Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Summary
Charles Howard Schmid, Jr. also known as "The Pied Piper of Tucson," was an American serial killer. In the story, Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? by Joyce Carol Oates, the character Arnold Friend was based on the serial killer in which Connie was one of the many victims he had abducted. There are many possibilities on how the author intends the readers to understand it. Such as, it could be a dream that Connie is having, in all actuality it could be real; it could send a message to young women, or it becomes a nightmare when he comes as a demonic figure. Connie has been living this fantasy like existence until she encounters Arnold Friend.
She is pretty, well-liked, and has been able to seduce any boy she wants. While, …show more content…
“gawking at herself” she lives in a world that she believes centers around her (Oates1). When Arnold Friend comes to her home, this world is suddenly shattered, and Connie is in shock and in disbelief. If one notices her actions, she moves slowly, as if she cannot believe she is in this situation, it is as if she believes she might be in a dream and that she will wake up soon but there are many indications in which It actually could be dream or could not. For example, nights like any other, Connie goes out with her friends around some familiar sights. A boy named Eddie came to scoop
Connie up, and she was nothing less than thrilled. While on their way to hang out for a bit, her eyes start to wander like a kid in a candy store. Connie’s eyes lay upon a man who is just looking no way but hers. “He waged a finger and laughed and said, Gonna get you, baby”(Oates2).
Connie took it as nothing and kept on with her date. If this story were a dream, why is it so descriptive? Usually, dreams tend to be broad and scattered. Although there aren’t many reasons to show evidence that it is not a dream there is much evidence showing it could be a dream.
The Charles Howard Schmid, Jr. based character better known as Arnold Friend and his accomplice Ellie Oscar show up at her home although they have never previously met. “He ain’t coming. He’s at a barbecue” Arnold Friend said to Connie(Oates7). “They’re at Aunt Tillie’s.
Right now they’re uh- they’re drinking. Sitting around,” he said(Oates7). How would he know that? How would anyone know that, especially in the early 1960’s which in that time period when there was crime and murder, technology wasn’t up to date? Technology is quite different today. When watching television shows and reading stories about crimes in the twenty first century many will see how technology is a big part of committing a crime.“GPS, or better known as Global Positioning System, was developed in the early 1960’s by the U.S. Department of
Defense as a satellite-based radio navigation system”. This was made to provide the precise time and location of anyone, anywhere. Many people have used this device stalk and follow their pray to know their specific whereabouts so that the crime is planned out perfectly. Although this was invented in the time frame of this story and these murders it was only used for military and civil user activities. Not until 2000, citizens of the United States could actually use this for their own use. In other words, there is no possible way that Arnold Friend could know the specific location of Connie’s family at that moment. Another hypothesis is that Arnold Friend is a demonic figure of some kind who pursues
Connie to take her soul to hell. This seems a little farfetched? On the other hand, this could also be true, but this “devil figure” could have been inside of her dream because when anyone read that his name was "Arnold Friend" take out the R's and you get "An Old Fiend" which could refer to as the devil.
Also in the story he is wearing boots, is as if his feet are not all the way in them, maybe because he has hooves like the devil and can’t wear boots. There is also the fact that she is a young girl who has gotten little attention from her family, and especially her dad that
"was away at work most of the time," when in her thoughts this devil man only wants her when no one else does(Oates1).
The last hypothesis is that this story could be best understood realistically.
That the man Charles Howard Schmid, Jr. really chose to stalk Connie and chose to take her away from her home. This could very likely be true because why could the author base a character on someone and it not be real? Why would someone give so many details in a story and it not be real? There are so many questions that could make this story not a dream and no demonic figure. On the other hand, if it were real then how would all this other evidence come into play? The story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates is
best explained to the audience as a dream that Connie has after falling asleep outside when her parents leave for a barbeque. There is a character by the name of Arnold Friend whom is also a demonic figure. Although he doesn’t come to take her to hell, the conclusion could be based on symbolism. The author may be just trying to show Connie how to appreciate life and how to treat people, to not always judge a book by its character and take a step outside of the mirror and see the real beauty of the world. There are many indications that show that Connie has indeed come across this man before. In my opinion, Arnold Friend and his accomplice Ellie Oscar did not in all actuality abduct Connie from her home. There are many reasons which support my decision.
Such as, how did Arnold Friend know exactly what he knew? Her parents went to a family gathering which he knew who was there, what they were doing, and what everyone looked like at any moment. Crime in the 1960’s was too all over the place for it to be perfectly updated with technology. At the end of this story, it leaves the readers guessing and wanting to know what happened to Connie. To have the readers ask, Where are you going? Connie didn’t go anywhere. But she did wake up when the story ended. Connie woke up from a nightmare that symbolizes many things. Connie did not get much love from her family, her mom was jealous of her youth and her dad didn’t care about anything but work. This dream Connie had taught her to not be so self-centered and boy crazy but to be cautious and aware of your surroundings yet thankful for what she has.
She is pretty, well-liked, and has been able to seduce any boy she wants. While, …show more content…
“gawking at herself” she lives in a world that she believes centers around her (Oates1). When Arnold Friend comes to her home, this world is suddenly shattered, and Connie is in shock and in disbelief. If one notices her actions, she moves slowly, as if she cannot believe she is in this situation, it is as if she believes she might be in a dream and that she will wake up soon but there are many indications in which It actually could be dream or could not. For example, nights like any other, Connie goes out with her friends around some familiar sights. A boy named Eddie came to scoop
Connie up, and she was nothing less than thrilled. While on their way to hang out for a bit, her eyes start to wander like a kid in a candy store. Connie’s eyes lay upon a man who is just looking no way but hers. “He waged a finger and laughed and said, Gonna get you, baby”(Oates2).
Connie took it as nothing and kept on with her date. If this story were a dream, why is it so descriptive? Usually, dreams tend to be broad and scattered. Although there aren’t many reasons to show evidence that it is not a dream there is much evidence showing it could be a dream.
The Charles Howard Schmid, Jr. based character better known as Arnold Friend and his accomplice Ellie Oscar show up at her home although they have never previously met. “He ain’t coming. He’s at a barbecue” Arnold Friend said to Connie(Oates7). “They’re at Aunt Tillie’s.
Right now they’re uh- they’re drinking. Sitting around,” he said(Oates7). How would he know that? How would anyone know that, especially in the early 1960’s which in that time period when there was crime and murder, technology wasn’t up to date? Technology is quite different today. When watching television shows and reading stories about crimes in the twenty first century many will see how technology is a big part of committing a crime.“GPS, or better known as Global Positioning System, was developed in the early 1960’s by the U.S. Department of
Defense as a satellite-based radio navigation system”. This was made to provide the precise time and location of anyone, anywhere. Many people have used this device stalk and follow their pray to know their specific whereabouts so that the crime is planned out perfectly. Although this was invented in the time frame of this story and these murders it was only used for military and civil user activities. Not until 2000, citizens of the United States could actually use this for their own use. In other words, there is no possible way that Arnold Friend could know the specific location of Connie’s family at that moment. Another hypothesis is that Arnold Friend is a demonic figure of some kind who pursues
Connie to take her soul to hell. This seems a little farfetched? On the other hand, this could also be true, but this “devil figure” could have been inside of her dream because when anyone read that his name was "Arnold Friend" take out the R's and you get "An Old Fiend" which could refer to as the devil.
Also in the story he is wearing boots, is as if his feet are not all the way in them, maybe because he has hooves like the devil and can’t wear boots. There is also the fact that she is a young girl who has gotten little attention from her family, and especially her dad that
"was away at work most of the time," when in her thoughts this devil man only wants her when no one else does(Oates1).
The last hypothesis is that this story could be best understood realistically.
That the man Charles Howard Schmid, Jr. really chose to stalk Connie and chose to take her away from her home. This could very likely be true because why could the author base a character on someone and it not be real? Why would someone give so many details in a story and it not be real? There are so many questions that could make this story not a dream and no demonic figure. On the other hand, if it were real then how would all this other evidence come into play? The story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates is
best explained to the audience as a dream that Connie has after falling asleep outside when her parents leave for a barbeque. There is a character by the name of Arnold Friend whom is also a demonic figure. Although he doesn’t come to take her to hell, the conclusion could be based on symbolism. The author may be just trying to show Connie how to appreciate life and how to treat people, to not always judge a book by its character and take a step outside of the mirror and see the real beauty of the world. There are many indications that show that Connie has indeed come across this man before. In my opinion, Arnold Friend and his accomplice Ellie Oscar did not in all actuality abduct Connie from her home. There are many reasons which support my decision.
Such as, how did Arnold Friend know exactly what he knew? Her parents went to a family gathering which he knew who was there, what they were doing, and what everyone looked like at any moment. Crime in the 1960’s was too all over the place for it to be perfectly updated with technology. At the end of this story, it leaves the readers guessing and wanting to know what happened to Connie. To have the readers ask, Where are you going? Connie didn’t go anywhere. But she did wake up when the story ended. Connie woke up from a nightmare that symbolizes many things. Connie did not get much love from her family, her mom was jealous of her youth and her dad didn’t care about anything but work. This dream Connie had taught her to not be so self-centered and boy crazy but to be cautious and aware of your surroundings yet thankful for what she has.