The Journey In Joyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

The Role of the Journey

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” describes a Puritan man facing a conflict in 17th Century Salem. Connie, in Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, explores her desires in 1960s America. Even though Nathaniel Hawthorne’s world predates the creation of the United States of America and Joyce Carol Oates’s story is set in the modern world, both feature journeys that reveal the corruption and dangers hidden in American society.

Despite his wife’s desperate pleas, Goodman Brown enters the gloom of the trees to meet an old acquaintance. Not only does the Puritan man, who believes himself to be an example for others, leaves his wife, Faith, alone, but he also accuses her of not trusting him when she requests

As she struggles to find her identity, teenage Connie cannot resist checking her appearance whenever she can. As a result, her once beautiful mother often scolds Connie for constantly looking at herself (450). Her mother does not scold Connie for her vanity; her mother is simply jealous of the beauty she once had. However, the nagging mother contrasts the role of Connie’s father. He spends most of his time at work, but even when he is home, he only reads the newspaper and sleeps (450). Despite the fact that the man of the family earns money, he fails to contribute a meaningful impact on the development of his children. In this familial unit, nobody truly cares for Connie and pushes her to become a better person. Instead, Connie’s mother often compares Connie to her older sister June, a twenty-four-year-old secretary who works at her old high school and lives at home (450). Although June contrasts Connie by saving money, helping clean the house, and cooking, June has not done very much with respect to her life (450). Honestly, the model of the ideal citizen is not attractive because the life lacks