Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Innocence

The Fall from Innocence is the loss of one’s innocence, or purity as the result of maturity or newfound knowledge. Mason Cooley, an American aphorist, once said, “Innocence is thought charming because it offers many possibilities for exploitation.” It is very needless to say that innocence is a valuable shield to a person that keeps that person free from sinful acts and evil demeanors. John Knowles exploits the archetype of the Fall from Innocence to show Finny’s reaction

p. 82). Therefore, the adult narrator’s ability to comment and reflect on his child-self effectively emphasizes the naïve and vulnerable nature of youth, and contributes to the mood of foreboding and suspense throughout the novel, ‘now I was over confident. I expected things to go my way’ (Chapter 1. p. 28).

One of the main conflict’s in the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, is the recurring theme of innocence. Holden attempts to resist maturing and wants to live his life as an innocent adolescent, by staying the same, like the exhibits in the Museum of Natural History. As he reflects on the corruption of innocence

"All things truly wicked start from an innocence,” states Ernest Hemingway on his view of innocence. Innocence, what every youth possesses, is more accurately described as a state of unknowing but not ignorance- which connotation suggests a blissfully positive view of the world. Most youth are protected from the harsh realities of the adult world. Therefore they are able to maintain their state of innocence. While innocence normally wanes over time, sometimes innocence can be abruptly taken away. Some of the characters in Truman Capotes In Cold Blood lost their innocence due to the traumatic events they experienced in childhood and adulthood while some had none to begin with.

In the novella “Down the Rabbit Hole” by Pablo Juan Villalobos, the story revolves around the concept of innocence. What makes this novella different from other literature that discuss innocence is that the main character Tochtli does not actual move from innocence to experience but rather stays innocent but as the audience reads on they figure out that tochtli has moved further and further away from pure innocence. In the beginning of the novella in the short notes ahead innocence is explained in the context of the novella as being incomprehension. This is a theme that is revealed throughout the entirety of the novella. The novella Down the rabbit hole sets the scene inside a palace of a later understood drug lord, who is the father of tochtli, the main character. Tochtli is only seven and therefor does not have an exact grip on what is happening around him. Juan pablo Villalobos however reveals information in such a way that the truth escapes the innocent mind of tochtli but screams out to the readers.

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 Cultural Revolution and Sexual Desires in Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”

Through its contrasting reality and dreamlike scenes, Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” uses details from a true American horror story to convey a message about society, youth and a loss of innocence. Arizona native Charles Schmid murdered Alleen Rowe on May 31, 1964. Schmid was considered a serial killer and was subsequently arrested and convicted of the heinous crimes that he was accused of. The profile of Schmid as a short man who wore makeup, wigs and altered boots to make

The characterizations of Connie’s family members have great effects on Connie. And Connie’s mother’s characterization is the main motivator for Connie’s rebellion. She always compares Connie with June, who is the “ideal daughter” in her eyes, and blames Connie for some little things, such as improper dressing and not having a tidy room. Oates suggests that the reason for Connie’s mother prohibiting Connie to dress up like an adult is that “ Her mother had been pretty once too” (Oates 1), but now “her looks were gone and that was why she always after Connie” (Oates 1). Therefore, she is jealous about Connie’s beauty and feels uncomfortable when seeing Connie wear beautiful outfits. Meanwhile, she likes June so much because June is obedient and plain, which makes her feel that she is dominant in the relationship. In the short story, Connie’s father is not given much description by the author, but

In the short fiction Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? tells a story about a young 15-year-old girl named, Connie. Connie spends her time meeting boys, lounging around the house and going out with her friends. One night an unusual man makes a threatening gesture to her in the parking lot of a local drive-in restaurant. Until, one day the unusual man pulls up in her driveway in a gold colored car. The man introduces himself as Arnold Friend and asks Connie to join him for a ride. During their conversation, Connie is aware that Arnold is dangerous; his language becomes more sexual and violent, and he warns her that he will hurt her family if she calls the police. In the end, she leaves the house and joins Arnold. Connie is stuck between the lines of her sexual daydreams and reality up until she is entangled among by Arnold Friend and his infatuating music playing in his car. Everything about her had two aspects to it, one when she was at home and one for anywhere but home.

Characters lose their innocence throughout American literature. What exactly does “losing their innocence” mean? Losing one’s innocence can be seen as a character maturing. A character may lose his/her innocence in ways including the viewing of a traumatic event, especially one that will scar his/her life forever. Losing one’s innocence can also be caused by losing one’s trust in someone whom he/she once trusted, catching a glimpse into the “real world”, or performing an act of immorality. The recurring theme of loss of innocence, as seen throughout American literature and reality, can affect a person and the people around him/her both negatively and positively. As a result, the audience can see the character mature through losing hope of dreams, becoming an outcast of society, gaining a new perspective of ideas, or gaining confidence. Negative and positive effects falling onto characters as a result of a loss of innocence can be found in works such as The Scarlet Letter, The Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird, Of Mice and Men, and The Hunger Games; this theme can also be seen in real life through the effects of children exposed to violent video games.

A short story titled "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" tells a tale of an adolescent girl who suffers consequences of growing up in the unsupportive environment and the society preoccupied by the media. It is considered to be the most famous work of Joyce Carol Oates, an American writer, the winner of many significant literary awards and a two- time candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature. The story was first published in the fall of 1966. It is dedicated "to Bob Dylan", as though, after having heard Dylan's song "It's all over now, Baby Blue" Oates got inspiration for the story. She was also influenced by the article about Charles Schmid, a twenty-

Connie is a young fifteen year old who cares about her sexual drive that men have toward her. “The 1960s unleashed the so called sexual revolution. It seemed more a source of comic relief and tragic nostalgic recirculation than political inspiration…” This revolution consisted of women demanding their own rights so they could become more and more independent. There were significant shifts in social attitudes, behaviors, and institutional regulations at the beginning of the 60’s and also lasted through the 70’s. The sexual drive increased majorly and the amount of women that had sex before marriage also sky rocketed. In Where Are you Going, Where Have You Been, Connie wants sexual attention from men, and that hurts her self-confidence and

From William Blake and Wallace Stevens we learn that innocence is always lost and that we have to strip things down before we can find the truth. We start out looking at “Infant Joy” which shows us a newborn’s thoughts about the world, “I happy am, / Joy is my name” (Blake 4). All the baby can speak of after two days is happiness and joy. Then we move into “Infant Sorrow” which gives a different look at the world. “My mother groan’d! My father wept” (Blake 43). Just like that after more experience the baby’s tone goes from naïve and innocent to harsh and cynical. Lastly we look at Stevens’ poem “The Snow Man,” “And, nothing himself, beholds / Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is” (Stevens 57). From this we can get a sense

When recognizing that Judy Blundell’s book What I saw and How I lied was written in the first person point of view from the teenage character Evie, readers can consider its impact on the theme of loss of innocence as it develops throughout the story. Evie is a young girl that is trying to grow up much too fast. She wants to become just like her mother Bev, who is known for being pretty and receiving lots of attention from men. Evie’s father died when she was very young, bringing her and Bev’s relationship closer. Bev remarried, yet their relationship was still unbreakable. But, her mother is suddenly accused of having an affair with a man that Evie is in love with, Peter. While contemplating if her own mother could really do something so atrocious