"Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?" By Joyce Carol Oates A short story titled "Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?" tells a tale of an adolescent girl who suffers consequences of growing up in the unsupportive environment and the society preoccupied by the media. It is considered to be the most famous work of Joyce Carol Oates‚ an American writer‚ the winner of many significant literary awards and a two- time candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature. The story was first
Premium Thought Marketing Management
Connie is a young fifteen year old who cares about her sexual drive that men have toward her. “The 1960s unleashed the so called sexual revolution. It seemed more a source of comic relief and tragic nostalgic recirculation than political inspiration…” This revolution consisted of women demanding their own rights so they could become more and more independent. There were significant shifts in social attitudes‚ behaviors‚ and institutional regulations at the beginning of the 60’s and also lasted through
Premium Gender Sexual intercourse Human sexual behavior
“Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?” Paper “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?” is a short story that poses many questions centered around the protagonist‚ Connie and the antagonist Arnold Friend and his “comrade” Ellie. The fate of Connie at the end of the story is still up for debate after all these years after the story was published in 1966. The main question posed is who actually is Arnold Friend? Is he the devil or something else? The answer may never be fully known but in
Free Short story Woman Female
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
Premium Joyce Carol Oates Protagonist
Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been? “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?”‚ is one of Joyce Carol Oates best short stories. Oates shows the reader what it is like to take things for granted and make mistakes through the main character‚ Connie. Throughout this story‚ Connie finds her identity and grows as a woman. In “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?”‚ Joyce Carol Oates shows us the struggle of a young woman dealing with her family‚ sexuality‚ and common mistakes that can be made
Premium Joyce Carol Oates Woman
Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been? “Where are you going‚ where have you been?” is a short story by Joyce Carol Oates about an average fifteen year old girl who is not unlike many other girls her age‚ she is self-absorbed‚ and has a “Nervous giggling habit of craning her neck and glancing into the mirror‚ or checking other people’s face’s to make sure her own was all right.”(Oates‚ 388) The story takes place in Middle America. Oates wrote “Where are you going‚ where have you been?”
Free Joyce Carol Oates
Language of Terror When a person is put in an incredibly horrifying situation where the outcome is unpredictable many physical and emotional changes take place. Joyce Carol Oates’s story "Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?" places Connie‚ a typical teenager‚ in this situation. Throughout the story‚ occasionally using religious undertones‚ Connie’s language of a typical teenager gradually changes‚ from calm and somewhat curious to nervous and terrified. Early in the story on a
Premium Joyce Carol Oates
INTRODUCTION: “Where Are You Going Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol‚ showcases the inevitable effects of youthful exuberance in a teenage girl. The story is a compelling tale which unveils the vulnerability of Connie‚ a young teenage girl who could barely substantiate fantasy from reality. She prides herself as a pretty girl who understands the basic principles of life. Her encounter with Arnold Friend reveals her as someone who lacks the mental ability to make meaningful decisions and accurate
Premium Boy Coming out Parent
Innocence “Where Are You Going Where Have You Been?” presents many themes and symbols to the reader. One that jumped out at me while reading the story was the overall feeling of innocence. Joyce Carol Oates shows us innocence from the very beginning of the story to the end where Connie loses self-control and power. From the first paragraph of the story we learn that Connie is a young fifteen year old who longs for attention and acceptance. I was able to relate to the story better when I paused
Premium Joyce Carol Oates Psychology
The character in “where are you going‚ where have you been?” Connie is affected by the role she plays in modern society. Fifteen year old Connie has the confusing‚ often exterior behavior typical of those girls who are facing the difficult transition from girlhood to womanhood in the 1960s. She is caught between her roles as daughter‚ friend‚ sister‚ and object of sexual desire‚ uncertain of which represents her real self. The sixties were the age of youth‚ young people wanted change. The changes
Premium Psychology Family Mother