Gender And Gender Criticism

Joyce Carol Oates’s fictional short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” was inspired by a real account of manipulation. in this story, Connie encounters a dominant man that helps to reveal a feminist allegory. Through characterization, this short story shows the feeling of a woman’s spirit being crushed or enslaved under a dominant male authority in a relationship, both sexual and nonsexual.

In conclusion, the search for independence caused the world to change in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. With many things going on with drugs, alcohol, and sex, it is easy to see why Joyce Carol Oates chose this theme for Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Connie fell in to the trap of the sexual desires that she wanted for herself, only with it ending badly. Her maturation along with sexual radicalism and capitalism sexually repressed the masses in the interests of its life negating and exploitative goals. With all of this

The late 1950s was a time of cultural revolution which had a large influence on the American youth. “As the next decade drew near, issues such as civil rights, war, women 's rights, and the sexual revolution would deeply affect many American teenagers. The conservative family values and morals that predominated in the 1950s were just beginning to be challenged as the decade came to a close” (Moss and Wilson 3). As a result, many teenagers lost the conservative morals of the 1950s and became more independent. In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates, Connie represents the result of this cultural revolution. Criticized by her mother for her promiscuity, Connie is an independent girl who often hangs out with her friends trying to attract boys. In doing so, she attracts a sexual predator named Arnold Friend who visits her at her home to try to get her to leave with him to presumably rape her. At the end of the story, Connie chooses to go with him. Connie gets into this dangerous situation because of a mistaken belief on her self-worth, the loss of morals by her and the adults in the story, and the influence of the 1960s popular music. Looking at “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” through the historical and feminist lenses, suggests that the story is really about how the misconceptions on self-worth and the diversion of 1960s society from

Joyce Carol Oates finds inspiration for her short story based on Charles Howard Schmid Jr, a serial killer who made his debut in 1960’s. Charles Schmid was a charming, older, bad boy who targeted young girls in Tucson, Arizona. The similarity can be seen in Joyce’s short story when Arnold Friend targets stunning, 15-year-old Connie. Manipulation as well as other factors lead Connie to make an irrational decision, which jeopardizes her life. In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” aspects of belonging to neglectful family with an overachieving sister, an envious mother, and careless father particularly contribute in Connie’s kidnapping,

In Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Joyce Carol Oates uses characterization to foreshadow that Arnold is a kidnapper and that Connie gets Kidnapped. Arnold Friend is portrayed as a manipulator, which foreshadows that he will eventually do something like, kidnap Connie. Connie is portrayed as vain, which foreshadows that she will be a victim similar to getting kidnapped. Connie decided to go out with her friends. She spots a demonic looking man, across the street, who's looking at her. Connie, who's at home alone, sees a car pulls up in her driveway and in the gold, slogan covered, Jalopy are two male strangers. When she goes out to see who they are, what they want, she see’s that it’s the strange man that was staring at her when she was out with her friends. When you normally see strangers/strange people outside your home, you do nothing and stay inside. When she went outside you can tell that something is wrong. She will get kidnapped.

In the story, “Where are you Going, Where Have you Been?” the author, Joyce Carol Oates, uses literary devices to convey a message about the loss of innocence. To be more specific, Oates’s characterization of the protagonist, Connie, specifically shows the actions leading to her innocence being taken from her. The literary device of characterization gives a clear picture Oates thoughts at the time she wrote the story, expressing concern for young girls who are at risk of having their innocence taken from them.

The film industry has created the conventional gender roles of society into their movies; A majority of films have supported some of the male and female stereotypes. In the history of the film industry, the role of men is primarilythat of the stereotypical working class man or hero, while the roles of women are primarily portrayed as being somewhat inferior to men. In the 1930s through the 1970s, men held the leading roles in films while women played smaller roles. Men were typically employed, successful gentlemen, while the woman’s only job was a housewife. The film industry was mostly dominated by men. In terms of jobs, women were given mostly family roles and rarely were shown outside of their homes, while men had

In her short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Joyce Carol Oates depicts the journey of Connie, a beautiful, mistreated, 15 year old girl yearning for attention and the loss of her innocence along the way. Oates creates this story around four murders by Charles Schmid and retells them with her own style, giving internal events the excitement, suspense, and climax normally associated with external events. Oates utilizes the demonic adversary, Arnold Friend, to awaken Connie from the self absorbed world she lives in, to display the true colors of herself through internal events he inflicts upon her. These incidents occur in Connies home and the mall where she often visits to escape reality, they reveal a change of

The story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” is essentially about a young woman’s strive for independence, which eventually leads to conflict. Oates portrays a social issue that relates to today’s society by using symbolism and characterization. She takes you on a journey throughout a teenagers life, tells about her thoughts and feelings while also relating to naïve girls today. Connie is a symbol of young girls who try to rush and grow up too fast. The ones who want to be popular with all the boys.

In the short story, “Where are you going, where have you been”, by Joyce Carol Oates, Connie’s family refuses to accept her attempts to create an identity different from her older sisters; ultimately causing her to form repressed thoughts regarding her family and herself. These repressed thoughts become the motivating force behind Connie’s daydreams and implementation of her defense mechanisms, when confronted by Arnold Friend and Ellie. Once Connie recognizes her repressed thoughts regarding Arnold Friend, she undergoes reality anxiety. Although her efforts to escape Arnold Friend are futile, she uncovers the truth behind her newfound: that it was hollow and self-centered. Therefore, the short story, “Where are you going, where have you been”,

In her famous short story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” Joyce Carol Oates shows the transition from childhood to adulthood through her character Connie. Each person experiences this transition in their own way and time. For some it is leaving home for the first time to go to college, for others it might be having to step up to a leadership position. No matter what, this transition affects everyone; it just happens to everyone differently. Oates describes Connie's unfortunate coming of age in a much more violent and unexpected way than the typical coming of age story for a fifteen year old girl.

Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” begins with the introduction of it’s main character, Connie, a fifteen year- old girl. Oates makes Connie’s vanity

     For many years society has embraced the idea that the difference between men and women were biologically determined. Thou through traditions, media, and peers we act accordingly to how others view us. Each individual has pressure placed upon them based on their gender. Our sex is determined by genetics while our gender is programmed by social customs. Some theories interpret that a women is tender and a loving mother while on the other hand men are aggressive hunters and are the dominant one of the family. People who support this theory seems to believe that men and women are happier when fulfilling the roles nature determined for them. Women are to be nurturing and men are to be providers by

The textbook identifies four approaches to gender development: biological, interpersonal, cultural, and critical. Define each theory. Then answer the following question: which of the theoretical approaches to gender do you find the most valid? Be sure to include at least two examples from your own experience as well as two scholarly sources to back up your claim.

Society has clearly defined boundaries between what is considered to be male or female. The development of an individual’s gender role is formed by interactions with those in close proximity. Society constantly tells us how we should look, act and live based on gender. Family, friends and the media have a tremendous impact on how these roles are formed and the expected behavior of each gender role.