Finding Her Identity: An Analysis of “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been? Joyce Carol Oates‚ “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been is about a fifteen year old girl named Connie who is searching for her independence from her mother. The exposition is in the month of July at their home‚ where Connie is being scolded by her mother about her being obsessed with her looks. Her mother says‚ “Stop gawking at yourself. Who are you? You think you’re so pretty? (171) Her mother wants her to be more
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“[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
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In “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?”‚ the main character‚ Connie‚ is on the brink of adulthood and is experimenting with the sexual freedom that comes with it. On the weekends‚ Connie and her friend go to the mall or the diner and pursue older boys with which they will slip into dark alleys or cars. One night‚ when leaving the diner to go hang out with a boy‚ a man in a gold convertible catches Connie’s eye and says to her‚ “Gonna get you‚ baby”. Later in the story‚ Connie is tanning outside
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vision of a hero. Heroism comes in many ways through attitudes and acts of oneself. I believe heroism is the intent of doing something for the benefit of others‚ and not caring about the consequences that might ensue. In Joyce Carol Oates’s "Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been‚" we see the character of Connie in a process of making the hardest decisions of her life as she chooses the heroic path. By having the knowledge of her own fate and life atrisk of her family being hurt‚ she decided to go with
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Where are you Going‚ Where have you been? Is a short story written by Joyce Carol Oates. The story involves a 15 year old girl named Connie that is rebelling against her mother’s whishes. Connie often rides with her friends to a shopping plaza to hang out and meet other people. One evening while she is out with her friends she leaves with a boy named Eddie. On the way to Eddie’s car she sees a stranger in a convertible that tells her “Gonna get you‚ baby”. Then one Sunday after missing church Connie’s
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In Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been Joyce Carol Oates uses compelling themes to convey real life issues to the readers. She also exploits many references to well know fairytales through symbols and motifs. This short story shares the theme of good versus evil to the fairytales Cinderella‚ Rapunzel and Snow White. The theme of evil is first expressed through Connie’s and Cinderella’s afflictions with their sisters that shape the essence of sibling rivalry. Like Cinderella‚ Connie’s sister
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Southern literature paper In the short story “Where are you going and Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates one of the main things that readers find is the suspicion surrounding the character Arnold Friend. Supporting this is Friend’s words which are so impactful on Connie‚ and why she didn’t just pick up the phone and call nine-one-one to end the whole conflict in the first place. Much of the research I found was based off this question pointing out how a person would react to this scenario
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Maria Bustos Instructor: Ms. Cowart English 102 February‚ 4‚ 2015 Short Story Essay #1 “Where are you going‚ Where have you been” The short story about Connie deals with the experience of a young girl that is haunted by her good looks and cryptic behaviors. Inspired by a Life article of a serial killer‚ Oates created the story to: “It was not the number of murders that intrigued me‚ but the disturbing fact that a number of teenagers –from “good” families—aided and abetted his crimes” (Oates
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Essay #1 2. Characterize Connie in “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?” and make a case for why she gives in and goes with Arnold Friend. The short story “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?” written by Joyce Carol Oates was quite interesting. Even though it was fiction‚ I believe that it could be based on a true story. There are times that young girls get themselves into situations that they feel they cannot escape. This story is a perfect example of why teenage girls
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realizes that not everything in the world is the way it was thought to be‚ the world crumbles into pieces‚ but how does it happen? Joyce Carol Oates portrays an amazing detailed moment of theft of chastity‚ or at least what is left of it‚ in "Where Are You Going‚ Where have You Been?" With symbolic imagery‚ major bibliomancy‚ and extreme personal conflict Oates easily manages to get her point across of the complete loss of innocence. A constant image that is brought to the reader’s creative thoughts
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