Where are you going where have you been analysis. Analysis of âWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been?â 2022-11-17
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"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?", a short story by Joyce Carol Oates, is a tale of the dangers of vanity and the consequences of making poor decisions. It follows the story of Connie, a young woman who is obsessed with her appearance and the attention of men. One day, while her family is away, Connie is approached by a man named Arnold Friend who claims to be a friend of a boy she knows.
As Connie talks to Arnold, she becomes increasingly uneasy and realizes that something is off about him. He seems older than he initially claimed, and his face is distorted and unsettling. Despite her instincts telling her to get away from him, Connie is unable to break free from his grasp and is eventually taken by him.
The story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of vanity and the importance of listening to one's instincts. Connie is so focused on her appearance and her desire to be liked by men that she ignores the warning signs and puts herself in a dangerous situation. She fails to see the true nature of Arnold, who is revealed to be a manipulative and potentially dangerous individual.
In the end, the story suggests that Connie's fate could have been avoided if she had paid more attention to her surroundings and trusted her instincts. It serves as a reminder to always be aware of one's surroundings and to not let vanity cloud one's judgment.
Overall, "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" is a powerful and thought-provoking story that highlights the consequences of ignoring red flags and making poor decisions. It serves as a warning about the dangers of vanity and the importance of listening to one's instincts in order to stay safe.
âWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been?â Analysis Essay Example
The knowledge Connie receives, brought upon by Arnold Friend, on that peculiar July afternoon must seem bittersweet. Connie who take like very much granted and having two-sided duplicity in her character and her lack of sincerity and honesty comes back to her in this problematic way. This means the reader is just as blind to certain information as Connie. Connie is allowed to go out with her girlfriends without her own parents asking exactly where she is going or where she has been when she returns home. Objectification of women is a major issue that needs to be addressed more often because men believe they can treat women like objects.
ðŸÂË Where are you going and where have you been analysis. Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Summary & Analysis. 2022
He begins talking to Connie through the screen door as though they had agreed to meet here at this time, apologizing for being late. She screams into the phone and, after a while when she can hear again, Friend begins telling her to put the phone back and to come outside. It is a realist story with dialogue and characterisation which reinforce the authenticity of the characters, who operate in a world familiar to us as our own. It was the same program that was playing inside the house. His disguise, however, remains unconvincing to Connie, so much so that she asks him straight out what age he is.
Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? by Joyce Carol Oates Plot Summary
The sexual nature of his threats is doubly violent because it forces adult knowledge onto Connie; he seems determined to treat her like a woman when she is still a child. Connie begins to feel lightheaded, and she and Friend stare at one another through the screen door. Oates uses numerous devices to convey the message of the text in an engaging manner. Connie, her vanity, and her Novato get her in the trouble when this hunting character ends up coming to her house when her family is out at the barbeque. When regarding Arnold, Connie quickly becomes suspicious, identifying possible falsehoods in how he carries himself. Friend continues his attempts to coax Connie out of the house, but she is further alarmed by his change in tone and laughter.
Literary Analysis Where Are You Going Where Have You Been
We do not know how Connie sacrifices herself. By noting that Connie can no longer hear music when they leave the plaza, Oates again underscores this connection between male attention and pleasure and music. Feminist Analysis of Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? She recognizes the driver as the boy soon revealed as Arnold Friend in the gold convertible car with shaggy black hair that looks like a wig. Volitionless, Connie moves toward Arnold as in a nightmare, and the final wording of the story suggests he will not only rape her in this world but take her with him to hell, whether biblical or earthly. It is Arnold Friend, the acquaintance with whom was a turning point in the story. Not only does the presence of music seem to conjure these things, but its absence also seems to signal a degree of calm, and there is a sense of order being restored as Connie and her friend are safely heading home, beyond the reach of music and boys alike. At the same time, it is important to pay attention to the similarity of Arnold Friend with the musical idol of teenagers of that time, Bob Dylan.
However, they sneak across the highway to go to a popular diner where the older crowd hangs out at. Connie willingly separates herself from the family; she is disdainful of the idea of going to the barbecue and would rather spend time home alone, perhaps an attempt to assert her maturity and independence. In this very case, we can observe grotesque in the description of Arnold Friend, who personifies beauty, evil, love and lust, in one manifestation Wegs 100. One of the main characters in this short story is Connie. Connie runs into the house and picks up the telephone, but can only hear a roaring sound and is unable to dial a number and call for help. Where did you come from? All in all, if Connie had a normal home life with a supportive and caring family, she would have not felt the need to avoid her family to the extent that she did, hang out with older guys for certain reasons, and make unsmart choices. They are lots of different possibilities that suggest the idea that represents to be the devil such as the fact it says he has trouble standing its seems like things are stuff into his boots.
Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Summary & Analysis
All of Arnold9s actions and mannerisms were concocted to appear casual and young, that way he could manipulate Connie when necessary. The title itself is ironic. Weather Connie deserves it or not, but Arnold Friend is an antagonist of the story. Themes Perhaps by writing this story, Oates intended to send a message to parents and children alike. Fantasy versus Reality Although Connie works hard to present the appearance of being a mature woman who is experienced with men, her encounter with Arnold reveals that this is only a performance. While readers may not know where Arnold is taking Connie, they can infer the psychological problems from where she has been that led her to make the decision that she Loss Of Innocence In 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Connie is in a rush to grow up, like many teenagers. He seems like a demonic figure, perhaps even a nightmare rather than an actual human being, but his true character is never fully clarified.
This story teaches the readers not to hurry up with making decisions and conclusions. Oates has described how she based the character of Arnold Friend on the real life serial killer, Charles Schmid, who also wore makeup and stuffed his boots in order to alter his appearance, and was known for preying on teenage girlsâtaking three of their lives in Tuscon, Arizona the 1960s. Connie often goes to the shopping plaza three miles away with her best girlfriend. Connie however, is the opposite. Again, she is reluctant to speak with him, and he changes the subject to the transistor radio the passenger is holding. Understanding lifespan development can be helpful in many different ways.
Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?: Character List
She obeys her parents and does chores without complaining. She is mature and even helps the family out. This means the reader is just as blind to certain information as Connie. Arnold is hiding things about his physical appearance. The love and romance evident in songs she listens to and images of pop culture that surround her are much different from the reality of adult sexuality. She argues with her mother and sister, June, and neglects family life in favor of scoping out boys at the local restaurant.
A Summary and Analysis of Joyce Carol Oatesâ âWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been?â
Oates uses plenty of epithets, rhetorical questions, paraphrases, personifications, metonymies and repetitions. Connie has too little experience to respond to the situation appropriately while Arnold is not virtuous enough to behave fairly. His strange first name is close to the name Eddie, the name of the boy Connie was with on the night she first saw Arnold. Connie does this because she needs to be reassured that she is in fact pretty. It is important that the decision to cross the threshold at least be made to look like her own, even if it is only the result of extensive coercion. Is he just there to have his way with her sexually because he thinks that is what she wants? In the short story, Carol Oates describes Connie as having two different personalities, one being a narcissistic attitude. Understanding lifespan development can help us better understand ourselves and others, and it can provide valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities that people face at different stages of life.
