The protagonist of Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?” is a vain and stubborn girl named Connie. Fifteen years old‚ she believes beauty is everything and is nothing short of rebellious‚ maintaining two different personas: one for at home with her family and one for going out with her friends. One night out with her girl friends‚ Connie spots a young man watching her. He promises to come get her. The next day‚ the man comes to Connie’s house‚ keeping his word‚ and spends
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that causes the reader to question events in the story‚ “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?” She develops this story featuring a girl named Connie‚ who has an encounter with a boy at a restaurant that she doesn’t know. “He wagged a finger and laughed and said‚ “Gonna get you‚ baby‚” and Connie turned away…” (Oates 210). Startled Connie only saw this boy once that night‚ but the story goes on‚ and a few days later he comes to her house where she learns that the boy’s name is “Arnold Friend.” She
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The Two Sides of Connie ‘Narrative details in ’ Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?’ The story ’ Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?’ is about the fifteen year old Connie who is a girl struggling with her sexuality. The girl tries to be an adult and attractive‚ but at the same time‚ she hides her sexual side from her family. These two sides cannot remain separate from each other at all times and collide with each other‚ which this short story depicts. The main idea in this short story
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The story‚ "Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been" by Joyce Carol Oates is truly littered with conventions of Psychoanalysis. Freud developed a list of defense mechanisms used by the human subconscious in order to deal with issues too intense for the conscious mind. These strategies of the psyche are translated into symbols scattered throughout this work. These symbols are expressed through the characters of Connie‚ and Arnold Friend. The first convention is denial. Denial is when the subconscious
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Where have you Been Smooth Talking? In the short story Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been? By Joyce Carol Oates‚ the lifestyle of protagonist Connie is described. Connie was a typical 15-year-old. She was outgoing‚ fun‚ and social. She had the worst relationship with her mother and her relationship with her father was not explained because he was not home much. Connie’s main concern was boys; she would do anything to meet up with them. That is not always a good idea because you never know
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There are many similarities between the short stories "A&P" and "Where are you going‚ Where have you been?" most notably their characters. Both stories contain a female protagonist‚ and a male antagonist‚ whose confrontations start out relatively normal‚ and progress to more and more surreal and twisted endings. Their main characters‚ Sammy and Connie‚ are shockingly similar‚ and yet strangely different‚ one a 15 year old wishing to be older and beautiful‚ the other An eighteen year old boy from
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In Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been‚” Arnold Friend‚ a conniving antagonist‚ charms a naive teenager named Connie into believing he will rescue her from her inattentive family. However‚ at the story’s climax‚ Connie fears for her life yet cannot resist Arnold’s temptations. Although details of Friend’s appearance‚ speech‚ and actions should warn Connie of his evil intentions‚ through Oates’s portrayal of Friend as a devil-figure‚ Connie is easily “conned” foreshadowing
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Teenagers have always had it harder than the rest of the age groups. Whether it is the frustration of having old-fashioned parents or the annoyance of being too young to experience nearly everything‚ the minds of those under eighteen become a never-ending fantasy of being an adult. The seemingly carefree lifestyle of older kids seems to be impossible to wait on. 15-year-old Connie is no exception to this way of thinking. In a hurry to grow up‚ Connie‚ in Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where Are You Going‚ Where
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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.
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In the story Where are You Going‚ Where have you been reach out to young girls that have family issue and personal issues going on in their life. Connie is a young teenager who is self-centered and thinks that she is a grown women but still has a child mindset. She doesn’t know how much danger she is in by messing with a older man that she barely knew. Connie felt like nobody in the family careed about her so she decided to stay at home instead of going to the family barbecue. She is a shattered
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