Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Rhetorical Analysis

“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. In the beginning of the story, Connie is said to have a habit of observing herself in mirrors, which isn’t abnormal for teen aged girls to do. Regardless of the normativity Connie is criticized by her mother for doing so. Her mother then proceeds to heavily suggest that Connie should be more like her sister by commenting “What the hell stinks? Hair Spray? You don’t see your sister
An example of how important these descriptions are, would be Arnold Friend, when Connie is observing his awkward features. Without this descriptive language we would not know that “[Connie] could see that he wasn’t a kid, he was much older- thirty, maybe more”, which adds a new level of complexity to Arnold’s character. The descriptive language is essential to the story’s meaning without it the story would be boring and stagnant. In conclusion, Oates utilizes Connie’s setting to create a deeper meaning behind what would be a simple story. The setting encourages the reader to look past the surface meaning, and realize the motivation behind Connie’s actions. The descriptive language paints a clear and vivid image that not only provides a strong tone but also pertinent information to the