How To Nab Youngsters 101. Joyce Carol Oates Wrote “Where

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been is not your typical sympathetic toned short story. The tale takes place in the 1960’s suburbs, most likely a modest town in America. The reader can assume this is a small metropolitan neighborhood, since the setting is abundant with movie theaters, drive-in restaurants and shopping malls. Houses in this town are described as ranch-style homes, and almost allow the reader to feel a sense of security. The story begins with Connie, a 15 year old narcissistic, know-it-all whose mind is filled with trashy daydreams. Connie is the story’s central character, and can be defined as a teenager who wants to be seen as a mature young lady, rather than a child. She is constantly trying to create an attractive grown-up persona through the way she dresses, and how she behaves aiming to get the attention of older boys. Although Connie is a pretty girl with flowing blond hair, she deceives her parents, who pay little attention to

“Where are you going, where have you been?” is a deep story that takes you on a rebellious trip as the character goes through her own self-created illusions to come to terms with her sexual inexperience. She is confused between what is real and what is not real by a dream that is a manifestation of Connie’s desires for attention from the opposite sex. Through this journey, she finds herself and leaves her selfishness behind.

Joyce Carol Oates begins “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” with an alignment to Connie’s abortive habit of spontaneously checking her reflection in mirrors. Connie’s long golden hair symbolizes her beauty and pride. She misses a family event in order to wash her hair. Most damningly, when Arnold Friend, pulls into her driveway, Connie’s first instinct is to check her hair. Later her visitor will

Connie is a very apprehensive girl who needs attentiveness and to be loved by humans. Her family does not show her this at home, so when she goes out with her friends she makes sure to get boys attention. Connie is often disrespected in her household by her mom, which makes her insecure and vulnerable to boys. Her mom compares her to her sister, June, and says things such as (“Why don’t you keep your room clean like your sister? How’ve you got your hair fixed-what the hell stinks? Hair spray? You don’t see your sister using that

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been written by Joyce Carol Oates is a short story executed through third and first person. Oates skillfully uses setting, tone, characterization, symbolism, thematic and mystical literary elements to blend violence, sex and suspense into an underlying message of the modern American teenager and familial relationships. The short story begins with a reference to the main character of the story Connie, who’s vain habit of compulsively checking her reflection in mirrors, reflects the story’s initial inspiration. It must be mentioned, Connie’s obsession with beauty is not atypical of a teenager of her time, as the story takes place during era that was marked by the beginning of the American Civil Rights Movement

Charles Baudelaire once said, “la plus belle des ruses du diable est de vous persuader qu'il n'existe pas. (the devil’s finest trick is to persuade you that he does not exist).” The deceit that Connie experiences throughout the story influences the behaviors and perspectives that she has on her own life, changing the initial thoughts that she had towards her family. In the short story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates, Connie encountered a guy named Eddie where they spent a few hours in a restaurant that later led them to being in an alley. Though this moment seemed to of little significance to Connie, an incident with a strange man, Arnold Friend, later on in the story left Connie with an unsettling

Joyce Carol Oates was born in Lockport, New York to a Catholic family in 1938. While attending Syracuse University, she won a “Mademoiselle Magazine Award” for fiction. She also graduated with top honors at Syracuse University. After she graduated from Syracuse she received her master’s degree in English from the University of Wisconsin. With this degree, she went on to teach at several universities such as Detroit, Windsor, and Princeton. As a writer, she has produced more than twenty-five collections of stories, and forty novels. Joyce Oates was a winner of a National Book Award in 1970. Some of her novels include “Because It Is Bitter, and Because It Is My Heart (1990)”, “Black Girl/White Girl (2006)”, “The Gravedigger’s Daughter (2007)”, and “A Fair Maiden (2010)”. She writes poetry, plays, and literary criticism as well.

Additionally, Connie has a family that seems to be falling apart and treats her like she is worthless. She is unsatisfied with what her life consists of and is tired of being compared to her sister. Her mother is constantly criticizing her and Connie seems to think it is because she is no longer young and beautiful. “Her mother had been pretty once too, if you could

self esteem shown with the use of narration, but the reader also learns what Connie spends her

This is evident in Connie when she looks in the mirror and is displeased with the awkward angle she sees and when she notices that peoples’ eyes change as they pass by her on the street. It is also apparent that a mother’s role is important in shaping their daughter into a young woman. In Connie’s case, her mom steps in by scolding her for thinking she is pretty and by always comparing her to her older sister, June. Her mother is depicted as a shadowy figure and remains nameless, except for being called “mom” by Connie and June. The strained relationship between Connie and her mother affects the relationships she ensues with all of the other women she is involved with throughout the story, like June, whose relationship she describes as a tugging war—like they are, “struggling over something of little value to either of them,” which, in the end, proves to be their mother (Oates). As the story continues, Connie starts to devalue her mother’s opinions and because of this is finally able remember that she is pretty. By then, it is clear that Connie’s attempt to fill the void of love and acceptance stems from the lack of it she never received from her

Connie is an average fifteen year old girl. Everyone has desires Connie is no exception; she wants boys and freedom. Her conflict is what started her motives for what she wants. Connie feels trapped in her own home and she does not think too highly about herself. Like most girls, she is interested in boys and she infatuated with her looks. She “glances into mirrors or checking other people’s faces to make sure her own was all right (Oates 305).” From what we can infer from the text, Connie has very low self-esteem. People who have low self-esteem tend to not think very highly about themselves and constantly worry what people think of her. June’s older sister is her foil, different in every way. Even to the point of the parents are more in favor

"Where are you going where have you been?" is a short story about a young 15 year old girl who is trying to fit in with the rest of the world, and is very preoccupied with her appearance and living in this pop cultural fantasy. Connie is always ignoring her mother 's criticism about wanting her to be more like her older sister, June, who is no longer living a life of fantasy and has her act together.. One night, a boy named Eddie invites Connie to eat dinner with him, and Connie leaves her friend at the restaurant’s counter to go with him. As Connie and Eddie leave the restaurant, she sees a man in a gold convertible in the parking lot. He smiles at her and says, “Gonna get you, baby.”. Connie confused, walks away quickly confused not really knowing what actually happened, and Eddie notices nothing. They spend three hours of their night at dinner, and end up going to a nearby alley living in that fantasy of being that mature woman who knows what a man wants. One day, Connie 's parents and June leave her at home to go to a family barbeque leaving her all by herself. While she was at home alone, she was listening to her radio when out of nowhere she hears a car pull up to the front of her house. Startled, she looks out of the window to see

“Where are you Going, Where Have You Been?” is a story written in 1966 by Joyce Carol Oates. It was originally published in Epoch magazine, but now it is in many short story anthologies. The story tells of a young girl named Connie, who doesn’t want to grow up, and is kidnapped by Arnold Friend one day when she is home alone. It is based on an American serial killer Charles Schmid, who lured young women to the desert where he murdered them. I first read this story last year in a fiction and nonfiction class, and I fell in love with it. I couldn’t explain why; after all, it’s a sad story, isn’t it? Still, I love it because Oates uses characters, plot, and imagery to craft a captivating story.

Connie, the main character is your average teenager. She’s confident of herself, hangs out with her friends as teenagers usually do, and does something almost every teenager, in most cases, always does. Connie acts like one person at home, but when she gets with that friend of hers, and boys, she’s a totally different person. Her life choices lead her to some good ends that makes everyone happy, but then some of those choices don’t end so good after all. Our main character’s mother thinks that Connie is the complete bad apple of the family, and the total opposite of her goody two shoes older sister, June. June is the complete definition of a “perfect” child. She saves her money, whereas Connie spends hers, and June helps her parents, cleans

“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been" by Joyce Carol Oates (1966) Is a story of a fifteen year old girl named connie who is naive and self-centered, through her search of independence she is murdered.