Joyce Carol Oates’ story‚ “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?” is initially about a teen (Connie) who is going through the beginning phases of teen life‚ playing into the stereotype of an image-conscious teen. She is recalcitrant with her parents‚ sneaks off to start hanging out with boys‚ et cetera. About a third of the way through the story‚ a man that she had seen earlier at the diner shows up to take her out for a drive‚ and the situation goes downhill as she asks him more and more questions
Premium Joyce Carol Oates
Oates ’ "Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?": Arnold Fiend In Joyce Carol Oates ’ "Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?" critics argue whether the character of Arnold Friend‚ clearly the story ’s antagonist‚ represents Satan in the story. Indeed‚ Arnold Friend is an allegorical devil figure for the main reason that he tempts Connie‚ the protagonist‚ into riding off with him in his car. Oates characterizes Arnold Friend at first glance as "a boy with shaggy‚ black hair‚ in a convertible
Premium Joyce Carol Oates Devil
In the short story “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been” by Joyce Carol Oates there is bad parenting and it costs Connie at the end. Throughout the entire story there is little or no parenting‚ or sometimes there is a little parenting but it is not very good parenting. For example‚ “their father was away at work most of the time and when he came home‚ he wanted supper and he read the newspaper at supper and after supper he went to bed. He didn’t bother talking much to them” (Oates 1). So even
Premium Joyce Carol Oates Fiction Short story
The story‚ Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been? By Joyce Carol‚ is a story told in a third person perspective‚ regarding Connie‚ a 15-year-old. She and her mother have not at all gotten along. Her mother consistently compares her with her sister‚ and her father barely ever speaks with his daughters. One night‚ Connie and her best friend go to a shopping plaza. As instantly the adult is out of sight they cross the highway into a drive-in restaurant and stay on the restaurant’s counter. Thereafter
Premium Family Mother Short story
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
Premium Short story Joyce Carol Oates Family
At first glance‚ the story “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates seems like a regular story where a girl just has home problems like every other teenager. However‚ by looking more into the story you can see that the locations of where Connie is at‚ mean something different. In my opinion‚ I believe that the setting plays a significant role in the way Connie alternates her personality around her family and friends. When she is out with friends and not at home with family
Premium
Connie in “Where are you going‚ Where have you been”‚ has a lot of underlying mental issues. Joyce Carol Oates created the perfect character to receive psychoanalytic criticism. The relationships Connie forms with her family‚ friends‚ and outsiders are all affected by Connie’s issues which come to consume her future. One of Connie’s biggest faults was the recognition of her beauty. She “knew she was pretty and that was everything” (Oates 1). This constant checking of herself in mirrors to make
Premium Psychology Joyce Carol Oates Personality disorder
Kevin Coffman College Composition 2 Mrs. Johnson March 8‚ 2013 Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been? The story‚ “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been” is a very interesting short story written by Joyce Carol Oats. Her story begins in the summer‚ and 15-year-old Connie spends much of her time lounging around the house‚ going out with friends‚ and meeting boys. One night a strange guy makes a threatening gesture to her in the parking lot of a local drive-in restaurant. She thinks nothing
Premium Family Man Attention
the woman. In Olsen’s I Stand Here Ironing‚ the constraints of oppression were alive in her thoughts. Olsen’s fa’ade was being a housewife‚ she would have rather had other choices in her life and wanted more for her daughter as is told by the last quote in the story: In summary‚ all three women had no choice in their lives or they chose not to have a choice but to follow society’s way of thinking. "It was the only way we could be together‚ the only way I could hold a job" (Olsen 225). They did what
Premium Charlotte Perkins Gilman The Yellow Wallpaper Thought
Analysis for “Where are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?” Joyce Carol Oates’ short story is a complete fiction in the sense that it utilizes all its elements without deemphasizing one for the other. Oates uses point of view‚ setting‚ conflict‚ character‚ and symbol equally well to convey her theme. Oates applies these elements of fiction to give readers a better understanding of the American teenager and to show how a girl is psychologically manipulated by predators. It is evident from the first
Free Fiction Narrative Joyce Carol Oates