Summary Of 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?'
Story: “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” 1970
Author: Joyce Carol Oates, 1938 – Present
Central Character: Connie is the main character. She is a vain fifteen-year-old girl. Connie openly gawks at herself in the mirror and knew she was pretty. (664). She had a high breathless, amused voice. Other Characters: Connie has an older sister named June. June is twenty-four years old and still lives at home. However, unlike Connie, June was plain and chunky. Then there is Connie’s mother, “who had been pretty once too,” (664). Moreover, there is Arnold Friend. “He wasn’t tall, only an inch or so taller... he was dressed: tight faded jeans stuffed into scruff boots…he looked as if he did some hard work, lifting and carrying things.” (668).
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Some parts of the story take place at a restaurant.
Narrator: The story is told from the third person point of view. Giving us a clear look into Connie’s thoughts.
Summary: (1). Connie and her friends go to the restaurant where all the older kids hang at. (2). Connie meets a boy named Eddie and she hangs out with him for a few hours. (3). The next morning Connie’s parents are getting ready to go to a family barbeque, to which Connie protests. (4). Shortly after her parents leave, Arnold Friend looks to seducing Connie. (5). Connie says she will call the police. However, Arnold pulls an ultimatum saying he will come and get her. (6). Finally, Connie gives in and finds, “that she is going to it.” (675).
Tone: The tone of the story is one that is ominous. The minute that Connie finds herself being seduced by Arnold Friend. We can only infer that it’s not going to end well.
Style: I thought it was interesting how the story was written. The narrator begins with telling us, “Her name was Connie. She was fifteen…” (664). The story seems to be written in the past tense almost as if these events had already occurred. Because of this, the word, “was” gives the impression that Connie
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Arnold Friend Symbolism
2030 Words | 9 PagesAF has come to take her to Hell. When she takes a ride with AF she is really riding to Hell with the Devil. AF tries to persuade Connie further because he, “knows [Connie’s] name and all about you, lots of things” (par. 58). AF continues to prove that he is the Devil by knowing everything about Connie without ever talking to her. He continues to prove that he is knows
Arnold Friend Character Analysis
1432 Words | 6 PagesA car pulls up with the same station playing; Connie fixes her hair, it says, “She whispers “Christ, Christ” wondering how bad she looked.” Again worrying about her beauty, she does not even knowing who it was. She stands by the front door on the inside; two guys that pull up were Arnold Friend and his friend, Elliot. They are strangers to Connie, but Arnold seems to know a lot about Connie. At first, she flirts with Arnold being flattered by his compliments; however, she was innocent to what he is really like.
Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Character Analysis Essay
555 Words | 3 PagesConnie and her friends go to the restaurant whenever they hang out and it somewhat symbolizes a safe zone for Connie away from her family and the evils in the world. Along with the drive-in, music is also a very important piece to understanding the purpose of the story. Oates writes, “the music was always in the background like music at a church service, it was something to depend on” (309). When she says it was something to depend on it is as though the music was a constant in Connie’s life. Connie used music as a sense of escape from everything almost as though it was a ritual or spiritual experience for her and her
Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Character Analysis Essay
875 Words | 4 Pages(25). The quotes demonstrate her mother’s lack of affection and indicate that her mother was resentful. Connie would raise her eyebrows at the familiar old complaints and look right through her mother. She knows that she is beautiful and that was everything, and because her mother does not acknowledge her beauty she looks for validation
Arnold Friend Symbolism
1290 Words | 6 PagesAt home she had a childlike walk, a pale and smirking mouth, and a cynical laugh; at home Connie was a child. In public, Connie acted like someone different, with a languid walk, bright pink lips and a high-pitched laugh; Connie tried to fit in with the older kids. Based on the way she presents herself, Connie seems to be able to attract guys’ attention and handle any situation with grace. However, just as the confrontation between the two showed Friend’s true character, the confrontation showed Connie’s as well. After her nerves overcame her, Connie reached for the phone to call for help, but all she could hear was a tiny roaring and was “so sick with fear that she could do nothing but listen to it” and then “she cried out, she cried for her mother, she felt her breath start jerking back and forth into her lungs as if it were something Arnold Friend was stabbing her with” (13).
Theme Of Where Are You Going Where Have You Been
1511 Words | 7 PagesFrom the beginning, a tone of disappointment and oppressiveness covered the story. Connie always has to deal with criticism from her mother, ignorance from her father, and comparison with her sister. The author gives the readers a tone of suffocation and struggles from within her own house and how her family members treat her. As the story progresses, the author is changing his tone from oppressive to suspenseful and anxious. At this time, Connie's meeting with Arnold Friend is taking place.
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Arnold Friend Character Analysis
1137 Words | 5 PagesA repetitive notion made in the story, as June is used as a meter to compare Connie too; which naturally, no one would like: “June did this, June did that, she saved money and helped clean the house and cooked and Connie couldn 't do a thing, her mind was all filled with trashy daydreams” (308). Ellie 's character, even as quite as he remains, presents a conflict with Arnold. First when he over steps his boundary with Arnold and asked "You want me to pull out the phone?" (318), then being told by Arnold to "Shut your mouth and keep it shut" (318), only to ask about the phone again. To which Arnold responds with more conflict: "you 're deaf, get a hearing aid, right?
Essay On Where Are You Going By Joyce Carol Oates
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1135 Words | 5 PagesReaching the end of the story, Arnold states, “You don’t want them to get hurt” (Oates 71). She ends up making a “christ like” sacrifice in order to save her family, and so she ends up walking towards Arnold Friend, and there’s the ending. Connie “crossed over”, and it never explains what happened after. Through various things like temptation, the 33 19 and 17 numbers, the description of Arnold Friend, the X, all
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