“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 “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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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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music‚ miniskirts‚ sexual freedom and drugs. At that time‚ Joyce Carol Oates created her works‚ in which she talked about ordinary everyday affairs‚ giving them a specific dark climate fueled by the second bottom. A short story "Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been" was written in such climate. Oates addressed the problem of growing up in the 1960s. For many people this period seemed to be bliss‚ but for others it was a period full of doubts and dilemmas. The main character of this story‚
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Fiction Analysis Where are you going‚ Where have you been? The story is based in 1960s American suburbs and is told through the eyes of a teenager named Connie. The theme of the story revolves around Connie and her feelings as it is basically told through the eyes of a teenager. The reader is first introduced to the main character Connie and the theme of innocence is established. The first parts of the essay tell us how Connie does not get along with her mother or her sister. It is shown in some
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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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“Where are you going‚ Where have you been” Analysis Evette Paden Shorter University “Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been‚” is a chilling tale of rape and murder with a plot to create suspense. On a symbolic level it becomes a metaphor for simplicity and innocence. Oates’ use of literal and figurative‚ psychological and allegorical levels makes this story a powerful and fascinating story. One contributing factor to this story’s power is her depiction of the two main characters’ double
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“Where are you Going‚ Where Have You Been?” by Oates and “Castle Nowhere” by Woolson offer a strong basis for comparison and contrast in terms of canonical and non-canonical texts through characterization‚ genre/tone‚ setting‚ themes‚ and symbolism. While many of the obvious differences reside in concrete categories like setting‚ genre/tone‚ and characterization‚ there are alluring similarities in theme and symbolism that can allow the reader to conclude the canonization of “Where are you Going‚ Where
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“Where Are You Going‚ Where Have You Been?” is the suspenseful tale of fifteen year old Connie and her situation with a strange man. Connie‚ who usually enjoys the attention of the older boys‚ sees the man randomly when she is on a date. Some time later‚ the man shows up to Connie’s house and asks her if she wants to go for a ride with him and his friend. The man introduces himself as Arnold Friend‚ claiming to be eighteen years old. Connie soon begins to realize the two men look much older than
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"Where are you going‚ Where have you been?" is one that has had many interpretations over there years‚ by many literary critics and readers alike‚ generating a vast list of themes and meanings to the story. Some have declared the story to be a "feminist allegory‚" while others argue that one of the main characters‚ Arnold‚ is a "savior" or "messiah figure‚" as popular figures during the 1960’s were to young girls like Connie‚ the main character. Though many interpretations have been made‚ and all
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