The story “Where are you going‚ where have you been?” by Joyce Carol Oats embraces some ideas of existentialism theory‚ popular in the sixtieths of the past century‚ that a person’s true and best qualities reveal during dramatic situations‚ usually during their fighting for life. This story is about a teenage girl‚ whose behavior and a perception of self drastically changes within minutes because of a brutal reality breaking into her life and destroying it. Connie is a protagonist of the story.
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see all sorts of different scenarios play out. Although Joyce Carol Oates’s‚ “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?” was inspired by real life events and reports of a serial rapist murderer‚ it can also be read as a coming of age story in which we see the victim‚ Connie‚ mature and evolve tremendously from the beginning to the end of the story because of the situation she unfortunately finds
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Loving‚ Superficial‚ Intimate Teens "Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?" by Joyce Carol Oates catapults its reader into a seductive‚ fifteen-year-old mindset‚ embodied by the main character‚ the rebellious Connie. Connie‚ much like Sammy‚ the main character from "A & P" by John Updike‚ is on the prowl for companionship and sex. Their unsuccessful search for intimacy‚ appreciation for family life‚ and superficial attitudes are what bring them together as similar characters but also what
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1. “Where are You Going? Where Have You Been?”: What is an allusion? Read the story with an eye to allusions of “Little Red Riding Hood”. What is an archetype? What archetype does the description of Arnold Friend suggest? What does Arnold’s car represent? What archetype do Connie and her description suggest? What archetype does the conflict between Connie and Arnold suggest? Can this story be considered as a cautionary tale? An allusion is something that relates a subject or idea and
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King’s "The Man in the Black Suit" and Oates’s "Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?"‚ fears related to family are exploited by antagonists in young and vulnerable protagonist. "The Man in the Black Suit" presents a young boy‚ who after the traumatic loss of his brother‚ has an encounter with the Devil. In this short story‚ the fear that the antagonist plays upon is the loss of the young boy’s mother. Oates’s "Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been‚" also plays with the protagonist’s family‚ as
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Do not knock on the devil’s door‚ for he is bound to answer. Unfortunately this is exactly what happens to Connie‚ the main character in the short-story‚ “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?” written by Joyce Carol Oates. In the story‚ fifteen year old Connie is like any other teenage girl. She is vain‚ unkind to her parents‚ and desperate to grow up. Connie makes rebellious decisions such as sneaking across the highway to a drive-in restaurant for older kids‚ experimenting with sex‚ and lying
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Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been” conveys the theme of good vs. evil through Connie and Arnold by creating a sympathetic character and using symbolism‚ creating a fine line between the protagonist and the antagonist. In this short story‚ the antagonist Arnold Friend is a seducting creep that seduces young‚ innocent girls to “go on a date with him”. While he is at the protagonist‚ Connie’s‚ house‚ he is persuading Connie by telling her all about herself‚ including his
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In Joyce Carol Oates’ "Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?" the author goes into depth of the transition from being a carefree‚ innocent child to the complexity and uncertainty of the future when one becomes an adult. The message begins even before the story itself actually does. The title illustrates the passage of time in life such as the phrase "where are you going" refers to the question of what direction does one have for his own life. "Where have you been?" is a question which involves
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Comparison of Smooth Talk to “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?” Joyce Carol Oakes’s short story‚ “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?” was written in 1966 and twenty years later was made into a movie entitled Smooth Talk‚ winner of the 1985 U.S. Film Festival for best dramatic picture. The writing by Oates is loosely based on a true story described as “the tale of Charles Schmid‚ a twenty-three-year-old who cruises teenage hangouts‚ picking up girls for rides in his gold convertible”
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Fantasy versus Reality in Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been? Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been? by Joyce Carol Oates has a constant theme of reality and fantasy running parallel for 15 year old Connie. This short story begins with a description of Connie’s vain personality. The narrator describes her as pretty and self-centered (Oates 421). To emphasize her selfishness‚ Connie is contrasted with her sister‚ June‚ who is chubby‚ plain‚ and well-behaved. Connie’s mother always praises
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