In the short story “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been‚” Joyce Carol Oats uses characterization including methods such as symbolism and allusions to develop her characters‚ and thus establish her theme of the cross roads Connie faces in her transition from the innocence of her adolescence to the impurity of adulthood facilitated by the antagonist‚ Arnold Friend. From the beginning of the story‚ the reader sees Connie has a strong desire to make her early transition into adulthood. Although
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Where are you going‚ Where have you been? by Joyce Carol Oates is an interesting piece of literature. Due to the intense nature of the story‚ many criticisms have come up. Many theories have been developed about hidden meanings within the work. One that is very controversial is the allusion to the bible. Many people say that there are clear references to the bible through a hidden code but this is not the case. Oates’s inspiration for the short story came from a magazine article about a series of
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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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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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In the 1960s‚ when Oates wrote “Where Are You Going . . . ‚” a social revolution was happening. American women were asserting their rights and independence from men‚ and they were claiming their sexuality in a way they had never done before. One frequently discussed topic was adolescence and the struggles and anxieties that many young girls endured as they lost their sexual innocence and became adult women. Feeling undervalued in their homes and relationships with men‚ women questioned their role
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Where are you going‚ Where have you been? This is a horrifying and haunting story that shows a girl who resulted in an awful situation. She rejects the role of being a daughter‚ sister‚ and a nice girl to refine her sexual personality. She has an obsession with her looks‚ loves to hang out with her friends and flirts with boys older than her. This award directly goes to Connie which is the main character of the book called‚ “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol. Connie is
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It all happened on a warm sunny saturday morning in “Where are you going. Where have you been’’ by Joyce Carry Oates. It started with an unfamiliar car bouncing along Connie’s long drive way. When she first heard the car she rushed to the window excitedly‚ frantically fixing her hair. Making sure she looked good‚ seemed to be an insecure habit for Connie. She saw an uninvited boyish looking man who was situated in the car parked now in her driveway. There was a tension of unease about the boyish
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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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Where are you going‚ where have you been? In the short story “Where Are You going? Where Have You Been?”‚ by Joyce Carol Oates. The use of the symbolism of Connie’s clothes‚ her fascination with her beauty‚ Arnold Friend’s car and Arnold Friend himself help to understand the story’s theme of evil and manipulation. The story‚ fill with underlying tones of evil. In this short story‚ Oates write about 15-year-old Connie‚ the protagonist of the story‚ a pretty girl who is a little too into her own
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looking into the eyes of a person one can see their hidden emotions and attitudes and thoughts” (Schwartz). Also when the author makes a point to mention in detail items that have reflective surfaces they are inferring that there is a deeper meaning behind the reflection. In the short story “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?” by Joyce
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