Joyce Carol Oates’ story‚ “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?” is initially about a teen (Connie) who is going through the beginning phases of teen life‚ playing into the stereotype of an image-conscious teen. She is recalcitrant with her parents‚ sneaks off to start hanging out with boys‚ et cetera. About a third of the way through the story‚ a man that she had seen earlier at the diner shows up to take her out for a drive‚ and the situation goes downhill as she asks him more and more questions
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parents and their children was not fundamental. “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been‚” written by Joyce Carol Oates introduces these “ills” of the 20th century to be examined in a more psychological depth. This ominous literal piece unfolds the story of protagonist Connie‚ a self-absorbed‚ disoriented‚ beautiful fifteen-year old girl‚ living in the early 1960’s who is placed with fear‚ stalked‚ and eventually abducted by antagonist Arnold Fiend. Connie not only is at odds with her family but also
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One story from the short story unit that depicts impossibilities is “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been.” Connie’s vanity is not abnormal; many teenagers who are her age and attractive act the same way. The impossibility of the story appears in the form of Arnold Friend. Whether he is Satan‚ a serial killer‚ Jesus‚ Bob Dylan‚ or none of the above‚ his presence seems odd. Arnold Friend seems to know too much about Connie’s life to simply be a stalker. He know that the rest of Connie’s family
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In the 1960s‚ when Oates wrote “Where Are You Going . . . ‚” a social revolution was happening. American women were asserting their rights and independence from men‚ and they were claiming their sexuality in a way they had never done before. One frequently discussed topic was adolescence and the struggles and anxieties that many young girls endured as they lost their sexual innocence and became adult women. Feeling undervalued in their homes and relationships with men‚ women questioned their role
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Analysis for “Where are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?” Joyce Carol Oates’ short story is a complete fiction in the sense that it utilizes all its elements without deemphasizing one for the other. Oates uses point of view‚ setting‚ conflict‚ character‚ and symbol equally well to convey her theme. Oates applies these elements of fiction to give readers a better understanding of the American teenager and to show how a girl is psychologically manipulated by predators. It is evident from the first
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Where are you going‚ where have you been? In the short story “Where Are You going? Where Have You Been?”‚ by Joyce Carol Oates. The use of the symbolism of Connie’s clothes‚ her fascination with her beauty‚ Arnold Friend’s car and Arnold Friend himself help to understand the story’s theme of evil and manipulation. The story‚ fill with underlying tones of evil. In this short story‚ Oates write about 15-year-old Connie‚ the protagonist of the story‚ a pretty girl who is a little too into her own
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Kevin Coffman College Composition 2 Mrs. Johnson March 8‚ 2013 Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been? The story‚ “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been” is a very interesting short story written by Joyce Carol Oats. Her story begins in the summer‚ and 15-year-old Connie spends much of her time lounging around the house‚ going out with friends‚ and meeting boys. One night a strange guy makes a threatening gesture to her in the parking lot of a local drive-in restaurant. She thinks nothing
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Everyone should have a lot of confidence in their self and no one should ever tell them otherwise. Many young girls are growing up faster than they should. But it all starts with the parents for teaching children from youth to adulthood. In the story by Joyce Oates’s‚ “Where are you going‚ where have you been”‚ illustrates a traumatic experience for a very young girl. The common perception is that many people are innocent and sincere until their true colors are revealed. Connie is a young child
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2016 Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been Analysis The story “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been” written by Joyce Carol Oates has a different‚ yet catching title. The title plays strongly into the characters. One of the main character Connie really relates to the title. Her mom wants her to be this perfect little girl‚ whereas Connie likes the attention of guys and to be a little more on the rebel lifestyle. Connie never tells her mom “where she is going‚ or where she has been” when
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Where are you going‚ Where have you been? Stephanie Bumpase AIU Where are you going‚ Where have you been? The character Connie in the story “Where are you going‚ Where have you been?” was a young 15yr old girl in a small town. She was beautiful and knew that she was beautiful. A flat character is a character that stays the same throughout a story (Gioia & Kennedy‚ 2010) and a round character is the opposite of flat in which the character changes significantly (Gioia & Kennedy‚ 2010)
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