Essays On Where Are You Going Where Have You Been
Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? is a short story by American author Joyce Carol Oates. It focuses on the main character Connie and her transformation from an innocent teenage girl to one who has to confront the darker sides of life. The story follows Connie as she interacts with characters that represent temptation or danger in different ways — most notably Arnold Friend, a mysterious older man who pursues her throughout the narrative. The story begins with fifteen-year-old Connie spending time at home while her family is away for the day. She spends some time preening in front of a mirror and assessing her appearance before heading out to meet friends at a nearby restaurant. While there, she encounters Arnold Friend, whose confident manner and strange behavior make him stand out from other boys her age. Unable to resist his charm, Connie agrees to take a ride with him despite warnings from friends and family about going off alone with strangers. However, once they leave the restaurant it quickly becomes clear that Arnold’s intentions are far from innocent as he reveals his knowledge of Connie’s personal details such as where she lives and when her parents will return home. As the car journey continues, it becomes increasingly obvious that Arnold means Connie harm; his charming exterior hides something much more sinister beneath which threatens both physical safety as well as emotional security. Although ultimately no actual violence takes place within this particular scene (Connie manages to escape unscathed), this episode serves as an awakening for Connie: it forces her to confront some uncomfortable truths about herself and leaves her feeling scared but also wiser after coming face-to-face with danger. Throughout Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?, Joyce Carol Oates uses symbolism and imagery to explore themes such as adolescence versus adulthood, innocence versus experience and good versus evil ” all of which are integral elements in any coming of age tale like this one. Through these motifs we can see how far Connie has come since meeting Arnold.
Where are you going, where have you been is a short, factious story of Joyce Oates, the story is inspired by the story of a serial killer, Charles Schmidt. It revolves around two main characters, Arnold Friend and Connie. Connie is a fifteen year old girl and is the protagonist. She is a sexually alluring […]
In the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker and the short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” (WYGWYB) by Joyce Carol Oates, there are many varieties of sexual repression. The theme in Dracula by Bram Stoker, defines the eternal struggles between good and evil.In the novel Dracula, the act of sucking blood was […]
The short story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”, by Joyce Oates, is a story about a girl named Connie, who is a fifteen year-old and preoccupied with her appearance. She is too eager to become independent from her family and distances herself from them by escaping with boys and acting mature to […]
