We were all created to be different. Some may have similar physical features, but no two persons have the same DNA. I like to think of written stories in the same way, because although two stories can share many literary devices, no two stories will be identical, because they each reveal a larger theme. Each individual has a distinct perspective in which they see and comprehend, and that is why I believe that each story is open to endless unique interpretations by various individuals. Literary devices are what grab and captivate the readers, because they give the story purpose and meaning, in essence leaving the story to be interpreted by various perspectives. In the story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates, …show more content…
Connie’s thoughts in this quote painted a clear picture of the type of relationship she had with her parents, and despite the point of view in third person, I got a sense of Connie’s attitude towards the life she was living and the people involved in her life. However, I wonder if the story would have been told in another perspective other than Connie’s if we would have been given so much insight of her view of the type of person she is. Additionally, I think it would have been quite a unique point of view from Arnold, because although we had several details about him, it would have been interesting to see what exactly he thought about Connie. There is so much unanswered about Arnolds character, such as if Arnold had seen her more than that one time she was on a date with the boy from the dinner, or why at the end of the story he referred to Connie as, “‘My sweet little blue-eyed girl’” (par 161). Because the story was told in third person limited, I felt it lacked clarification on Arnold’s character, but simultaneously the lack of clarification on this character leaves an opening for the reader to interpret what it is they read and form many different conclusions. Overall, the narration gave the readers so much insight into Connie’s real world and fantasy world, moreover really demonstrating how she was on a journey searching for her real identity that was the cause of her two worlds clashing.
Furthermore, the characterization is an additional important
“We live in a fantasy world, a world of illusion. The great task in life is to find reality” (Murdock). However, fantasies can interfere with an individual’s belief system and can cause a confusion. In the narrative by Joyce Carol Oates short story “Where Are You Going, Where have you been?” The story takes place around the 1960’s. In fact, this was the same time a real-life American serial killer named Charles Schmin started to target females. The narrator admits that her story was influenced by the famous serial killer. What I interpreted throughout the passage is that Connie who is the main character is facing a conflict between fantasy and reality. When Connie leaves home, another side of her is shown to society. She knows she can attract older boys. The way she’s able to do so is because of her appearance and personality. Connie ends up staying stuck with Arnold Friend, who puts her into a horrifying situation. As you read the selection you can’t deny that the author uses symbolism as the main theme. The reason why Oats decided to use symbolism, allegory, and metaphors to demonstrate through Connie’s Sexuality, where she beings to lose touch with her senses.
Arnold Friend’s layers of deception. Connie’s blindness is the pretext of her loss of innocence
When Connie first hears a car pulling up in her driveway, her attention is immediately directed to her hair and looks. She isn’t concerned as much about who is outside or what they want, but how see will look to them. When she initially sees Arnold she is attracted to his style and car. He is muscular in tight faded jeans and a drives a bright gold jalopy. His image is everything that Connie has fantasized about and can relate to. Arnold is even playing
In spite of the way that Connie tries to show the nearness of being a created woman who has learned about men, her involvement with Arnold reveals this is only an execution. She has made an engaging grown-up personality through her dress, hairstyle, and general direct and gets the thought she hopes for from young fellows. Regardless, Connie dumbfounds her ability to summon thought from young fellows with her longing to truly have
In the short story "Where are you going where have you been?" by Joyce Carol Oats and the song Wake Up by EDEN, the author and the artist both show the thematic concepts on how fantasies come to an end, and when reality hits, it hits hard.
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
The Cultural Revolution and Sexual Desires in Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”
In Oates's "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" it portrays the confusing nature of sexuality. A story set in the America of mid-1900s. A conflict of morals characterized this time, especially sexually related ones. There was a hot debate on the topic of sexuality among adolescents. The roles of women were being challenged and quickly changing. This story describes a psychosexual episode between a male predator and the protagonist, a female
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
During the conversation between Connie and Arnold Friend, she experiences a dramatic moment so intense that it cannot be avoided or ignored. Her attempt was creating a sexy appearance and fascinating the boys in the local diner delivers as her experiment to analyze new fields as well as a new side of herself. However, until Arnold comes into the story, her expeditions have always been closed into security. She may go into an dark alley with a boy for a short period, but no matter what happens there,
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-
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.
Having each story been written in a third-person narrative form, the reader knows the innermost feelings of the
These factors allow her to successfully hide a dual life style. As the story begins to unfold, the reader learns Connie begins to assert her will and independence, by making tentative moves towards womanhood by developing a second, more adult persona to complement her growing independence. The arrival of the antagonist of the story Arnold Friend, begins the tumultuous, and nail biting climb to the climax of the story and the ultimate theme. As the image of Arnold Friend becomes clearer, the reader becomes more suspicious possibly, because the antagonist could be seen as the main character’s subconscious version of her own desires and dreams. However, as reality hits, and all the characteristics that she recognizes in him: his muscular physique, shaggy black hair, and hawk-like facial features, do not come together the way they should.
Winslow. “For Arnold proposes to become her lover and to initiate her fully into sexuality.” (Winslow) Connie does not respond willingly to Arnold’s proposal, she calls him crazy and regresses into her house and covers her ears in an attempt to block something she was not meant or ready to hear. “Her feelings cause her to associate Arnold with danger, nightmare, and death... Connie is moving tentatively toward an experience she...will be unable to handle emotionally.”