnold Friend.…

    • 1888 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Flannery O’ Connor’s short story, “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” is about family, violence, and cruelty. The author uses the archetypes situational, symbolic, setting and character so that the reader can understand the short story. The situational archetype that O’ Connor uses is battle between the good and evil. She shows this in her story when the grandmother tries to convince the Misfit to pray and not do anything bad. The symbolic archetype that she uses is water vs. dessert because she describes how the sky was lonely with no clouds and that there was sun but no sun to be seen. In most cases, loneliness indicates that something bad is going to happen. The setting that she conveys here is a family road trip that ends in a tragic way. The…

    • 178 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    People always strive for perfection, yet constantly fall short. Flannery O’Connor presents life as that of unredeemable pain, and that humans are simply organisms who are violent contradictions. Flannery O’Connor’s stories often feature characters that are similar in many aspects, facing different situations. “A Good Man is Hard to Find” and “Everything That Rises Must Converge” depict much of what O’Connor is famous for in the literary world. Through the use of theme, style, and symbolism, Flannery makes it clear the powerlessness and impotence of humans and the insignificance of their desires, dreams and pretentions.…

    • 559 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In two of Flannery O?Connor?s short stories, ?Revelation? and ?A Good Man is Hard to find? we find a lot of similarities in the author?s portrayal of the characters as well as themes. ?O?Connor?s stories are challenging because her characters, who initially seem radically different from people we know, turn out to be, by the end of each story, somehow familiar- somehow connected to us.? (424) However, each story also depicts it?s own unique tell of spirituality and understanding. O?Connor?s ?Revelation? is a tale of a middle class women, Ruby Turpin, who is certain about her place in society, as well as the rest of the town?s social standing. She judges people instantly and reflects on what kind of person she would be if given a choice between two equally undignified options. ?A Good Man is Hard to Find? tells the story of a family that prepares to go on vacation but before they reach their destination they take a detour prompted by the grandmother and after a car accident come in counter with a serial killer who has recently been released from jail. Both stories take place in the south and take the reader on a journey to a deeper emotional awareness, as well as beg empathy of the reader for both the protagonist as well as the…

    • 220 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The protagonist of Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is a vain and stubborn girl named Connie. Fifteen years old, she believes beauty is everything and is nothing short of rebellious, maintaining two different personas: one for at home with her family and one for going out with her friends. One night out with her girl friends, Connie spots a young man watching her. He promises to come get her. The next day, the man comes to Connie’s house, keeping his word, and spends the remainder of the story convincing Connie to come along with him in his golden jalopy. The antagonist, Arnold Friend, is a literary representation of the devil, which can be surmised from his fake-looking appearance, his enticing demeanor, and other slight symbolism throughout the story.…

    • 878 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    A close reading of Joyce Carol Oates's "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" reveals many layers of possible meaning, which makes it a fine example of literary merit.…

    • 138 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where are you Going, Where have you Been?” the characters Connie, who soon finds herself traveling somewhere she has never been as well as not knowing where that place is or what it means for her, and Arnold Friend , who Connie believes to be an ordinary 18 year-old boy, demonstrate duality through not only their actions, but their appearances as…

    • 66 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates is a short story that brings many girl’s nightmares to life. The story is one about a young, naïve girl named Connie, and her deranged abductor, Arnold Friend. Oates uses the setting in Connie’s life to create a very realistic situation. Oates also uses descriptive language to create vivid images of the setting, charters, and the emotions Connie feels. By analyzing Connie’s home setting and the descriptive language Oates uses, we will be able to further understand how Connie’s thoughts and actions were effected by her setting.…

    • 507 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Arthur Friend Symbolism

    • 575 Words
    • 3 Pages

    With Oates’ historic background, it is easy to understand the link between her common themes and symbols in her stories. In this particular short story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, Oates’ distributes one of her most common themes, violence against women. By the use of this element, Oates’ was able to alert readers of the potential violence that could become…

    • 575 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Flannery O’Connor’s short story “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” the grandmother goes through a dramatic and ironic change of events during a family trip to Florida. O’Connor uses foreshadowing and irony to portray the main conflict. The conflict plays a role that in which the grandmother’s character is transformed for the better due to the traits she had in the beginning of the story.…

    • 544 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Good Vs Evil

    • 491 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Good vs. evil is a classic theme often found in literature. In “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by O’Connor and “Young Goodman Brown” by Hawthorne, the authors focus on this theme to unravel their plots. O’Connor uses the grandmother and a thief, The Misfit, to compare and contrast the good and evil in people. On the other hand, Hawthorne’s, “Young Goodman Brown,” uses the main character, Young Goodman Brown, and his journey from being a respected man to being summoned by the devil. Both authors use their main characters as a comparison of what being good means, however the evil of the story is presented differently.…

    • 491 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”, O’Connor seems to suggest that only through conflicts can the “good” in people be found. The way that the grandmother seems to dwell in the past suggests that she believes that it would’ve been easier to find a “good” man a long time ago. To the grandmother, trying to find goodness today would prove to be very challenging and possibly even useless. Through the use of symbolism, foreshadowing, and metaphors, O’Connor develops the story’s theme.…

    • 946 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays