Essay on Transition in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been

Connie starts out in the story as someone that is self-absorbed, concerned for no one but herself. Arnold Friend is really the same way. He tells her that he saw her “that night and thought, that’s the one” (Oates 480). In spite of the words he uses, the reader knows that Arnold does not have any true feelings for Connie because he says “My sweet little blue-eyed girl” (Oates 483). Arnold is oblivious to the fact that Connie has brown eyes. “In Arnold’s view, Connie’s personal identity is totally unimportant” (Wegs 3).

Discuss the transition faced by the children/young people in your setting. Explain how the children and their parents/ carers are affected by these changes and reflect on the most appropriate ways to respond with reference to workplace policies and procedures. Suggest relevant further sources of information and support for the children, young people and their parents/ carers.

Joyce Carol Oates intrigues readers in her fictional piece “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” by examining the life of a fifteen year old girl. She is beautiful, and her name is Connie. Oates lets the reader know that “everything about her [Connie] had two sides to it, one for home, and one for anywhere but home (27). When Connie goes out, she acts and dresses more mature than she probably should. However, when she is at home, she spends the majority of her time absorbed with daydreams “about the boys she met”(28). This daydreaming behavior is observable to the reader throughout the story. From theories about dreams, theories about

The concept of Exploring Transitions is presented through the text, ‘The Story of Tom Brennan’ by J.C Burke. ‘The Story of Tom Brennan,’ is about the transition of immaturity to maturity and the adversities that come with moving from one town to another. The transition that are present throughout this story are mental and physical transitions. Similarly, the aspects of mental transition is also in ‘Song of the Sea,’ of Ben who feels little obligation to his sister, Saoirse due to his mother’s disappearance. Saoirse also goes through a mental and physical transition throughout their journey.

In Joyce Carol Oates’s short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” the author sets the feeling of danger and uncertainty stemming from events occurring throughout the story with the utilization of themes from Thomas C. Foster’s “ How to Read Literature Like a Professor” specifically with references to seasons, the bible, and significant symbolisms.

The teenage rebellion, which most of people experience during the puberty, always worsens the relationship between parents and children. Written by Joyce Carol Oates, the short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” describes the condition and consequence of a family whose child is rebellious. Through the characterization, plot, and dialogue, Oates successfully exhibits the thesis that Connie’s bad ending is the consequence of her parents’ attitude and actions.

Turning points in life are often difficult, challenging,but also makes impacts in people’s life. We can see that in the story ”Hatchet” about Brian who left on the island himself and that was Brian’s turning point. Another example is the story “Dragonwings” about Moonshadow who faced the turning point that his father moving away and the fear of a new country. The last example I will give is the story “Eleven”. The story “Eleven” is about a girl named Rachel, she faced the challenge that she had to clearly tell people what she wants and what she doesn’t want, and to force herself to grow up. These are three of the examples that you will read about in my essay. And to end my introduction, Brian, Moonshadow, and Rachel all faced life-changing experiences that had a direct impact on their lives.

In many cultures, coming of age is often celebrated because children become young adults who grasp self-awareness and accountability. At the same time, childhood is threatened by responsibility, which is dreaded because there is an unpredictable world of adulthood waiting with no guarantees. James Hurst demonstrates the journey of growing up through life experiences everyone goes through in the short story, “The Scarlet Ibis”. Throughout his use of mood, setting, and symbolism, Hurst shows that maturing requires reflecting on past experiences and losing innocence, which then can transform one’s outlook on life.

While reading Joyce Carol Oates’ short story “Where are you going, where have you been?” and Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” readers will dismiss the idea of the existence of any similarity in the stories of a fifteen year old girl and a grandmother. However, upon closer inspection, it is easy to appreciate how these two seemingly polar opposites are actually structured to invoke the same feelings in readers and to explore the same concepts. A close examination of “Where are you going, where have you been?” and “A Good Man is Hard to Find” reveal similarities in the portrayal of violence, the destructive effects of innocence and naiveté, and the the reality of evil in the world.

In the stories The Children and Where are You Going, Where Have You Been, both authors captivates their audience through similar contexts. Both authors intrigued the audiences of juveniles because their characters consist of ages between 13 to 18. They reached out to the younger generations to teach a lesson of how quickly one could become lost within society. Society makes a person lose value in their culture and family virtue.

Her mother is always giving her negative comments, never anything positive, and always finds something to make her feel bad about. Her sister is nine years older than Connie, twenty four years old, and still lives in the house, yet her mother always compares Connie to her sister, using her to make Connie feel bad about herself. Therefore, because of this abuse that Connie receives from her mother, Connie says that she “wished her mother was dead and she herself were dead and it was all over” (254). In addition to the abuse from her mother, her father is very quiet and is never really present in Connie’s life. This difficult situation at home makes Connie vulnerable because she is always seeking positive feedback from someone to make herself feel better, because she never receives positive feedback at home from her mother, and even when her father goes to pick up Connie from the mall, he doesn’t even bother to ask how it was, or what they had done. This is a big factor as to why Connie is so vulnerable in the story. Oates might use Connie’s situation at home to convey insights about people in the real world who also have difficult situations awaiting them at home. Oates tries to use Connie’s family situation to try and make a connection to others in the real world who might have parents who are divorced or any type of situation at home that is similar to Connie’s that might make life

A confronting transition can force an individual to reevaluate their values regarding relations, due to an emotionally provocative realisation. These transitions have the potential to allow individuals to accept their stances in life. When one accepts these circumstances, they can then capitalise on their lives, causing unparalleled personal reward. The Story of Tom Brennan constantly depicts these notions, as Tom has his value of family hindered, as he experiences an extremely emotional transition where his family bonds deteriorate due to the Brennan’s inability to detach themselves from their past. When Tom becomes enlightened towards this deterioration a reevaluation of this

The fact that the author might have been inspired by the story of Charles Schmid’s, does not mean Oates did not try to give life to a satanic figure created by Connie’s mind. It is indeed highly inspired to the story but Oates vivid imagination and skills made the story be written as if it was a horrible dream Connie was having.

Psychologists usually agree that the teenage years are among the most difficult periods in one’s life. Most teens are trying to figure out who they are, what they believe, and how they fit into the world around them. Beginning in the late 1970’s, a whole genre of fiction, referred to as coming-of-age literature, emerged and serves, at least for many teens, as believable presentations of young people learning to navigate the difficulties of their lives, often fraught with feelings of rejection, seemingly unresolvable personal turmoil, social problems, school and family issues, etc. Indeed one value of reading is to see and better understand some aspect of ourselves through studying others. The reading of SPEAK, a somewhat controversial book

As an adult reader who has crossed over to the reality of life, reading about these characters can be a transparent, futile exercise because as adults looking back at youth we have the experience to know where these characters are headed before they even start their journey. However, for young adults who are still in the throes of existential angst this is a powerful novel that handles teenage rites of passage and coming-of-age issues such as loyalty, friendship, belonging, and even death and loss very well.