The short story ”Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been” explores feminist ideals about oppressive men who take advantage of women. The story tells about a young girl named Connie who acts and dresses as though she is a mature young woman‚ but she shows her true age of fifteen when an older man‚ Arthur Friend‚ takes advantage of her using fear and threats of violence against her family. The story calls into question whether or not Connie is truly and independent woman‚ but one can clearly see after
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Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been? Innocent‚ young‚ naïve; this is how Connie was at her age of fifteen. She liked the attention boys gave her and how it made her feel. A man named Arnold Friend‚ whose much older than her‚ has stalked Connie and wants to convince her to go for a ride in his car. Connie doesn’t notice the man’s older features and this causes her young mind to contemplate going with Arnold in his car. Connie is more conflicted with herself‚ she battles to make the right choices
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of Hell‚ and rival of God is of course the Devil. His power to distress humans both with physical sickness and with spiritual corruption is inexplicable. However‚ the idea of a man with such power and knowledge has been used in stories and films alike. In Joyce Carol Oates’ short story‚ "Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?" Oates depicts Arnold Friend as the Devil; we can see this through his physical description‚ strange seduction‚ and his supernatural knowledge of Connie. The bodily features
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One’s philosophy on life can be defining. In the novel “Brighten the Corner Where You Are” by Fred Chappell‚ the reader is introduced to the character Joe Robert Kirkman and the philosophy that his son‚ the narrator‚ tries to show the reader. This philosophy is that of an optimist. Joe Robert sees life as the full spectrum of good and bad. Joe Robert seems to like to stick to the safe and understood but pushes the boundaries of speaking the truth and enlightenment. It could be understood that
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Music in “Where Are You Going Where Have You Been?” In the story‚ repetition and strands of music take on a role of a character for Connie‚ offering a safe haven for a troubled girl. Throughout the story “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have you Been?”‚ Oates uses the element of strands and repetition of music to create a safe haven for Connie in which she can escape. The theme from a 1950’s song “It’s all Over Now‚ Baby Blue.” By Bob Dylan connects to the theme of escaping from “Where Are You Going? Where
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In “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?”‚ by Joyce Carol Oates‚ the setting creates division between innocence and adulthood. In the story‚ the protagonist is a complicated and confrontational young woman named Connie. The narrator explains that “Everything about her had to sides to it” (Oates 1). Connie has two personas‚ the person she is at home and the rebellious and carefree young woman she is away from her home. Throughout the plot‚ the doorway symbolizes a threshold that Connie has to
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The factors that can affect an individual’s views on death and dying and include social factors‚ cultural‚ religious and spirit I believe one’s religion plays a big part. Many suicide bombers believe that if they fight the religious war and become a hero through death they will get many virgins as a reward in the afterlife. Therefore they don’t mind killing themselves. Most people view the idea of death through the glasses of their trained religion teachings. Death is a personal event that
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general are often stereotyped into one general category: unruly‚ uncaring‚ and self-absorbed. In the short story “Where are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?” Joyce Carol Oates plays on this stereotype. She uses imagery and point of view to direct the reader’s attention to the teenage girl psyche‚ selfish‚ whimsical‚ and longing for attention and affection‚ and how this stereotypical psyche can be distorted and controlled. The protagonist of the story‚ Connie‚ is a vain‚ “typical” teenage girl‚ looking
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In the short story Where Are you Going Where Have You been‚the main character Connie is very promiscuous and struggles with finding herself. Joyce Carol Oates takes the reader on a journey of teen rebellion turned tragic and uses Connie to show that becoming independent is not easy. Throughout the story you can interpret that Connie felt vulnerable and neglected by her family and friends. Her mother always talked about how she should be more like her older sister‚ Jane “she was so plain and chunky
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The Media and Its Affect on You Growing up each individual is taught different values and morals. Those values and morals in return affect the daily decisions that we make. How do we obtain these values? We obtain these values from the objects that we come in contact with on a daily basis that has credibility to affect our train of thoughts. I think the media does play a major role in the decisions that we make. Anyhow I also believe there is a direct correlation to how much media that we partake
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