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Symbolism In Where Are You Going Where Have You Been

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Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? was published in 1966. Joyce Carol Oates is not a novelist, her area of expertise are short stories. Some other work of hers would be “By the North Gate” and “The Wheel of Love”. Oates is known for incorporating many symbols and themes throughout her stories such as religion, romance and identity. In Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Connie is faced with multiple obstacles, some that will determine her fate forever. There are predators throughout this gothic story, that test Connie’s morals. Within this story the audience will be exposed to a variety of relationships. Oates depicts the characters of the story as vain, evil, and jealous. The symbolism of religion is extremely significant throughout …show more content…

Connie and her mother have a relationship filled with tension. Her mother seems to favor June who is Connie’s older sister. The story kicks off with Connie and her friends going to a restaurant where mainly older kids hang out. She meets a guy named Eddie, they start to talk and she breaks apart from her friends. While Connie and Eddie were talking an odd man pulled up aside Connie, his name was Arnold Friend. Later that night she reunites with her friends and leaves the restaurant. One Sunday Connie’s parents and sister went to a barbecue, but Connie decided to stay home. That night she saw a car pull into the driveway it was Arnold Friend. He starts to make conversation with Connie and she is completely uninterested. Arnold Friend wants to take Connie for a ride. As she starts to evaluate the men in the drive way she concludes that these men are in their late thirties, early forties. Connie worries that her father will show up and see the men in her drive way but little does she know Arnold Friend already knows where her father is. Connie decides to threaten Arnold Friend and Ellie with the police. Arnold Friend becomes angry, he threatened Connie’s family if she did not come out and take a ride with him. Connie is overcome with fear. She knows there is no other option, she decides to go with Arnold Friend and Ellie to spare the life of her

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Analysis Of Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

1033 Words | 5 Pages

In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” there are many theories as to who Arnold Friend is and what his role. The story does not introduce Arnold till the middle and end of the story when Arnold Friend and Ellie Oscar, his friend, decides to pull up to Connie’s house trying to be gentle, but threatening at the same time. The tone sets the mood of the story, the way he talks is suave, so he doesn’t scare her as much but you could sense a little of annoyance in his voice when she refuses. He asks her to come ride with him, but then starts to threaten her family so she would get out the house and be with him.

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Summary Of Short Story 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been'

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In Joyce Carole Oates short story,” Where Are You Going, Where Have you Been”, the battle of perception and reality comes into play when Connie ,a young teenage girl tries to portray herself as an adult by using her appearance as well as attitude in order to attract the attentions of older men. This fantasy world of Connie’s is eventually overthrown by Arnold Friend, causing her to snap back into the realization that her sexual fantasies will soon be a reality. This overall theme of sexual reality is reinforced by the different uses of music and character symbolisms of Connie and Arnold

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Analysis Of Where Are You Going Where Have You Been

1181 Words | 5 Pages

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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Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Arnold Friend Character

890 Words | 4 Pages

Arnold Friend was there to take Connie away; away from her childhood and home, which never quite felt like home until her fantasy world deteriorated and reality set it. The next moment is pivotal, this is when Connie forgets her hedonism and becomes something of much more substance. Before Connie studies Arnold Friend’s abnormal personality and erratic behavior she is fascinated by him and even worries that she is ill prepared for this

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Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Meaning

1188 Words | 5 Pages

“Where are you going, where have you been” is a short story written by Joyce Carol Oates. Oates gained inspiration for one of the main characters from a real serial killer she had read about in the newspaper. Bob Dylan’s song, “It’s all over now, Baby blue” was another source of inspiration for Oates. This story focuses on Connie, a self-absorbed, beautiful 15-year-old who often fought with her mother and loved to daydream. Connie loved to hang out with her friends and meet older boys.

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Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Arnold Friend Analysis

817 Words | 4 Pages

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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Theme Of Allegory In Where Are You Going Where Have You Been

1001 Words | 5 Pages

Because the lack of family support and guidance, Connie lies to her parents of her whereabouts, and she sneaks away to local hangouts. While being out, she unfortunately catches the eye of Arnold Friend. This man will erase Connie’s innosense and expose her to how cruel the world can actually be. Many literary

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Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Comparison

1203 Words | 5 Pages

In “The Flowers”, Alice Walker explores the woods through the eyes of a little girl named Myop, but she soon realizes the world isn’t as nice as flowers. In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”, Joyce Carol Oates follows a young girl named Connie who is focused on others and her own appearance, until she is introduced to the world in a unexpected way. Both Walker and Oates use young girls to show the harsher sides of the world and how their childhood changes to adulthood in different ways. The main thing that Myop and Connie have in common is that they are both females, but their looks and the way the live are totally different.

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Archetypes In Where Are You Going Where Have You Been

1428 Words | 6 Pages

Again, the reader sees traditional values placed against changing times, reinforcing Connie’s internal struggle to define

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Analysis Of Where Are You Going Where Have You Been

1203 Words | 5 Pages

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…”

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Character Analysis Of Connie In 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been'

984 Words | 4 Pages

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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Examples Of Allusions In Where Are You Going Where Have You Been

854 Words | 4 Pages

Arnold Friend’s Biblical Allusions In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, Joyce Carol Oates tells a story of a young, innocent teenage girl, Connie who enjoys listening to music and begins exploring her sexuality and being with boys “the way it was in the movies and promised in songs” (Oates 198). In fact she catches the attention of Arnold Friend one night while at the mall meeting up with a boy. Not knowing he would appear in her life, Arnold strangely shows up at her house assuming they made plans to get together. His character is seen as the devil.

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Literary Devices In Where Are You Going Where Have You Been

804 Words | 4 Pages

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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Symbolism In 'Where Are You Going Where Have You Been?'

700 Words | 3 Pages

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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Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Theme Analysis

1255 Words | 6 Pages

Fantasy V.S. Reality In some cases an individual can perceive something as the complete opposite of what it truly is. People create the illusion or the fantasy on what they believe something to be.

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