Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been By Joyce Carol Oates

Social Reality: An Analysis of â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been† by Joyce Carol Oates Joyce Carol Oates has kept her true inspiration behind â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been† in order to create a willing suspension of disbelief between realism and fantasy. The short story by Oates was released soon after the newspaper published the murders committed by Charles Schmid Jr. in 1966. The story displays numerous resembling details that match the real-life murder case involving â€Å"The Pied Piper† of Tucson Arizona. Many writers have written literary pieces on the story expressing inverse views in search for their own figurative meaning. While there are many interpretations of this story and they all include valid points, the†¦show more content†¦Additionally, she goes on to emphasize the social realism of the story â€Å"upon closer analysis, it appears that Connie takes the active part as Everyman experiencing the inevitable realization of her insignificance and powerlessness† (Urbanski 202). Moreover, the music throughout the story brings life to the realism in the story that parallels the contribution to Bob Dylan and the era in which the story takes place which reminds the audience of such social realization. Oates adds a musical metaphor when describing Arnold Friend, â€Å"He spoke in a simple lifting voice, exactly as if he were reciting the words to a song† (Oates). Oates informs the audience of Connie’s two different worlds when the narrator reads, â€Å"Everything about her had two sides to it, one for home and one for anywhere that was not home: her walk, which could be childlike and bobbing, or languid enough to make anyone think she was hearing music in her head; her mouth, which was pale and smirking most of the time, but bright and pink on these evenings out; her laugh, which was cynical and drawling at home—Ha, ha, very funny,—but high pitched and nervous anywhere else, like the jingling of the charms on her bracelet† (Oates). Winslow also expresses the degree of consciousness in that Connie’s character has been repressed because of the guilt she holds inside of her. Additionally, Winslow illustrates the two sided identity of Connie when she states â€Å"One part of her displays her emergingShow MoreRelated Joyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?1539 Words   |  7 PagesJoyce Caro l Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Joyce Carol Oates was born in 1938 in Lockport, New York. She started writing very young and that the age of fifteen she submitted her first novel, but it was rejected for being too dark;. This style of writing is common on many of her works including Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?; Oates graduated from Syracuse University and then went on to get her masters degree from the University of Wisconsin. Oates turnedRead MoreJoyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?651 Words   |  3 PagesJoyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Every person comes face to face at some point in life with vital decisions. Some of the decisions are minor ones, while others can bring turning points in life. In Joyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? she displays a particular instant in the main characters life. This character, Connie was caught in the difficult transition from her youth and innocence to a doubtful future. Throughout the story Connie alternatesRead MoreWhere are you Going? Where Have you Been? by Joyce Carol Oates1100 Words   |  5 PagesWhere Are You Going, Where have you been? is a short story written by Joyce Carol Oates. The 75 year old American author and professor at Princeton University, introduce the story of 15 year old Connie who is rebelling against her mother’s whishes. A very arrogant and selfish girl that in her world the only thing that matters is how many heads she can turn when walking into a room. Through the story life gives her a test, to confront Arnold Friend, th e antagonist of the story; who possesses a nefariousRead MoreWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been By Joyce Carol Oates1032 Words   |  5 PagesOne may never realize the people surrounding one’s everyday life, crammed with bodies of contrasting characters, pasts’, and styles; however, who are these people genuinely? Arnold Friend, in the short story, â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been† by Joyce Carol Oates, managed to deceive with his false characteristics. Arnold Friend was brought to life from Oates’s imagination of the mischievous serial killer Charles Schmid. Arnold Friend and Charles Schmid similarly attempted to delude withRead MoreWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been? by Joyce Carol Oates1157 Words   |  5 Pages Joyce Carol Oates’ â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?† is a modern interpretation of the classic narrative of evil tempting innocence. Oates’ version of the devil allegory combines this Christian model of temptation with contemporary secular society. Connie is a pretty fifteen year-old girl, beginning the process of maturation into adulthood. She begins to become aware of her ability to act of her own volition, but her naivete renders her ignorant to Arnold Friend’s layers ofRead More Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been by Joyce Carol Oates1563 Words   |  7 PagesWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been by Joyce Carol Oates In Joyce Carol Oates story, a teenage girl named Connie was stripped of her innocence. Gonna get you baby( 497).This chilling line is what the devil said to Connie the first time Connie came in contact with him which foreshadows of things to come. This one comment clearly points to a situation where Connie would be taken from a safe haven of innocence. She would be TAKEN, not simply invited. Connie was a Read MoreWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been by Joyce Carol Oates1107 Words   |  4 PagesIn Joyce Carol Oates â€Å"Where are you going, where have you been?† introduces us to Connie a self-absorbed, rebellious, and very naà ¯ve fifteen year old who is tossed into this world of sexuality, and adulthood she believes she knows all about. As Oates explains about Connie to us we get introduced to what influences her to act out and not care what others think and go about dealing with problems herself. Her mom is brought in as an over protective mother who wants to see her daughter succeed but doesn’tRead MoreWhere Are You Going Where Have You Been? by Joyce Carol Oates991 Words   |  4 PagesThe decisions that you make throughout life can make or break you; you just have to make the right ones. In Joyce Carol Oates story â€Å"Where Are Your Going Where Have You Been?†, the main character is Connie. Connie had an older sister but she was nothing like her. Her older sister always pleased her mom, and Connie did not care. Connie and her friend hang out and go to the shopping center or the movies. One day they decided that instead of going to the mall they would go to the diner across theRead MoreJoyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going Where Have You Been1502 Words   |  7 PagesThe Devil in Disguise Joyce Carol Oates’s â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?† describes the story of a fifteen-year old girl named Connie who does not seem to have a care in the world. The story takes place in the seventies. Connie is a girl who just wants to have fun and is all about her appearance and boys. In the beginning of the story, you understand the relationship between the mother and Connie. The mother appears to be malicious of her young and beautiful Connie saying such harshRead MoreWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been by Joyce Carol Oates1008 Words   |  5 Pages There are always two sides to every story. The short story â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been†, by Joyce Carol Oates is a prefect example of just that. In this short story, the main character is a fifteen year old girl, named Connie. The young adolescent has two sides to herself; one when she is at home and one when she is out with her friends. When Connie is at home, she acts c hildlike. However, when she goes out she tries to act like an adult by changing her clothes and the way she talks