Joyce Carol Oates Essays

Joyce Carol Oates was born in 1938, she was raised on her grandparent’s farm. As of her childhood, she has said, “...was dull, ordinary, nothing most people would be interested in…”. Oates went to Syracuse University on a scholarship and graduated valedictorian of her class; later she pursued her masters degree in English at the University of Wisconsin, where she met her first husband. She has gone on to teach creative writing at Princeton and has taught at the University of Detroit. In February

Murders are often great topics when choosing to write book novels. Joyce Carol Oates went above and beyond when she wrote the short story “were are you going, where have you been.” Bob Dylan is an American singer, songwriter, artist, and writer, who Joyce Carol Oates was most dedicated to. In the song “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” the song’s lyric “Oh, where have you been, my blue eyed son?” provided her with her title of “were are you going, where have you been.” Which is based on the real-life Charles

In the story "Where Is Here?" by Joyce Carol Oates, she has a specific way of plotting the events. Oates tells us the certain time and place the story takes place. She tells us the order of the events in the story, for a certain reason. Oates wouldn't have ordered the story in this certain manner if there wasn't a reason. In the beginning of the story Oates tells us it's dinner time in November. This means it's most likely dusk outside and chilly. When the stranger knocks on the door it sets a mysterious

In “Where Is Here” by Joyce Carol Oates, a man comes up to a family's house and when asked to leave, things change and get scary. The mother in the story was one of the tortured characters. One of the dark elements in the story was when the strange man came up and knocked on the family's front door asking to walk around and in their house because this was his old house. Even though the people did not know the man, they still let him look around their property and house leading in him turning evil

closeness with others or to cope with the lack of a relationship. In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” by Joyce Carol Oates, Connie, the main character, does not have a good relationship with her family. T.C Boyle’s “The Fugitive” features a young man named Marciano, who feels isolated from society due to his race and a disease he carries. The narrator of “Araby” by James Joyce is a young man who craves sexual intimacy with a girl pledged to become a nun, and is nearly driven mad with

Manipulation is one of a psychopaths’ favorite things to do because that is how they get what they want. In a story by Joyce Carol Oates, Oates created a character by the name of Arnold Friend whom is a psychopath. After the departure of Connie’s family, Arnold drove up to her house with the intention of taking her for a ride even though she did not know him. Though Connie (15-year-old

In Joyce Carol Oates “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”she paints the picture of a teenage girl whose mother is jealous of her, father is absent, and sister is twenty-four and lives at home. Connie is a fifteen year old girl who sneaks around with her friends, is a bit boy crazy and is very much a daydreaming teenager. The beginning of the story starts off rather innocently, then through a series of hints scattered throughout the story, takes a turn for the worse when Connie’s eyes are opened

Where Is Here?” by Joyce Carol Oates is a short story about the night a stranger comes to visit a family living in the house where he grew up. As the stranger looks around the house, the family becomes more and more uncomfortable with his strange behavior. By the end of the story, his behavior is so strange that the father has to force him to leave. From details in the story including things the stranger says as well as clues from the setting, it seems that the stranger may in fact have been a ghost

Another character is Connie’s mother. Connie and her mother argue and bicker on a regular basis. She seems to be constantly getting after Connie "Stop gawking at yourself, who are you? You think you’re so pretty?” (Oates 308). Suggesting that she envies Connie because she is young and beautiful. She too was beautiful once in her own way, but as the years passed so did her beauty. Despite their differences Connie loves her mother and in the end she screams and cries out for her when she is attacked

In the story WHERE ARE YOU GOING, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? By Joyce Carol Oates is an impeccable story. The story is so vivid and wildly written it takes you into a whole new world. When I first started reading this my whole mind when into a deep thought. I visualized myself there during every event that occurred. This is story is a definite easy read the imagery that is placed into this story is the best one yet. The theme of the story is what catches you and entitles you to continue reading. This story

fifteen year old girl. She is obsessed with her appearance, does not get along with her family and develops emotional issues towards the end of the story. At the end of the story, she becomes an adult when she is face to face with the enemy. Joyce Carol Oates developed this character and story after listening to Bob Dylan's song called It's All Over Now Baby Blue. Connie has long dark blonde hair that people were drawn to. When she went out, she pulled some of her hair up and left the rest lying

There are some stories and media featuring dangers and injustices that one would hope become less relevant as the years go by; indicating a safer world for all as progress is made. Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where are you going, Where have you been?” is not one such story. The threats Connie, the protagonist, faces from men like Arnold Friend are just as present now, in 2017, as they were in 1960 at the time this story was written. Connie is a beautiful 15 year old girl who is depicted as being excessively

Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” leads the reader to believe both Connie and Arnold Friend battle with their identity. As Oates begins the story, she introduces Connie as “shallow and vapid” (Slimp); more obsessed with herself to notice the real world around her. Connie had a tendency to look “one way when she was at home and another way when she was away from home” (Oates 1), showing the reader she was two sided. Connie’s need to change her identity based on her location

as a dream. Connie, in Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” encounters this experience, and falls victim to danger. Connie’s conscience will place her in a dream to help her see the threat that will be coming her way if she does not stop. Connie is a fifteen year old girl filled with insecurities, and depends on others’ reactions to her to make

Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is heavily laced with comments about American society. Through the eyes of fifteen year old Connie, readers discover the dark side of civilization. As the story progresses, the dangers of the world seem to grow. Oates touches on three major societal concepts: consumerism, the “typical American family”, and coming of age. Using Connie as a conduit, Oates artistically analyzes today’s society, as well as how it developed. Consumer culture

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

Where are you going, where have you been? By Joyce Carol Oates. Connie a fifteen years old girl who her life is defined by her relationship to boys or men. She let romance fills her thoughts and her reunions with other girls are simply a pretext for approaching boys. She praises beauty above all, she knew she was pretty and that was everything that she needed to make it out in life. She spent most her time glanced at the mirror and raised her eyebrows at her mother. “she had a quick nervous giggling

“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates dives deep in the realm of suspense and the psychological mind. The story revolves around Connie who can best be described as the stereotypical teenage girl who’s shallow mind focuses on her appearance and her male counterparts. The tone of the story starts off light-hearted depicting Connie’s halcyon days of summer adolescence. However the tone shifts dramatically to a more mystical and suspenseful element when a man named Arnold Friend

interest in sex awakens. Connie, a fifteen-year-old girl, is discovering her sexuality and tries to exude sex appeal whenever she gets the chance. Whenever she is away from her family she exposes another side of herself, her mature, sexy side. In Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where are You Going, Where Have You Been?” the use of setting, characterization, and symbolism guide the reader to notice the theme of curiosity of sexuality in adolescents. “Where are You Going, Where Have You Been” takes place in the

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 midst 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