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Song Analysis: The Girl On The Train

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“I’ve lost control over everything, even the places in my head” (Hawkins). In the novel, The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, Rachel Watson struggles to get her life together. She is cursed with a serious drinking problem that results in tantrums and sending threatening messages to Tom, her ex-husband, and Anna, the women he cheated on her with. Now, Rachel rides the train alone everyday and drinks. Every morning and evening, she observes the couple, Scott and Megan Hipwell, who live down the road from her old house. She rides past them each day and begins to fantasize about who they are and their relationship, believing they’re perfect. Soon enough, she discovers that their lives and relationship are anything but perfect. In a way only …show more content…

Anna is a rather self-assured woman. She makes it quite clear that Rachel is inferior and unworthy of Tom: “The thought that she and I - poor, fat Rachel and I - are now in the same boat is unbearable”(Hawkins 281). This is what makes the song “The Boy is Mine” so relatable to their situation. The verse: “But see I know that you may be just a bit jealous of me” perfectly describes Anna’s confidence and complacency about Tom cheating on Rachel to be with her. The song continues as a back and forth battle over winning the love of a guy. The main chorus is another reminder of Anna’s hatred of Rachel interfering with her life and her husband: “You need to give it up, had about enough. It’s not hard to see the boy is mine”. As Rachel and Anna dispute over present issues, Megan struggles with forgetting her …show more content…

Megan’s grim past still haunts her and keeps her from living her life: “It’s the thing I dread, the thing that keeps me awake: being alone in that house. I was so frightened- too frightened to go to sleep” (Hawkins 211). The song “Here I Go Again” by Whitesnake, is relevant to Megan’s struggles in many ways. The lyrics of the song describe her clinging past, but uncertain future: “I don’t know where I’m going, but I sure know where I’ve been”. They also pertain to her constant search for love: “I’m just another heart in need of rescue. Waiting on love’s sweet charity”. The strain for love and acceptance seems to be a very common theme in both The Girl on the Train and the three

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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.

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The story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” by Joyce Carol Oates, is a one where the idea of how girl who struggles with wanting to be a mature woman, faces her demon full form. The protagonist of the story is Connie, a 15-year-old rebel girl, obsessed with her look; and through fault of her own, meets the antithesis of herself, the antagonist of the story, Arnold Friend. Connie seeks to be a mature adult and desires an emancipation from her family. Seeing herself as mature woman through the desires of her attraction by other boys and men, as well as her mother. Its this same desire which acts as the main fault for her character.

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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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Theme: Friendship Song: “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” – Randy Newman “You've got a friend in me. You got troubles then I got them too. We stick together, we can see it through cause you've got a friend in me.” Justification: This song relates to the relationship George and Lennie had because even though Lennie was always getting in trouble, George was beside him no matter what. Also, when they got to the ranch, Slim said to them that is not common to see such good friends like George and Lennie, who travel together and look out for each other.

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One of my favorite lyrics of the song was. “The sound of her laughter will sing in your dreams. Some enchanted evening When you find your true love, When you feel her call you Across a crowded room, Then fly to her side, And make her your own For all through your life you May dream all alone.” The song in general is a beautiful song that talks about love.

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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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Heartbreak Hotel is a song that was recorded by Elvis Presley and was written by a high school teacher named Mae Axton and a steel guitar player named Tommy Durden. It was recorded and released in January 1956 by RCA Studios. Elvis was only 21 and Heartbreak Hotel was his first song with the new record label RCA in Nashville, Tennessee. He recorded the song with his band the Blue moon boys. It was his first million-seller and the bestselling single of 1956.

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The five song playlist that I chose is Fireworks, Set fire to the rain, The way, Love the way you lie and Firestones. All of these songs relates to the novel in different ways. The song Fireworks by katy Perry relates to the novel Fahrenheit 451 because in this song it is saying if you ever feel Like a plastic bag drifting through the wind wanting to start again. Guy Montag had committed mistakes that he might regretted.

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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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