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Dual Nature Of Connie

525 Words3 Pages

Dean Plude
Instructor: Mr. Nelson Sims
EH 102 — Written English II
April 12, 2023

The Dual Nature of Connie in Joyce Carol Oates' "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?"
In Joyce Carol Oates' "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?", Connie represents the duality of adolescence, grappling with her desire for independence and the consequences of her vulnerability, which ultimately leads to her uncertain fate.
In Joyce Carol Oates' "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?", the protagonist, Connie, embodies the dual nature of adolescence as she navigates the line between a desire for independence and the consequences of her vulnerability. Connie's preoccupation with her appearance, rebellion against her family, and attraction to boys …show more content…

She spends countless hours "checking other people's faces to make sure her own was all right" (Oates 1). This focus on her looks is a means to gain attention and assert her individuality, distancing herself from her family, particularly her mother and sister. Her rebellion against her family further illustrates her desire for autonomy. Connie's mother often compares her unfavorably to her responsible sister, June, fueling Connie's determination to be different (Oates 2).
Connie's attraction to boys is another manifestation of her desire for independence and excitement. She revels in the attention she receives from boys, seeking validation and romantic experiences. For example, she sneaks off with her friend to the local drive-in restaurant where she engages in flirtatious interactions with boys (Oates 3). This behavior reflects her need for independence and her wish to break free from the constraints of her family life.
However, Connie's innocence and naivety leave her vulnerable to manipulation. Arnold Friend, a mysterious and sinister figure, exploits Connie's desire for attention and independence, ultimately putting her in danger (Oates 8). As Connie converses with Arnold, she slowly realizes that he is not who he seems, but her vulnerability and desire for excitement cloud her judgment, preventing her from acting in her best

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When going out with friends, she would leave the place where she would be dropped off at and go hang out with boys. Connie loved the attention she received from older guys that she would sometimes daydream about boys, like told in this line “thinking and dreaming about the boys she met” (2).

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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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This additional scene not included in Oates’s short story only helps to inform the reader early on of how Connie and her friends act which adds to the movie’s

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Connie is insecure and hyper-aware of herself and how others perceive her. Considering the fact that Connie is unhappy about aspects of herself, she judges other people to make herself feel better. According to Oates, “They would lean together to whisper and laugh secretly if someone passed who amused or interested them.” (Oates 1). This passage reveals Connie’s judgemental nature.

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In her short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Joyce Carol Oates gives the internal events of her short story the sense of excitement, suspense, and climax usually associated with external action. This is accomplished by providing the thoughts of Connie to the reader; showing the effects of the setting on Connie; and Connie’s final realization of her fate. She connects this to the idea that Arnold Friend is the demonic adversary who convinces Connie to cross the threshold into adulthood and lose her innocence by shear persuasion and threatening undertones.

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In Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Connie, a teenage girl who acts older than she actually is, argues with her family about how she dresses and acts. While sneaking out with friends one night, Connie encounters an older man named Arnold Friend who is convinced that he is her lover. One day while her family is not home, Connie is confronted by Arnold, asking and threatening her to come with him. The story ends with her going away with this strange man who showed up at her door, leaving the reader to ponder what will become of Connie.

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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.

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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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The short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates is about a teenage girl named Connie who is in the mist of her adolescent rebellion. She wants to prove her maturity to others and herself. In the story, Oates describes that Connie always lets her mind flow freely in between her daydream. She even creates and keeps dreaming about her ideal male figure in her mind to make her happy and satisfied. Oates allows the reader to step into Connie’s “dream world” through the appearance of Arnold Friend.

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That also made her become more vulnerable to the real dangers and the evilness that exists in the world. That danger was represented by an old man who pretends to be an eighteen year old boy that seduced and kidnaped Connie. The end of the story Joyce Carol Oates leaves it open to the readers, because that way it makes the reader think of what might have happened, whether she got raped or whether she is killed, after the main character leaves with the antagonist of the story. Oates shows that ignorance, narcissism and the lack of

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Like most teenagers she is thinking only in the moment and what is going to please her. Basically Connie and her friend go to a restaurant and this creepy guy named Eddie came in to talk with them, obviously Connie isn’t thinking straight and she leaves the restaurant with this stranger Eddie. Leaving her friend behind. In the book she states “I just hate to leave her like that” (Oates, 391).

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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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The short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates can be interpreted in a multitude of ways due to its ambiguity. A psychological lens, however, provides the most accurate viewpoint for analyzing the story as it clarifies certain obscure scenes and actions of Connie. One psychological issue of Connie that is easily inferred from the beginning of the story is her insecurity about her looks. Connie constantly worries about the way that she looks and takes any opportunity to do so, “craning her neck to glance into mirrors or checking other people's faces to make sure her own was all right” (1).

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