Review Of The Story 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?'

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Melissa Gurley September 17,2017 Short Essay #1 Comp 1102 Dr. B “Where are you going, where have you been?” Is set in a surbuban American in the 50s and 60s in a world with sexual revolution, yet still fundamentally conservative. In the story only men, never women are seen driving, the model of womanhood is still limited, depicted by the dowdy and domestic June. Things are changing in the world with new honors for young women like Connie. One of the existential themes playing a major role in the story is the choice between right and wrong. Arnold friend comes to the new world but the threat he represents, with violence and control, is a much older one. In the story Connie is living in a fantasy like all other 15 year old …show more content…

The three numbers on his car 33, 19, 17 add up to the number 69 which becomes a “secret sexual code” Number 11 followed Connie from the beginning of the story. Her father used to pick up the girls from the mall at eleven, she meets her friend at eleven, and on Sunday Connie gets up at eleven. After, reading and analyzing what I have read I finally understood the meaning of the numbers. This implies that the world in which Connie lived was disorganized and imperfect. She valued popular music and worshiped boys, but she was unaware of the dangers lurking behind her choices. Connie’s desire to explore her sexuality despite conventional rules made her susceptible to the work of the devil. Her parents also had contributed to the haphazard lifestyle of her world. Her father was never at home and he hardly found the time to talk to her. The reader also gets an impression that on Sundays it was not important for all the members of the family to attend the church together which let us suspect that Connie was left alone to contributed to her fantasy world she lived …show more content…

The author conveys Arnold as the opposing force to Connie’s child-like fantasy world. Arnold knows that he can take advantage of Connie and corrupt her world easily, and nothing is going to stop him from doing so. He is a predator and is determined to lure Connie over…even if it means by force. Everything about the way Arnold looks and acts represents his shady and dark persona. Arnold’s hair is “shaggy, shabby black hair that looked crazy as a wig” (366). His hair is the contrast to Connie’s golden blonde hair which symbolizes innocence. Oates describes Arnold’s hair as looking like a wig. This represents a sort of fake cover-up on Arnold’s behalf. Arnold’s sunglasses serve as another symbol. His sunglasses reflect mirror images and do not show his eyes. This symbolizes a disguise, as if Arnold is trying to hide who he really is. Arnold’s car is an extension of himself. It serves as a contrast between who Arnold really is and who he is disguised as. The car symbolizes the fantasy and reality aspect of Arnold. Oates uses the old jalopy to symbolize the reality of Arnold, and the new paint job is used to symbolize Arnold’s fake disguise that he puts on to lure Connie in. Arnold’s car becomes an example of all that is dark about his appearance and nature. The color gold represents a sort of flashy aura as if he is trying to attract a younger crowd. The saying “Man the Flying Saucers” is written on the

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