The short story Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Is about a girl named Connie and her encounter with a strange man calling himself Arnold Friend. Connie is a young girl in high school who takes great pride in her looks. Her looks mean everything to her and gives her a sense of vanity. However, she does not have a good relationship with her family members. One day while she was home alone, a man named Arnold Friend showed up at her door. He wanted to take her out for a ride and go on a date. Connie was cautious around him due to how old he looked and his sexual remarks towards her. Strange things began to happen and she eventually left with Arnold Friend. The story does not give a clear explanation as to what happened to Connie, but it was not a good thing. …show more content…
A major part of society at the time was music. Music would be heard by everyone and had the power to influence people. Young people such as teenagers were more rebellious towards adults and wanted change in their society. While this era had some upsides, Connie fell victim to all of the negative aspects of the media. Joyce Carol Oates wrote this story and targeted it towards parents and teens of the time so that they understood how important it was to be active in children's lives. She wanted parents to properly guide their children and for sons and daughters to listen to their parents. This is shown by Arnold Friend, who embodies everything that the media mentions. Arnold Friend is an embodiment of evil and uses Connie's lack of proper guidance against
Textual Analysis of the Tension(s) In the Story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates Introduction The story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" by Joyce Carol Oates is a prime example of the conflict between youth and experience since it pits Connie's naivete against the seductive yet dangerous Arnold Friend. Connie's need for direction from an older person and her yearning for independence is put into conflict by Joyce Carol Oates.
From the opening lines of, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” By Joyce Carol Oates, readers are immediately introduced to the character, as well as indicating the story is being told by a third person narrator. The use of a third person narrator lets readers know what connie is thinking allowing them to identify with her on a more personal level. The beginning of the story is also introduced in past tense. This could foreshadow the fact that something bad might have happened to connie, also suggesting the theme of violence.
The short story “Where Are you Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates brings a dark transition of a child to an adult. Connie, the main character, is a young girl with all the care-free worries of someone her age. She day-dreams about romance and love through the popular songs on the radio, spends evenings with friends at the local shopping mall and dive diner, and flirts with boys. Like many girls her age, Connie seems to sleep-walk through life, dancing to a tune that only she can hear or understand. But this is cut away when she meets a stranger named Arnold Friend.
The story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” had people in history asking questions of good and evil. Why do people have to suffer in the world? Arnold Friend is more than just an individual. He is a strong symbol of death, happiness, and everything that opposes the life we live in. This story was set in the context of the 1960s and the 1970s America and shows how strong violence is built into society (Laura Kalpakian).
The short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" inspired by the Life magazine story about a serial killer named Charles Schmid. An older man who seduced and killed adolescent’s girls. What drove Oates to write the story was not due to the serial killer, but to the abnormal actions of the teenagers who helped and gave in to him.
She stood. Now, turn this way. That’s right, Come over here to me” (Pg.6). Arnold Friend had control over Connie’s body because she had no other choice or at least she felt that way. She could not decide for herself what she wanted to do.
Arnold is a symbol for the dangers of the outside world: charismatic at first glance, but with dark intentions hidden underneath his appearance. When they first were talking, Connie thought to herself that “his smile assured her that everything was fine” (Oates 69). His initial appearance at her door intrigued her, and she found herself talking with him until she realized that he looked too old, and threatened to come inside if she called for help. Connie’s inexperience with the real world leads her to regard Arnold with little suspicion at first and he tells her what the world expects of women like her: “‘to be sweet and pretty and give in’” (Oates 75).
“She cried out, she cried for her mother, she felt her breath start jerking back and forth in her lungs as if it were something Arnold Friend was stabbing her with again and again with no tenderness.” (Oates 8). This quote stated in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” by Joyce Carol Oates shows the capture of Connie by Arnold Friend. Connie’s actions that lead up to her capture are mainly caused by her insecurities which are prevalent through these actions. Her deep-rooted insecurities influence her decisions, actions, and the way she appears to others, which ultimately leads up to the development of the story.
In the story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oats the overall theme is maturing as a woman. With this theme comes different experiences that main character Connie has experienced. Connie is a fifteen year old girl who is maturing and trying to step into womanhood as a teenager. Connies confidence is always debunked by her mother, she always scorns Connie insisting that she stops always looking at herself and being overly confident in herself. While Connie sneaks a date an older guy hits on her, this older man named Arnold Friend comes to Connie's home and insists that Connie comes outside for a ride or her family will get hurt.
A novel by Joyce Carol Oates, "Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?" explores the concept of victimhood and victimization towards an adolescent named Connie. In the course of the novel, Joyce Carol Oates describes Connie's reactions to various situations and conflicts in her life, such as the situation with Arnold and his friend. Because of her mother's unfairness, Connie is in the position she is in today. Thus, we should never blame the victims.
According to the story, the reader is first introduced to Connie by the description used by someone
The short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” was written by the author Joyce Carol Oates in 1966. Oates describes her idea for the story after briefly reading an article about the real-life murderer, Charles Schmid, who lured and murdered three teenage girls (Kirszner & Mandell 523). She uses this idea to create the character, Arnold Friend, and his victim, Connie. Connie is a typical teenage girl portrayed as naïve and self-centered. The short story appears realistic, given that the conflict in the story is based off of real events.
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.
When Connie realizes that Arnold is much older than she thought, she is taken over by fear of what’s going to happen. This situation is much different than anything else she has ever
“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” is about a teenager named Connie who is trying to come to terms with her transformation from childhood to adulthood. Through this process, Connie attempts to act older than she is an tries to gain the attention of boys. In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” Joyce Oates portrays Connie as obsessed with men to symbolize how one’s obsession and narcissistic attitude can cause danger to seem surreal. In the short story, Carol Oates describes Connie as having two different personalities, one being a narcissistic attitude.