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Analysis Of Carol Joyce Oates Where Are You Going Where Have You Been?

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Carol Joyce Oates’ “Where Are You Going Where Have You Been?” presents how falling into temptation leads to giving up control and innocence. Though her mother is unapproving of her actions, Connie spends her time seeking attention from male strangers. Home alone, Connie is approached by a compelling creature who convinces her to leave her life and join him on his unknown journey. Through disapproving her family, having multiple appearances, listening to music, and her desperation to receive attention from boys, Connie gives up control of herself losing the purity of adolescents and contributing to her detrimental fate. It is imperative that one should not be controlled because of a desire to impress others.
Apparent in the beginning stages of the short story, Connie despises her sister, June, for the glory she receives for being the reliable child. She hates her mother for liking her sister more than her, …show more content…

“She ‘was intrigued by the music of Bob Dylan, particularly the hauntingly elegiac song 'It's All Over Now, Baby Blue,' [and she] dedicated [it] to Bob Dylan”’(Nyiknos). Clues from the story allow readers to understand that his music heavily influenced the writings. For instance, Friends use of “blue eyes” when the short story states that Connie has brown eyes. Additionally, Dylan obtained the nickname “The Pied Piper” for his musical ability and a tie to the mythological story of music misleading the innocent children to their death. “Much like the Pied Piper, Friend is able to lure Connie to her probable death and the strange sound of the music that was playing both is the house and in his car” (David). Connie contributes to listening to music that fills her head with ideas about how her life should be lived, rather than deciding for herself. the music has a compelling factor which leads Connie to temptation and allows her to partake in dangerous, misleading

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Analysis Of Joyce Carol Oates 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?'

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“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates dives deep in the realm of suspense and the psychological mind. The story revolves around Connie who can best be described as the stereotypical teenage girl who’s shallow mind focuses on her appearance and her male counterparts. The tone of the story starts off light-hearted depicting Connie’s halcyon days of summer adolescence. However the tone shifts dramatically to a more mystical and suspenseful element when a man named Arnold Friend suddenly arrives at her house. Connie is quizzical about the fact that this strange older looking “boy” arrives at her house with his friend Ellie.

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Once when I was about five, I was alone in my room coloring in my Hot Wheels coloring book. Then as I was picking up the Yellow Crayon, at the corner of my eye, I see a small little shadow just creep my cabinet in front of me. I quickly got up and ran towards my parent’s room with my coloring book, and I looked behind me and I saw that shadow running after me. As I was running, I stumbled over my own foot and fell.

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Since the beginning of the written language, the reader's perception of a literary work has been based on their interpretation of how the story was portrayed. Differing points of view within the story generate diverse interpretations among readers. From Shakespeare to Faulkner, the aspect of differing viewpoints allows each story to convey contrasting feelings to the reader. In Eudora Welty’s Why I Live at the P.O., she uses a first-person view to reinforce this idea. The attitude of the narrator, sister, is biased in many respects to further her agenda.

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The line comes from the Joyce Carol Oates' story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? " I believe the author is referring to how her family and her friend perceive here. Connie sees herself while at home as dull and quiet compared to the rebellious and outgoing look she presents to her friends. It appears that that neither groups, family or friends, know who she really is. I believe its natural for you to act one way with you friends and another way with your family.

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The short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” and movie Smooth Talk took over the nation by storm. Both loosely based off and inspired from true events committed by Charles Schimid .Whose terrible acts made America gasp in stock but also were able to allow a wee bit of light to be able to shed down on literature. “Where Are You Going,Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates .

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In Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, Connie is a fifteen-year-old girl, who does not necessarily get along with her family. During the week, she often times goes to a shopping plaza with some of her friends. However, they sneak across the highway to go to a popular diner where the older crowd hangs out at. At home, Connie is often times arguing with her family. One day her family is invited to her aunt's barbecue but Connie refuses to go.

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Why do individuals do certain things; one may not understand the consequences of an action, or realize that it has a positive or negative effect on the present and future of their lives. The cause of an action can tell why it has a specific effect. For instance, a short story by Joyce Carol Oates titled, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” is very interesting and allows you to make inferences based on the information given. One can evaluate from the material given the causes and effects of certain situations. This story is about a teenage girl named Connie, who replaces the traditional family values with her own because of how the music of that time period influenced her.

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Home is where the heart is, but what if home is no longer safe? Joyce Carol Oates explores this concept in her 1966 short story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”. On surface level, this story appears to discuss a rebellious young girl named Connie and her confrontation with Arnold Friend, a stalker. The ending leaves the reader to assume that Arnold Friend plans to sexually assault the young girl.

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Analysis Of Connie In Joyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been

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“But now her looks were gone and that was why she was always after Connie.” (Oates ). Also, there is another opportunity for friendship within the family, between Connie and her sister, however, that is lost in their rivalry and hostility. “Her sister was so plain and chunky and steady that Connie had to hear her praised all the time – by her mother and her mother's sisters.” ( ).

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That also made her become more vulnerable to the real dangers and the evilness that exists in the world. That danger was represented by an old man who pretends to be an eighteen year old boy that seduced and kidnaped Connie. The end of the story Joyce Carol Oates leaves it open to the readers, because that way it makes the reader think of what might have happened, whether she got raped or whether she is killed, after the main character leaves with the antagonist of the story. Oates shows that ignorance, narcissism and the lack of

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The Stranger In the beginning of “Where Are You Going Where Have You Been” Joyce Carol Oates reminds the reader of how carefree it is to be a teenager without any responsibility. One can quickly see that Connie is like many teenagers of today behaving to much like a grown woman. Connie appears to be growing up to fast before our eyes. She is in a stage of teenage rebellion, acting on things too fast.

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Analysis Of Joyce Carol Oate's Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

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In Joyce Carol Oate’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, the coming of age message is to avoid living in your childhood fantasies so much that you can’t face the realities of adulthood. Connie is a fifteen years old girl who wants to act mature but constantly living in her childhood fantasies. When it comes to her craving of acting like a grown up, she goes to the Big Boy restaurant with her friends but left them behind when a boy is asking her to go out for dinner. When she gets home, she dreams that ‘the boy’ she met last night whose ‘sweet, gentle’ and just like ‘in the movies and promised in songs’(52). Sweet and gentle are being expressed as imagery to describe the boy that Connie met the night before.

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Although he’s older than Arnold, he’s only riding shotgun but he’s taking orders from Arnold which gives him the impression of being the Devil’s advocate. In conclusion, conclusion “For Bob Dylan”, reads the dedication in the story’s initial’s publication. Few years prior to this story’s initial release Dylan recorded a song “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue”, which has lyrics such as

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Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Psychological Analysis

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The short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates can be interpreted in a multitude of ways due to its ambiguity. A psychological lens, however, provides the most accurate viewpoint for analyzing the story as it clarifies certain obscure scenes and actions of Connie. One psychological issue of Connie that is easily inferred from the beginning of the story is her insecurity about her looks. Connie constantly worries about the way that she looks and takes any opportunity to do so, “craning her neck to glance into mirrors or checking other people's faces to make sure her own was all right” (1).

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