People with power maintain their power by control over bodies, legacy and false appearances. To initiate, people maintain their power by having control over bodies as shown in the book “Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates and the short story “Where have you been? Where are you going?” by Joyce Carol Oates. Coates describes how white people have maintained their power within society through the following quote: “As for now, it must be said that the process of washing the disparate tribes white, the elevation of the belief in being white, was not achieved through wine tasting and ice cream socials, but rather through the pillaging of life, liberty, labor and land; through the flaying of backs; the chaining of limbs; the strangling …show more content…
In addition, Oates expresses Arnold Friends control over Connie’s body through this quote, “She thought for the first time in her life that it was nothing that was hers, that belonged to her, but just a pounding, living this inside this body that wasn’t really hers either. You don’t want them to get hurt. Arnold Friend went on. Now get up, honey. Get up all by yourself. She stood. Now, turn this way. That’s right, Come over here to me” (Pg.6). Arnold Friend had control over Connie’s body because she had no other choice or at least she felt that way. She could not decide for herself what she wanted to do. She felt like it was not up to her to make a decision. Even though she wanted to leave, run away from Arnold Friend and the dangerous situation he had her under. Connie did not want to jeopardize the life of her family. Arnold used the excuse of hurting her family members as a manipulation strategy to control her actions and decisions. As the quote stated, that her body wasn’t hers it empathized that her body was Arnolds. Arnold from that point on basically owned her body, controlled her body and in which made her do everything he wanted. This shows how she is
At first glance, we are made to believe that Connie is a static character through her infuriating naivety and cliché persona. When we delve into the story we see the altruistic and sincere characteristics, which
A repetitive notion made in the story, as June is used as a meter to compare Connie too; which naturally, no one would like: “June did this, June did that, she saved money and helped clean the house and cooked and Connie couldn 't do a thing, her mind was all filled with trashy daydreams” (308). Ellie 's character, even as quite as he remains, presents a conflict with Arnold. First when he over steps his boundary with Arnold and asked "You want me to pull out the phone?" (318), then being told by Arnold to "Shut your mouth and keep it shut" (318), only to ask about the phone again. To which Arnold responds with more conflict: "you 're deaf, get a hearing aid, right?
With the stories “A Good Man Is Hard To Find” by Flannery O’ Connor, and “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates, happen to have some common ideas throughout each story. One common idea happens to be that their is a main antagonist or predator, who seem to attack/prey on the women. In each story, it shows that there was a part where each woman took time to talk to these men who were controlling the situation and deceiving the women, using violence to kill the poor innocent women. Both antagonists are good at ‘killing’ and they both know that they are, because they know what they are doing- causing tragic problems. Ideas like these are important because you see how men, in that time period, were being perceived and portrayed-
In this interview, it illustrates how power may ignite cultures to have a division based on their cultural group. It may cause a nation to become captivated by misleading mistakes and false representation of a political group. Although, segregation exists, individuals felt the need to react in ways that became unjustifiable causing destruction affecting beliefs, values, and other perspectives amongst other cultures, religions, and beliefs differently than their own. By taking the lives of innocent individuals and shaping and conforming lives according to their biases alters how children may shape their own human world views based on exceptionalism, power and segregation, and improving history and evolution through integration.
She now wanted a sibling and for the family to be bigger. Sal’s dad said, “He said to me, ‘It wasn’t
He mysteriously knows where Connie lives and invites himself to drive over to her house. Arnold assumes Connie’s friendship by convincing her that he knows everything and everybody, “I know your name and all about you” (Oates 201) when she never told him her name in the first place. He knew her friends, their names as well as what she did the night before. He also knew exactly where Connie’s family was, at a BBQ at Connie’s aunt Tille’s.
Conflict theory has been used to describe the discrepancies in power and distribution of resources among the dominate group and the subordinate groups. Racial inequalities and racism among the groups has played a big role in the concept of conflict theory. Conflict theory examines the rising conflict between the dominate group, or white ruling class, and racial minorities, such as African Americans. This conflict and inequality among the races may be a reason why 20.2 percent of African American males die by homicide. In fact, African Americans are six times as likely as whites to be killed by homicide.
Throughout the story, there are many instances: the illogical time and settings, the similarity between Arnold and Connie and the unrealistic events show that the meeting between Connie and Arnold Friend is a dream. The dream is also a preparation for Connie before she steps onto the stage of being an adult. Connie’s dream begins when she refuses to go to her aunt’s house for barbecue party. She stays home, and under the warmness of the sun, she begins her day dreaming about love and the boy she has met the night before. In the beginning, the author writes “Connie sat with her eyes closed in the sun…”
This interpretation of the story explains how Connie simply fell prey to the common theme of men acting as predators in society. Therefore, Connie had no say in her fate, so she just decided to go quietly with him. However, this theory completely disregards the psychological disorders that Connie has. Connie did not go quietly with Arnold because he was a dominating male. Instead, Connie left due to her numerous unconscious mental problems.
Another reason why Connie why wants to be independent from her mother is because she does not want to be like her. “Her mother went scuffling around the house in old bathroom slippers…”( paragraph 11). Connie’s mother is an image of the future Connie doesn't want -the life of a domestic housewife. Lastly, you can see that Connie has a love-hate relationship with her other, with whom she identifies, but at the same time she has to distance herself from her mother in order to establish her independence; “Sometimes, over coffee, they were almost friends, but something would come up – some vexation that was like a fly buzzing suddenly around their heads – and their faces went hard with contempt.” ( Paragraph
Teenage girl’s desires to be beautiful and desired, feminism, and adolescent sexuality are a few of the issues Connie, along with others, faced during this time period (and some can argue today). Connie was responsible for her actions (obviously) but it only partially to blame for what happened to her. If she had never left her friend to go sit in some random guy’s car, maybe Arnold Friend would’ve never seen her, or had taken a liking to her. I’m not stating that what happened with Arnold Friend was her fault, he’s the pedophile that should’ve known better and not threatened her, but it could have been prevented if she had never ditched her
Not only had Connie given up all the physical things she owned, but also her own free will to Arnold. She gave up everything she had available to her, a feat that could only be accomplished by a passive victim. A noble heroine wouldn’t submit herself to someone as easily as Connie
Fahad Albrahim Response 1: Review/Summary: “Whiteness as property” is an article written by Cheryl Harris, in which she addresses the subject of racial identity and property in the United States. Throughout the article, professor Harris attempts to explain how the concept of whiteness was initiated to become a form of racial identity, which evolved into a property widely protected in American law (page 1713). Harris tackles a number of facts that describe the roots of whiteness as property in American history at the expense of minorities such as Black and American natives (page 1709). Additionally, Harris describes how whiteness as property evolved to become seen as a racial privilege in which the whites gained more benefits, whether
Oates’s biography explained her fiction writing as a mixture violence and sexual obsession. The writing style definitely fits the plot point of this story with both of her literary ingredients being present in not only Arnold Friend but in Connie as well. The Protagonist Connie is presented in a very self-centered way. She is obsessed with her looks and often fantasizes about all the boys she meets.
In the article ‘The Complexity of Identity - Who am I?’ , the author Beverly Tatum argues that the definition of identity for a person is laid down by the societal norms and not by one’s own conscious understanding of her or his existence. And these societal norms are the ones that are acceptable to the dominant group of the society. Any aspect of one’s identity that sets her or him apart from others is targeted by the dominants. Tatum has used the terms ‘dominants’ and ‘subordinates’.