In Joyce Carol Oates’s short story‚ “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?” (1966)‚ Connie is an adolescent that faces literal and psychological challenges. Within the conflicts of the story‚ there are two compelling questions that allow you to take a special interest of a deeper meaning. Taken from the title‚ where has Connie been? Where is Connie going? In a surprising twist‚ the story is not only about a naïve girl that gets lured out of her home by an older gentleman‚ but can also be taken
Premium Joyce Carol Oates Short story Fiction
“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
“[Connie] had a quick‚ nervous giggling habit of craning her neck to glance into mirrors or checking other people’s faces to make sure her own was all right.” (1) In the story “Where are you going‚ where have you been?” the author Joyce Carol Oates‚ deliberately shows us the level of innocence of the protagonist Connie‚ as well as the similar features an inexperienced young girl who lived in 1966 compares to those of a young girl who is raised in our era. Young teenage girls in 1966 are no different
Premium Woman Girl Short story
life‚ this flaw could lead people to make disastrous decisions that can lead to unfortunate outcomes. Two examples of such can be found in the characters Laura and Connie from the play The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams and “Where Have You Going‚ Where Are You Been?” by Carol Oates respectively. By psychoanalyzing both Laura and Connie‚ it becomes evident‚ through actions and dialogue‚ that both females display symptoms of having a fatal flaw‚ which in turn causes them to make decisions that
Premium Marriage Family Woman
changes as you grow older and transforming from a young and reckless‚ naïve child into a working‚ responsible adult could be very fearful. Change itself is one of the biggest fears people encounter each and every day. Having to do things on their own‚ or figuring out if the decisions they make are right and if their experiences are going to help them or just hurt them more in the long run. In Connie’s experience with Arnold Friend‚ whether it is real or a dream‚ the theme of "Where Are You Going‚ Where
Premium English-language films Life Family
Where Are You Going‚ Connie? For the most part of Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where are you going‚ Where have you been?”‚ Connie has been portrayed as a rebel of an adolescent. She hates staying home; she belittles her sister‚ criticizes her mother and is obsessed with the idea of romance and sex. Her attractive appearance as a physical advantage lends haughtiness to her rebellion. With a sister that is plain and a mother who has had her time of beauty‚ Connie thinks the world is hers for the taking.
Premium Joyce Carol Oates Morality
IS LYING UNDER ANY CIRMCUMSTANCES “ RIGHT OR WRONG” Based on the philosophy of Immanuel Kant‚ I would have to disagree with his argument that lying is wrong under any circumstances. In this paper I will discuss my reason for disagreeing with the argument based on the flaw stated in the argument‚ how lying and telling the truth both have bad consequences depending on the circumstances‚ and also how moral rules cannot be absolute. In this paragraph I will be discussing the flaw that is stated
Premium Morality Logic Ethics
What went wrong ? : Western Impact and Middle Eastern Response is a book by Bernard Lewis. It was first published in Great Britain. This paperback edition was released in 2002 by Phonix‚ an imprint of Origon Books. Bernard Lewis is a Professor of Near Eastern Studies Emeritus at Princeton University. He wrote more than two dozen books concerning the Islamic-Western issues. His most notable works are: The Arab in History‚ The Assassins‚ The Middle East ‚ and Crisis in Islam. What Went Wrong? is his
Premium Islam Middle East Muslim world
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
Premium Joyce Carol Oates Short story Fiction
In “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?” the author uses clothes as a symbol to reveal our protagonist and antagonist individualities. Connie who is our protagonist is a fifteen-year-old girl who has the habit of craning her neck to glance into mirrors. Connie wears a pullover jersey blouse that looked one way when she is home and another way when she is away‚ in where she wears shorts. In the text‚ it states that “They must have been familiar sights walking around the shopping plaza in their
Premium Family The Great Gatsby Marriage