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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Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been” conveys the theme of good vs. evil through Connie and Arnold by creating a sympathetic character and using symbolism‚ creating a fine line between the protagonist and the antagonist. In this short story‚ the antagonist Arnold Friend is a seducting creep that seduces young‚ innocent girls to “go on a date with him”. While he is at the protagonist‚ Connie’s‚ house‚ he is persuading Connie by telling her all about herself‚ including his
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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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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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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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the woman. In Olsen’s I Stand Here Ironing‚ the constraints of oppression were alive in her thoughts. Olsen’s fa’ade was being a housewife‚ she would have rather had other choices in her life and wanted more for her daughter as is told by the last quote in the story: In summary‚ all three women had no choice in their lives or they chose not to have a choice but to follow society’s way of thinking. "It was the only way we could be together‚ the only way I could hold a job" (Olsen 225). They did what
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through certain situations‚ such as change‚ we learn that change is not meant for everyone. 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
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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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In “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been” by Joyce Carol Oates‚ the major external almost most of the story. At the beginning‚ the narrator introduces Connie’s family‚ her mother‚ her father and her sister June. He describes a little bit of the relationship between Connie and his family and as I comprehend as I read the story‚ Connie has bad relationship with her family. Arnold Friend and his friend are characters that initiate the main conflict of the story. During the story‚ we can identify
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“Where are you going‚ where have you been?” by Joyce Carol Oates represents emotional abuse in relationships and how easy it is to manipulate young minds. Connie is a beautiful‚ self indulgent 15 year old girl. Her mother is very overbearing and praises her 24 year old sister‚ June‚ more than her. June is everything that Connie isn’t. She works hard to make money on her own‚ helps her parents around the house‚ and is mature and independent. Connie strives to receive attention and praise that her
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