Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Literary Devices

Authors use literary devices to convey deeper or hidden meanings within their texts. These implied meanings help the reader better understand the background and theme of the text. Poems and Short Stories use a bulk of literary elements because they specifically never come right out and say their themes. In the short story “Where are you going, Where have you been?” author Joyce Carol Oats uses the literary elements of Imagery, Allusion, and Foreshadowing to portray her claim of being careful about what you wish for.
The Imagery used in Oats's story “Where are you going, Where have you been?” describes an internal shift in Connie causing a change in her character. The Credo reference describes the main function of imagery as “the main function of imagery is to help people reason and solve problems by allowing them to predict the outcome of a given action.”(Encyclopedia of Cognitive Science). Using imagery helps readers understand and connect the

In “Where are you going, Where have you been?” Joyce provides Arnold’s commentary of him coming out and practically revealing his plan saying “ ‘Now, these numbers are a secret code, honey,’ Arnold Friend explained. He read off the numbers 33, 19, 17 and raised his eyebrows at her to see what she thought of that, but she didn't think much of it.”(3). Otas never directly comes out and says what the code exactly is. However, Michele D. Theriot from Short Story Criticism describes Joyce’s hidden meanings in Arnold's car, numbers 33, 19, and 17(342). Not only do all these numbers add up to 69 giving the meaning that Arnold is a sexual deviant and will sexually assault Connie but also the numbers are a bible verse, Judges 19:17(342). Judges 19:17 from the bible talks about a man asking a traveler where are you going and where have you been from which very similarly relates to the title of the