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Allusion of where are you going where have you been
Allusion of where are you going where have you been
Allusion of where are you going where have you been
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Seth Andrews Professor Citro English 1102 1 February 2023 The Ramifications of a Narcissistic Grandma Flannery O’Connor was a devout Catholic, considering herself a strong believer. Christians outlook on mankind is that all humans’ natural instincts are to be sinful, self-centered people who put their desires first. However, Christians also believe that God calls them to be loving, gracious, good-natured people who put others needs above their own. In “A Good Man is Hard to Find”, the self-centered and prideful character of the grandma is repeatedly underscored by her actions to her family.
The short story, “Where Have You Gone, Charming Billy?” was about a boy who went to war and was scared to death about it. There are many reasons to be scared when you go into war. You could get shot, step on a bomb, or you could die of diseases. Tim O’Brien explained how war was terrifying, emotional and how accidents could easily happen in his story about war in “Where Have You Gone, Charming Billy?”. Tim O’Brien explained how war was terrifying; therefore it was so terrifying that the soldiers just wanted to get to sea.
Connie’s vanity causes her make terrible choices about Arnold Friend. The Trouble of being notice is blaming yourself if what you deserve is horrible things like getting unwanted attention someday you get what coming to you. In Joyce Carol Oates’s story “Where You Going, Where have you Been,” one of the protagonist Connie is a fifteen year old girl who wants to look and act like an arrogant child. She isn’t herself.
During the years of adolescence, an individual goes through a period of time which causes confusion and curiosity, where finding themselves is inevitable. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates takes the reader on an adventure of rebellion as the protagonist, Connie, sorts through a sketchy situation with her own self-experiences. Connie, through her confusion of life, creates a devilish nightmare that is a subconscious manifestation of her desires for attention from the opposite sex. The feeling of helplessness and loneliness is a major characteristic of a nightmare that seems to linger in Connie’s minds. Through her journey, she finds that she is a helpless heroin and cannot control the events occurring around her.
“At the root of a traumatic reaction is the 280-million-year-old heritage that we share with nearly every crawling creature on earth--a heritage that resides in the area of the nervous system known as the reptilian brain” (Levine). Therefore, experiencing trauma is nothing new to beings living on Earth, and their responses all have something in common. The short story "How to Talk to Girls at Parties" by Niel Gaiman displays the experience of two young boys attending a party (one who is far more interested in going than the other). During the party, they encounter social pressure to conform which leads to them making decisions they deeply regret. On the other hand, the short story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been" by Carol Oates displays the
In "A Good Man is Hard to Find," despite the grandmother's apparent belief in her moral supremacy-which she expresses through her self-proclaimed identification as a
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.
The story Where Are You Going Where Have You Been has similar elements to fairy tales. However critic Christina Gills says that the reader is “ forced to consider the distinctions between fairy tale and seduction narrative” (Gillis Gale). There are differences between a fairy tale and this short story. Differences include that the girl gets the prince and the villain gets either killed or locked up, and they live happily ever after. In real life this doesn't happen, the so called villain can get away and come after it's victim again.
The feminist lens allows the reader to examine the short story; Where are you Going, Where Have You Been by Carol Oates, with an educated and more insightful view that when understood, inadvertently exposes how present patriarchal and misogynistic ideologies exist within men. A prominent issue within a traditional society is man’s expectation for a woman’s only goal being to satisfy and please a man. This is demonstrated in full force when Arnold Friend condescendingly says; “Be nice to me, be sweet like you can because what else is there for a girl like you but to be sweet and pretty and give in?” (Oates 9). The way Arnold condescends and truly believes in what he says is problematic.
Joyce Carol Oates states, "She was fifteen and she had a quick, nervous giggling habit of craning her neck to glance into mirrors or checking other people’s faces to make sure her own was all right" (Oates #). This description shows the reader how Connie only cares about her physical appearance. An appearance that is imposed on the reader on who Connie is from the beginning of the story. The reader is never given a true insight into Connie's true personality other than her physical appearance and action. This statement also sets the tone to be ominous due to the lack of connection between the reader and the author.
Everyone who reads a story interprets the story differently. Each reader has in or her own way of how the story goes on or how it ended. This is called reader-response in reader response the author cares about what the reader thinks and how the reader would interpret his or her poem, short story, or novel. Two short stories for reader-respone are “Where Are You Going Where Have You Been.” By Joyce Carol Oates and “The one who walk away from omelas.”
Even though human nature is flawed within Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”, there is a chance for redemption near the story’s ending. In “A Good Man is Hard to Find”, the Grandmother has an epiphany with the Misfit that increases her chance for redemption. Throughout the entire story, the Grandmother is known for her selfish thinking and her one-track mind that, like many humans, is only focused on what she would like to do. Redemption for
This story by Flannery O’Conner has several different hidden themes in it. Two main themes include appearance, and fear. The main character, which is the grandmother has an interesting character. She judges people through appearance, including herself. She fears going to Florida because of a criminal so called the “Misfit” that she saw in the newspaper.
In “A Good Man is Hard to Find” the author uses the grandmother a lot for the sole purpose of bringing sin and redemption out. Throughout the story, the grandmother repeatedly criticized both her son and daughter-in-law, she always seemed to be lying and messing with other people's feelings. The Grandmother considers herself morally superior to others because she is a “lady,” therefore she freely and frequently judges others.
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).
