In “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?”‚ the main character‚ Connie‚ is on the brink of adulthood and is experimenting with the sexual freedom that comes with it. On the weekends‚ Connie and her friend go to the mall or the diner and pursue older boys with which they will slip into dark alleys or cars. One night‚ when leaving the diner to go hang out with a boy‚ a man in a gold convertible catches Connie’s eye and says to her‚ “Gonna get you‚ baby”. Later in the story‚ Connie is tanning outside
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falling from trees? Does one have to be a hero by saving someone from a burning building? What qualifies as a hero? Many people have their own definition and vision of a hero. Heroism comes in many ways through attitudes and acts of oneself. I believe heroism is the intent of doing something for the benefit of others‚ and not caring about the consequences that might ensue. In Joyce Carol Oates’s "Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been‚" we see the character of Connie in a process of making the hardest
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Commentary on "Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been" 10/17/06 Joyce Carol Oates has achieved many things through her writing‚ and is recognized worldly for her short story "Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?" This story is centered on a young teenage girl as many of her stories are. Oates as a writer is fascinated with adolescence of young females. She chooses to write about the trials and tribulations of growing up in modern society. She pries on the dark aspects of youth often
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Miller 1 Timothy B. Miller Prof. Nicholas Young LITR-221 June 23‚ 2013 Where Have You Been‚ Where Are You Going: A. Friend’s View. His name was Arnold Friend. He was getting older but still liked the young ladies around town. Arnold came from a broken home. His father had been in prison since right after his birth for some reason or another and his mother did her best to raise him courting a string of good-for-nothing losers who were in and out of her life faster than crap through a goose
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“Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?” should not be read through a fantasy/allegorical lens‚ but through a lens of reality. Reading it through the former limits the potency of the story. Everything that takes place in the story is believable‚ and in fact‚ many details of the story are based on real events. Arnold Friend is based on Charles Schmid‚ a real life serial killer who was responsible for the murder of three young girls. Schmid was arrested in 1965 for the rape and murder of Allen Rowe;
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In the story “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been” by Joyce Oates‚ the audience explores the story of Connie‚ a normal teenage girl‚ who meets Arnold Friend‚ a seemingly harmless character at first‚ but we later come to find out that he has been stalking her and Arnold
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English Comp II 11 April 2013 The Only Journey is the One Within The purpose of the journey of life is the journey itself - not to get somewhere. We already are somewhere‚ exactly where we need to be and to go forward from. It’s not about the destination/ending point‚ but about destiny‚ which is an eternal going forward that is already here‚ all along the way. It is our manifest destiny to live and learn and grow throughout eternity. Life is often described as a journey of discovery and growth
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Weinberger’s article makes many interesting points about the character of Arnold Friend in “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been”- the main idea being that Arnold represents Connie’s “other self”. According to the article‚ this can be observed in how Connie and Arnold are opposites in both appearance and behavior‚ and Arnold’s purpose is to induct Connie into adulthood. I disagree with the idea that Arnold is Connie. While the article gathered a lot of good evidence to support this claim‚ I think the
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The story “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been” is essentially about a young woman’s strive for independence‚ which eventually leads to conflict. Girls today appear as mature women and in addition‚ are put into adult situations sometimes unwillingly. Oates portrays a social issue that relates to this current society by using symbolism and characterization while taking the reader on a journey throughout the thoughts and feelings of a teenage girl. There are two main symbols the author uses
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The real world chooses to hide the wickedness of mankind‚ while the world of fiction chooses to highlight it. In the stories “The Overcoat” by Nikolai Gogol‚ “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez‚ and “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates‚ especially highlight the time the horrible aspects of man. Each one highlighting the corruption of man in their own unique way. The social hierarchy is a key part to the wickedness of mankind. This is a major
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