“Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?” should not be read through a fantasy/allegorical lens‚ but through a lens of reality. Reading it through the former limits the potency of the story. Everything that takes place in the story is believable‚ and in fact‚ many details of the story are based on real events. Arnold Friend is based on Charles Schmid‚ a real life serial killer who was responsible for the murder of three young girls. Schmid was arrested in 1965 for the rape and murder of Allen Rowe;
Premium Crime Murder Law
Wicked The real world chooses to hide the wickedness of mankind‚ while the world of fiction chooses to highlight it. In the stories “The Overcoat” by Nikolai Gogol‚ “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez‚ and “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates‚ especially highlight the time the horrible aspects of man. Each one highlighting the corruption of man in their own unique way. The social hierarchy is a key part to the wickedness of mankind. This is a
Premium Nikolai Gogol The Overcoat Joyce Carol Oates
The ambiguous resolutions of Where Are You Going Where Have You Been and The Night Rhonda Ferguson Was Killed is a coincidence that I found quite strange. In Where Are You Going Where Have You Been‚ the author doesn’t tell us what happens to Connie after Arnold Friend forces her to go with him. Does she die? Does she Live? Similarly‚ the Night Rhonda Ferguson Was Killed‚ the answer as to how Casandra will manage to overcome her friend’s sudden death and her life’s struggles remains to be open to
Premium Joyce Carol Oates Fiction Short story
is significant in a person’s life and it can be different for men and women. Not all transitions to adulthood are peaceful; they can violent transitions as seen in Richard Wright’s The Man Who Was Almost a Man and Joyce Carol Oates’ Where are You Going‚ Where Have You Been. These two stories reflect how males and females are represented differently in society through the protagonist violent transition to adulthood. The Man Who Was Almost A Man by Richard Wright is about a young adult named Dave
Premium Firearm Gun Gun politics
throughout the story strengthen the main themes to show the contrast of Connie’s fantasies and reality. “Where are you going‚ where have you been.”‚ leaves us with the question can we handle such a change? Good and evil‚ yin and yang‚ the idea of everything and everyone having two opposite sides has been talked about by humans for centuries and that’s just what Oats is commenting on throughout the story starting with the main character Connie. An average teenage girl living in a limbo of two worlds
Premium Family Woman Mother
The Effects of Not Having a Stable Father-Figure The lack of having an actual father figure caused Connie to grow up too fast. Connie’s father did not acknowledge her‚ nor did he care about her what she did. Eventually leading her to unknowingly soon then become rebellious and act older than her actual age. Being raised with no man to be or act as a father to her‚ and any young girl’s life in general‚ allows a much higher chance of being at risk for an attraction towards older men‚ premarital sexual
Premium Joyce Carol Oates Self-esteem Human sexuality
In Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been Joyce Carol Oates uses compelling themes to convey real life issues to the readers. She also exploits many references to well know fairytales through symbols and motifs. This short story shares the theme of good versus evil to the fairytales Cinderella‚ Rapunzel and Snow White. The theme of evil is first expressed through Connie’s and Cinderella’s afflictions with their sisters that shape the essence of sibling rivalry. Like Cinderella‚ Connie’s sister
Premium Family Joyce Carol Oates Short story
“Where are you going‚ where have you been” by Joyce Carol Oates In the short story‚ “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been‚” author Joyce Carol Oates depicts the main character as a fifteen year old daydreamer. Her name is Connie‚ and she is obsessed with her appearance. Connie’s mother constantly teases her about looking in the mirror and always obsessing over her looks. Connie believes her mother does this because her own looks have faded. Connie has an older sister‚ June. June is constantly
Premium Family Joyce Carol Oates Short story
people through a loophole‚ cause confusion amongst each other‚ and contrast uniformity. Psychopaths lead to the death of individuals that conform to the standard and have no remorse for the action. They disrupt the flow of progress and end the life of another with no penalty of law. Psychopaths work to change how society thinks as a norm‚ such as a psychopath in “Cask of Amontillado‚” “The Lottery‚” and “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been.” “Cask of Amontillado” shows how a calm person can hide
Premium Joyce Carol Oates The Lottery Remorse
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
Premium Short story Fiction Feeling