The Groovy Historical Context Joyce Carol Oates is a great American author and Princeton Professor. She wrote the short story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" The story was inspired by two very different American men. The first was the serial killer Charles Schmid. He was convicted of murdering young girls in Tucson, Arizona in 1966. He served as the template for the story’s villain Arnold Friend. The second inspiration for the story was Bob Dylan. He was a prominent musician from the 1960’s. The two men who inspired "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" were both widely known figures from the 1960’s. That is why I believe it is most effective to look at the short story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" from the …show more content…
It echoed major changes that were happening in American Culture. It was a major force for a generation that was fighting for gargantuan changes in society. Social Activism was a major component of popular music. There were protest songs against the Vietnam War and against racial discrimination. Bob Dylan performed many of the most popular protest songs. Some of his most popular songs were “Hurricane”, “Blowin in the Wind”, “The Times They Are A-Changing”, and “Masters of War” (pars. 3-11). Bob Dylan inspired the story through his song “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue.” The author, Joyce Carol Oates, even dedicates the story: “For Bob Dylan” (126). Music is important to the story because Connie is always listening to it. Oates writes, “… the music was always in the background, like music at a church service; it was something to depend upon” (127). The music is about change and that is why it appeals to Connie. She is a teenager metamorphosing. She is changing from a girl into a woman. Connie is trying on her womanhood when she goes out with her friends. She does not act the same way at home as she does when she goes …show more content…
The role of women was changing in the 1960’s. Women were breaking into higher paying careers. Women were no longer content to be house wives. Connie represents this by her attitude towards her mother. Connie likes to go out on the town. She does not want to just stay at home and take care of the house. Connie wants to be more than just a homemaker. She enjoys the freedom that women of the era were gaining. According to “Feminism : A Beginner's Guide”, “When social roles require women to be wives and mothers, they live and work in isolation” (47). Connie’s Mother has always been a housewife and she is isolated and alone. She does not have the freedom that Connie enjoys. Connie and her mother are always arguing with each other. Connie has the opportunity to get an education, a career, and control when she has a baby. These are all oppurtunities that her mother did not have
Oates builds a tension that is released when Connie is forced to choose between her freedom and her safety through her descriptions of Connie's character, her encounters with Arnold Friend, and her choices. Connie's craving for independence and her susceptibility to Arnold Friend's scheming is understood by Oates, who highlights the need to make a responsible choice and the dangers of acting on instinct. Oates creates a strong contrast between these two forces via symbolism, imagery, and personality, finally leading Connie to face her mortality and the effects of her naivete.
“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” written by Joyce Carol Oates is a story briefly filled with love, crime, and violence. Joyce Carol depicts serial killer Charles Schmid in her story. The character Arnold Friend lacks the potential to kill that the real life serial killer had. In the story Connie’s wild, carefree attitude draws the attention of Arnold Friend. He watched her from aside for a while but Connie was so caught up in what she was doing that she didn’t notice him until.
Connie 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
Considering the fact that Connie actively puts others down to build herself up, Connie is experiencing deep-rooted insecurities that affect the way she treats
Oates's story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, is related to Bob Dylan and influenced by his song. The lyrics include, “The vagabond who’s rapping at your door is standing in the clothes that you once wore, strike another match, go start anew, and it’s all over now, Baby Blue." Just like the song, Arnold took Connie away, and she was scared to defy him. In the story, Connie also recognizes Arnold’s voice that sounds like the voice of the radio DJ, Bobby King, which is connected to Bob Dylan. The story also takes place in the 1960s, which Oates had done purposely because it was during a social revolution were women were fighting for their rights and independence from men.
The distance that Connie and her mother maintain in her relationship shows how Connie
All the Wrong Places I’m sure we’ve all heard about young and beautiful attention seeking girls who eventually end up in sticky situations. There are times where they may not ever get out of the situation but, if they do, they attempt to change their ways. In Joyce Carol Oates’ short story “ Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” , a character named Connie fits right in that category. Connie is very vain and loves attention. Connie’s attention seeking ways lands her in a predicament that she rather not be in.
Racism can be defined as prejudice, discrimination, or contributions to a system that perpetuates the idea that one race is inferior to another. Racism was heavily enforced throughout American history, specifically in the early 1900’s. Coincidentally, this was the same time feminists, or women’s-rights activists, were in the in the midst of their fight for equality. Feminism is the theory that women should be treated equally to men in terms of social, political, and economic matters. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston uses the protagonist, Janie, to convey both concepts through her journey to self-love and acceptance.
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.
Her mom envies her because she 's so pretty and cannot be like her. Her older sister who also doesn 't like her that much is always put on a pedestal. Examples are set on Connie of what her sister has done. Her father isn 't really involved in anything and keeps to himself. They Connie met a “boy” named Arnold Friend who has black hair and says he is eighteen but apparently looks much older, he is obsessed with Connie and will
Fantasy V.S. Reality In some cases an individual can perceive something as the complete opposite of what it truly is. People create the illusion or the fantasy on what they believe something to be.
Connie is an average fifteen year old girl. Connie wants boys and freedom. Her conflict is what started her motives for what she wants. Connie feels trapped in her own home. She also does not think too highly of herself.
Instead of realizing the danger that she was in, Connie was focused on what Arnold Friend was wearing and how attractive he was. Connie’s obsession with finding her own sexuality overpowered her gut feeling of danger. In an analysis of “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”, Barbara Wiedemann discusses how the antagonist Arnold Friend is based upon serial killer Charles Schmid, who murdered several young girls during the 1960s. In the analysis, Wiedemann
In John Updike’s “A&P” and Joyce Oates’s “Where are you going, where have you been” there are multiple intriguing similarities and differences between both protagonists. Both stories involve an adolescent 's main character who goes through a type of struggle, however, the severity of their struggles differ greatly. “A&P” includes a young man named Sammy who loses his job grows an attachment to a small group of girls that are regular customers at the shop he works at. The situation in “Where are you going, where have you been?” is much more grim for the protagonist, a young teenage girl, Connie. She is put into a set of circumstances that put her life in danger.
The time when this story took place was a time when women were viewed as second class citizens. Mothers had traditional roles, which usually left them in the house, while men also had their roles, outside of the