ipl-logo

Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Summary

983 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: "where are you going where have you been?" analysis

“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, written by Joyce Carol Oates, is a short story that takes place in a 1960’s American suburb where tight jeans and slicked back hair is the popular style. The story takes place around a young fifteen year old girl, Connie, who has family issues and enjoys going out with her friends whether it be to the mall, movies, or drive-in restaurant. At the restaurant, Connie is noticed by a man with an odd car who later finds her alone at her house and seductively forces her to come with him and leave her family. This short story demonstrates an allegory. While on the surface it seems to be just a story of a vain girl who is “voluntarily abducted”, it actually represents the temptation of death (Oats 1). …show more content…

Connie’s laugh was “cynical and drawling at home” while at the mall it was “highpitched and nervous.” Furthermore, her lips were “pale and smirking most of the time,” but were “ bright and pink” when she went out. In the movie, upon arrival at the mall, Connie and her friends put on jewelry, put on makeup, and adjusted their clothes in a fashion that was not the way they had beforehand. This scene in the movie clearly demonstrates how Connie differs at home compared to when she goes out, which supports the exposition by introducing traits of Connie. Keeping this characteristic of two different Connie’s the same was important because this two-sidedness of Connie played a key role in characterizing her. This made so that Connie would be very noticable when she went out with her friends which made boys gravitate towards her, including her later stalker, Arnold …show more content…

The girls fell asleep on the beach and were now running late. They rush off the beach with exclamations of “Oh my God!”, “Look at the time!”, and “We’re never going to get there!” They then hitch a ride in a stranger’s truck because one of the girl’s parents were supposed to pick them up at another location. As soon as the movie starts, they are revealed irresponsible, immature, and silly which gives the audience a good idea of how they will be behaving further along the story. This additional scene not included in Oates’s short story only helps to inform the reader early on of how Connie and her friends act which adds to the movie’s

Show More
Related
613 Words | 3 Pages

“Smooth Talk” better known has “Where are you Going, Where Have you Been” is a short story written by author Joyce Carol Oates. Main character Connie gets herself in a complicated predicament amongst two teenage boys. Throughout the story the reader can infer all Connie’s true motives and intentions of her actions. Although this story is told through third person, the dialogue between Connie and the mystery boy are very much amusing. Joyce left readers ponder on the man’s true intentions when he visits Connie one Sunday afternoon.

Read More
905 Words | 4 Pages

In the story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates, a young girl named Connie isolates herself from her family because she feels like she is better than them. Connie is an attractive young woman and uses that to her advantage. One of Connie’s favorite things to do is go out with her friends, and flaunt what she’s got to her male counterparts. Because Connie doesn’t get the positive attention she wants from her family, she turns to other people, which gets her into trouble. Connie’s boundaries are tested when a scary male threatens her at her own home, and though her instincts are screaming at her, she still chooses to leave with him.

Read More
995 Words | 4 Pages

Connie was enjoying her summer vacation going out with her friends, hanging around her house listening to music, and dreaming about the boys she met. She never suspected that she was being stalked until it was too late. In Joyce Oates story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” Connie unknowingly meets the man who had been stalking her, Arnold Friend, and her carefree summer comes to an end.(or is taken away by the devil himself.) One beautiful warm Sunday afternoon,

Read More
459 Words | 2 Pages

Due to hormones, teenagers are moody and may even lash out at their parents when their parents try to control them. This is the same situation for Connie, even as a girl in the 60s. She wanted to be an

Read More
1068 Words | 5 Pages

Vain and naïve, Connie often escapes the negative relationship that she has with her parents by going out several nights a week to the local diner and the local shopping plaza. Connie soon realizes that this is only the beginning of her fate. In this essay, I will describe how Joyce Carol Oates used the literary elements to describe the plot of “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been.” (1938). Oates’ begins the suspense of Connie’s fate by describing the emotional state of feelings towards her mother.

Read More
224 Words | 1 Pages

If you are old enough to remember, you can think back to the memories of when you are a kid and understand the memories as a child are the best memories that you have in your life; yet eventually you mature into ann adult. Like the book, Catcher in the Rye, the short story Where Are You Going Where Have You Been? by Joyce Carol Oats is about Connie, an adolescent girl, wanting to stay in her child-like life and not mature into a adult. Fortunately, Connie has some help coming into the adult world with the manifestation of a person named Arnold Friend and Ellie.

Read More
132 Words | 1 Pages

Throughout this short story, Oates uses literary elements to illustrate Connie which is the main character of the story. Oates illustrates Connie as a teenager, who is trying to find herself as a grown mature woman. She continuously worries about her appearance or the way she acts around others. She also shared two different personalities, “everything bout her had two sided to it, one for home and one for anywhere that was not home” (Oates 1). It is definitely obvious how hard Connie tries to create an adult persona.

Read More
1428 Words | 6 Pages

Home is where the heart is, but what if home is no longer safe? Joyce Carol Oates explores this concept in her 1966 short story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”. On surface level, this story appears to discuss a rebellious young girl named Connie and her confrontation with Arnold Friend, a stalker. The ending leaves the reader to assume that Arnold Friend plans to sexually assault the young girl.

Read More
169 Words | 1 Pages

Connie is self-centered; preoccupied with her looks to attract boys. She despises her parents and wishes that she could escape from her family. Freedom and men are what she desires most but sadly sometimes people are not careful for what they wish for. Arnold Friend is an evil and physical

Read More
796 Words | 4 Pages

The short story “A&P” by John Updike introduces us to a young teenager named Sammy who worked at the A&P grocery store looking to find his freedom. Throughout reading A&P, I 've noticed the main character Sammy had a very keen eye that spotted every minor detail. When Sammy saw the three teenage girls only wearing bathing suits enter the grocery store, he perceived the girls dressed as if they were going to the beach. Sammy explained to us in detail the different bathing suits that the girls were wearing and their physical appearances. The primary symbol represented in this story is the bathing suits worn by the three teenage girls.

Read More
705 Words | 3 Pages

The short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is written by Joyce Carol Oates and talks about a girl named Connie who is a carefree fifteen-year-old girl. When she is faced with Arnold Friend, a man who is trying to flirt with her and tries to get her to his car, she does not want it. Connie did not expect this encounter and becomes afraid when she comes across Arnold. Connie, who made “. .sure her own [looks were] all right” (988), wanted to become independent and do things that not every girl her age does, faces a male who wants her, but she does not want him, she begins to become afraid.

Read More
984 Words | 4 Pages

“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” is about a teenager named Connie who is trying to come to terms with her transformation from childhood to adulthood. Through this process, Connie attempts to act older than she is an tries to gain the attention of boys. In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” Joyce Oates portrays Connie as obsessed with men to symbolize how one’s obsession and narcissistic attitude can cause danger to seem surreal. In the short story, Carol Oates describes Connie as having two different personalities, one being a narcissistic attitude.

Read More
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.

Read More
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.

Read More
657 Words | 3 Pages

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).

Read More

More about Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Summary

Related Topics

Open Document