Loving‚ Superficial‚ Intimate Teens "Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?" by Joyce Carol Oates catapults its reader into a seductive‚ fifteen-year-old mindset‚ embodied by the main character‚ the rebellious Connie. Connie‚ much like Sammy‚ the main character from "A & P" by John Updike‚ is on the prowl for companionship and sex. Their unsuccessful search for intimacy‚ appreciation for family life‚ and superficial attitudes are what bring them together as similar characters but also what
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advance our mentality. In Joyce Carol Oates’ "Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been." Connie‚ a young teen is faced with a life changing experience‚ forcing her to transform from a young teen to a young adult. In John Updike’s "A & P" Sammy chooses to put himself in a tight situation only to loose his job‚ trying to be heroic to three young girls and failed‚ as a result of his child-like decision. "Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been" is an exceptional example of a coming-of-age story
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I write this essay now as I prepare for my exams‚ just like any other student. The end of my life as a high school student is slowly creeping around the corner. Thinking far back I ponder as to where and how I would want to see myself in the future. I know that the choices that I will make from this point on will determine my future. College is a different world‚ a different place‚ or so they say. The days that will pass me by when I enter that world hereon in will be a challenge that I will accept
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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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Oates ’ "Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?": Arnold Fiend In Joyce Carol Oates ’ "Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?" critics argue whether the character of Arnold Friend‚ clearly the story ’s antagonist‚ represents Satan in the story. Indeed‚ Arnold Friend is an allegorical devil figure for the main reason that he tempts Connie‚ the protagonist‚ into riding off with him in his car. Oates characterizes Arnold Friend at first glance as "a boy with shaggy‚ black hair‚ in a convertible
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“Where are you going‚ Where have you been”‚ has a lot of underlying mental issues. Joyce Carol Oates created the perfect character to receive psychoanalytic criticism. The relationships Connie forms with her family‚ friends‚ and outsiders are all affected by Connie’s issues which come to consume her future. One of Connie’s biggest faults was the recognition of her beauty. She “knew she was pretty and that was everything” (Oates 1). This constant checking of herself in mirrors to make sure she was still
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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 of Arnold Friend suggest he is the devil in disguise. During the whole event‚ Connie recognizes the way Arnold Friend "wobbled in his high boots" (196). She believed that he may have been a drunken stumbling
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Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been‚” Joyce Carol Oats uses characterization including methods such as symbolism and allusions to develop her characters‚ and thus establish her theme of the cross roads Connie faces in her transition from the innocence of her adolescence to the impurity of adulthood facilitated by the antagonist‚ Arnold Friend. From the beginning of the story‚ the reader sees Connie has a strong desire to make her early transition into adulthood. Although she in only 15‚ she acts
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cultural heritage by the English. As a result‚ the author’s childhood was consumed by English culture‚ considering “the shoes [worn] to work would have been made in England‚ as were [the] khaki shirt and trousers‚ [the] underpants and undershirt‚ [the] socks and brown felt hat”. Presumably‚ this inevitable realization by the author‚ that she “had long ago been conquered” by the autocratic English culture‚ develops a unique juxtaposition of past and present.
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Carol Oates’s short story‚ “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?” focuses on the seemingly typical life of a teenage girl‚ Connie. The character irony is found in the fact that a teenage girl in the 1960’s struggled with the same issues teenagers battle with in present society. Connie‚ the main character‚ fights with her parents‚ does not want to be like her older sister‚ and thinks very highly of herself. As a teenage girl typically believes‚ Connie imagines she is the center of attention and everything
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