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Analysis Of Connie Oates 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been'

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Freedom The great singer-songwriter Bob Dylan once sang, “No one is free. Even the birds are chained to the sky.” This cryptic lyric can be portrayed as pertinent to Connie’s lack of freedom in Joyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been, a short story dedicated to Bob Dylan. This relevance may be seen throughout the piece of literature, as Connie is constantly stripped of her choice for personal freedom—from being implored to follow in the footsteps of her sister June, to being made to enter Arnold Friend’s vehicle. All these signifying the opposite of the freedoms usually associated with young teenage girls. In the beginning of Oates’ Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been, Oates’ immediately leaps into the story of Connie’s …show more content…

Everywhere she goes, including her front lawn, she dresses and acts in ways expected of teenage girls. Now it can be argued that being able to act like a teenage girl is a freedom, but in this story, it almost seems as if Connie has to act like a teenage girl. For example, when Connie is in the drive-in restaurant and decides to leave with Eddie, but is unsure of leaving her friend alone, Eddie assures her that her friend will not be left alone for long (insinuating another male will pick her up), and when Connie and Eddie leave together, Connie looks around to make sure that others are aware of her triumph, “…the boy said that she wouldn’t be alone for long. So they went out to his car, and on the way Connie couldn’t help but let her eyes wander over the windshields and faces all around her…” (2). What Oates might be trying to sound out by Eddie being confident that Connie’s friend will find a guy shortly after Eddie found her, is that girls live a life full of expectations. And that these expectations are for them to turn into obedient wives, who learn to care for children, and be nothing more than inferior companions to men—that the patriarchy that exists in the 1960s leaves no room for women, only hungry

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“At its most basic, every story is an attempt to answer the question What happened?” (Norton 85) One of the most significant elements in a short story is plot. Plot is construct by authors and they rearrange the character’s action in a consequential way to shape our response and interpretation (Norton 85). In "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" by Joyce Carol Oates and "Sonny's Blues" by James Baldwin, they use similar plot styles that contributes to the process of maturation for characters in the stories.

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Connie, in Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” encounters this experience, and falls victim to danger. Connie’s conscience will place her in a dream to help her see the threat that will be coming her way if she does not stop. Connie is a fifteen year old girl filled with insecurities, and depends on others’ reactions to her to make

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Through these interactions, Oates illustrates how societal norms shape women's perceptions of themselves and their roles within society, ultimately influencing their interactions with men like Arnold. Oates shows how Connie and Arnold's interactions reflect the influence of society, highlighting how cultural values shape their behavior and relationships. Connie's obsession with physical appearance, a trait ingrained in her by societal expectations, is evident throughout the story. Connie’s characterization “stems from a rigid belief in physical beauty” as she’s characterized as a teenager who is looking to look her best and impress everyone around her (Korb). This fixation on appearance is echoed in Connie's thoughts as “she knew she was pretty and that was everything” (Oates 1016).

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Carol Joyce Oates’ “Where Are You Going Where Have You Been?” presents how falling into temptation leads to giving up control and innocence. Though her mother is unapproving of her actions, Connie spends her time seeking attention from male strangers. Home alone, Connie is approached by a compelling creature who convinces her to leave her life and join him on his unknown journey. Through disapproving her family, having multiple appearances, listening to music, and her desperation to receive attention from boys, Connie gives up control of herself losing the purity of adolescents and contributing to her detrimental fate. It is imperative that one should not be controlled because of a desire to impress others.

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The short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” was written by the author Joyce Carol Oates in 1966. Oates describes her idea for the story after briefly reading an article about the real-life murderer, Charles Schmid, who lured and murdered three teenage girls (Kirszner & Mandell 523). She uses this idea to create the character, Arnold Friend, and his victim, Connie. Connie is a typical teenage girl portrayed as naïve and self-centered. The short story appears realistic, given that the conflict in the story is based off of real events.

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The beginning of the story illustrates Connie as a shallow and vapid young teen, placing an immense amount of value on her looks and ability to attract the attention of those around her. Near the end of the story, during her encounter with Arnold Friend and his companion, Ellie Oscar, the author expresses Connie’s nervousness by describing that, “her heart was almost too big now for her chest and its pumping made sweat break out all over her” (Oates). Connie is no longer comfortable with the attention and realizes that the looks that she once valued so greatly, likely brought danger to both herself and those around her. The dichotomy between Connie in the beginning of the short story and Connie near the end of the story is subtly foreshadowed when it mentions that, “ everything about her had two sides to it, one for home and one for anywhere that was not home” (Oates). By the end of the short story, the audience is able to identify the two new sides of Connie.

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Connie’s attributes are showcased prominently in the beginning, thus emphasizing her character. Marie Urbanski breaks down the story and agrees that Oates presents the protagonist early on, when she says, “the first paragraph introduces a vain, spoiled daughter of middle class parents” (Urbanski 1). Connie embodies the typical teenage desire for independence and maturity, which is evident throughout the story. Her preoccupation with her appearance and appeal to romance makes her susceptible to the dangerous charm of Arnold Friend. Connie, despite her sense of maturity, soon comes to the realization that life can be dangerous.

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In Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, Connie is a fifteen-year-old girl, who does not necessarily get along with her family. During the week, she often times goes to a shopping plaza with some of her friends. However, they sneak across the highway to go to a popular diner where the older crowd hangs out at. At home, Connie is often times arguing with her family. One day her family is invited to her aunt's barbecue but Connie refuses to go.

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Author, Joyce Carol Oates, of Where are you Going, Where have you Been alludes to four particular historical references within the story. Each reference provides significance to the story’s context. When the story is read with an approach, the reader will then have a better understanding. It is argued that the myth Death of a Maiden, the crime narrative Charles Schmid, the 1960’s values of Bob Dylan, and Sigmund Freud’s philosophy of the dream sequence and the most important approach to the story. The story, which is described as a mystery and crime narrative, reflects the killing of Charles Schmid.

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The inflamed eye-catching mountain topped off with a creamy white summit, smack dab in the middle of your face. It's every teenager's fear; waking up from a blissful dream to only have that spiral into a living nightmare after seeing your reflection in the bathroom mirror. For the more dramatic, it's the “End of the World”. While the horrors of a ginormous pimple are legitimate, people underestimate the true horrors of adolescence as described by Joyce Carol Oates in her story, “Where are you going, Where have you been?”. While most people believe Connie meets her fate because of her desire to mature, Oates demonstrates that Connie met her fate through her youth and therefore, seems to claim that adolescence is the most dangerous time for a

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Home is where the heart is, but what if home is no longer safe? Joyce Carol Oates explores this concept in her 1966 short story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”. On surface level, this story appears to discuss a rebellious young girl named Connie and her confrontation with Arnold Friend, a stalker. The ending leaves the reader to assume that Arnold Friend plans to sexually assault the young girl.

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“But now her looks were gone and that was why she was always after Connie.” (Oates ). Also, there is another opportunity for friendship within the family, between Connie and her sister, however, that is lost in their rivalry and hostility. “Her sister was so plain and chunky and steady that Connie had to hear her praised all the time – by her mother and her mother's sisters.” ( ).

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Connie’s first encounter with Friend was at a diner when he stated to Connie, “Gonna get you, baby”(pg.1142). Because Connie was use to this type of attention, she did not view it as strange that an older man was calling her in such away. However, if Connie had seen Friend as dangerous instead of just another man, her kidnapping might have been prevented. Later in the story when Friend showed up as Connie’s house, she walked outside and talked to him instead of questioning how he knew where she lived or calling the police. Oates described Connie's interaction with Friend by stating,“Connie liked the way he was dressed, which was the way all of them dressed: tight faded jeans stuffed into black, scuffed boots, a belt that pulled his waist in and showed how lean he was, and a white pullover shirt that was a little soiled and showed the hard muscles of his arms and shoulders”(pg.1145).

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In her short story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?", Joyce Carol Oates utilizes a variety of literary devices to strengthen the story in its entirety. This short story is essentially about a 16-year-old girl named Connie and the conflict between her desire to be mature and her desire to remain an adolescent. Throughout the story, the audience sees this conflict through her words in addition to through her behavior. The audience is also introduced to Arnold Friend, a rather peculiar man, who essentially kidnaps her. This short story by Joyce Carol Oates functions and is additionally meaningful because of her usage of literary devices.

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In the coming of age story “Where Are You Going Where Have You Been?” Joyce Carol Oates uses symbolism, conflict, and the third person to foreshadow fifteen-year-old Connie’s unfortunate, yet untimely fate. While one may think that the conflict stems from Connie’s promiscuity, it is clear to see her promiscuity is only a result to a much bigger conflict, her mother’s constant nagging and disapproval, alongside the lack of attention from her father. the author paints a vivid picture of what happens when a fifteen-year-old girl such as Connie goes elsewhere to find to find the love, attention, and approval that she lacks at home. All which is vital for her growth and wellbeing as a person.

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