In the Short story “Where Are You Going Where Have You Been” written by Joyce Carol Oates we are introduced with the protagonist of the story Connie a fiffteen year old girl. Connies character is a teenage girl who views herself as an adult who pays little attention to authority given by her parents. Connie continuously disobeys her parents and thanks to her “goodie-goodie” older sister is allowed to go out late at night. The story begins with Connie 's mother scolding at her for admiring herself in the mirror. Here we are given the sense that she is very self centered and cares alot about her appearance. The setting moves forward to what we first understand is a night out with her sister at a shopping plaza. We shortly understand later that It 's a big symbol to me because it ties into what my opinion of the theme is in her story . The theme in my perspective is maturity and immaturity. The title reflects the meaning because it shows and hints where she is heading to and where she has been. the title hints the ending in my view because the future is “where she is going:” with arnold which connects with her being immature in the past that lead her to that moment. After doing some research i came across some journals who reflect the title and its meaning. According to Michele D. Theriot what 's interesting is the “ initiation framework that organizes the plot relies on a move from a past “self” to a future “self,” Connie herself has no sense of the past or future.” As i mentioned i think a big theme in the story is maturity and immaturity. We see connie be both immature and mature in the story in multiple ways and the title symbolizes that transformation of her past and future self. it reflects the transformation of her maturity after her encounter with arnold, into where is she is going (future) and where has she been (past).
”Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?” is a short story written by Joyce Carol Oates, which explores the life of a teenage girl named Connie. One of the issues this story divulges is the various stresses of adolescence. Connie, like so many others, is pressured to conform according to different social pressures, which displays the lack of respect female adolescents face. The music culture, young men, and family infringe upon young female minds to persuade them to look or act in certain ways, showing a disrespect for these girls. While some perhaps intend their influence for good, when put into practice, the outcome often has a negative effect. Moreover, this can lead young women to confusion and a lack of self-respect, which proves
In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” the main character Connie is determined to appear and act older than her adolescent age. She focuses the majority of her attention on presenting the most mature version of herself for the boys and girls
The author Joyce Carol Oates was born on the 16th of June 1938 and struggled economically during the period of great depreciation. In her story ‘Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?’ revolves around the 15th-year-old Connie who is more preoccupied with aspects related to her appearances. In most cases, she spends time admiring herself and comparing her face with others. Influenced by her mother, she is required to be neat just like the elder sister. She ends up avoiding her mother’s questions regarding the boys she meets. As the boys continue talking with Connie, she tries to avoid him claiming that she doesn’t know him. His name is Arnold Friend (Oates 1).
Coming-of-age stories commonly record the transitions—sometimes abrupt, or even violent—from youth to maturity, from innocence to experience of its protagonist, whether male or female. Greasy Lake by T.Coraghessan Boyle and Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? by Joyce Carol Oates are great examples of traditional coming-of-age stories. The roots of the coming-of-age narrative theme are tracked in the male protagonist’s perspective for Boyle’s short story, while the Oates’ story captures the coming-of-age theme from Connie; a female protagonist’s perspective. In both short stories, the authors fulfill the expectations of a coming-of-age genre when they take us through the journey of rebellion and self realization, as the
Joyce Carol Oates' short story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" written in the late sixties, reveals several explanations of its plot. The story revolves around a young girl being seduced, kidnapped, raped and then killed. The story is purposely vague and that may lead to different interpretations. Teenage sex is one way to look at it while drug use or the eerie thought that something supernatural may be happening may be another. The story combines elements of what everyone may have experienced as an adolescent mixed with the unexpected dangers of vanity, drugs, music and trust at an early age. Ultimately, it is up to the reader to choose what the real meaning of this story is. At one point or another one has encountered, either through personal experience or through observation, a teenager who believes that the world is plotting against them. The angst of older siblings, peer pressure set upon them by their friends, the need for individualism, and the false pretense that at fifteen years of age, they are grown are all factors which affect the main character in this story.
The decisions that you make throughout life can make or break you; you just have to make the right ones. In Joyce Carol Oates story “Where Are Your Going Where Have You Been?”, the main character is Connie. Connie had an older sister but she was nothing like her. Her older sister always pleased her mom, and Connie did not care. Connie and her friend hang out and go to the shopping center or the movies. One day they decided that instead of going to the mall they would go to the diner across the street. She met a boy named Arnold. After that night everything started to spiral down. “Where Are You Going Where Have You Been?” demonstrates a teenager who decided to cross the road and become a woman.
In her short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” Joyce Carol Oats demonstrates how vanity and innocence combined, can bring bad consequences in someone’s life. That is the characterization that the author gives about Connie, a 15 year old teenager who thought that she had the world in her hands, because she never thought of the consequences of being promiscuous or too “outgoing.” The innocence of her age and her overconfident personality did not let her see how vulnerable she was to the dangers of the outside world.
In the midst of a heartbreak, crisis, celebration, or milestone, we use music to help express the emotions that we feel or may have felt during that time. Music allows for us to escape our reality, though only for a moment in time. It has an adverse reaction on our emotions. Music can trigger feelings regarding a past experience, a loved one, etc. Music is universal. Regardless of the lyrics, tone, or time period of the song music is an incredibly powerful work of art deeply connected with human emotions. Joyce Carol Oates uses pop music as a symbol and motif throughout her short story “Where are you going, Where have you been?” In her short story, Joyce Carol Oates' music references illustrate Connie's life and journey throughout the story.
In her short story Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been, Joyce Carol Oates presents us with a well known maxim: children cannot wait to get older. Tired of her boring and powerless childhood, Connie, the main character, searches for cheap thrills she likens to adulthood. Thus, Connie’s surreal experience (Arnold Friend’s sudden and unwanted appearance in his car) represents a suppressed fear of the inevitable and unknown - growing up.
During the teenage years they no longer want to be labeled the “child; matter of fact, they have a strong desire to rebel against the family norms and move quickly into adulthood. This transition and want for freedom can be a very powerful and frightening thing as there are evils in this world that cannot be explained. Most parents try to understand and give their teens certain freedoms, but at what expense? Joyce Oates gives us a chilly story about a teenager that wanted and craved this freedom of adulthood called “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”. This is a haunting story of a young girl by the name of Connie who gives us a glimpse of teenager transitioning from childhood with the need for freedom and the consequences of her actions. Connie is described as a very attractive girl who did not like her role in the family unit. She was the daughter who could not compare to her older sister and she felt her Mom showed favoritism towards her sister. Connie is your average teen who loves music, going out with friends, and she likes the attention she receives from boys. During this time, Connie is also growing into her sexuality and is obsessing with her looks as she wants and likes to be noticed by the opposite sex. Her sexual persona and need to be free will be what is fatal to her character’s life and well-being.
Joyce Carol Oates intrigues readers in her fictional piece “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” by examining the life of a fifteen year old girl. She is beautiful, and her name is Connie. Oates lets the reader know that “everything about her [Connie] had two sides to it, one for home, and one for anywhere but home (27). When Connie goes out, she acts and dresses more mature than she probably should. However, when she is at home, she spends the majority of her time absorbed with daydreams “about the boys she met”(28). This daydreaming behavior is observable to the reader throughout the story. From theories about dreams, theories about subconscious thought, and the clues that Oates provides, the reader is lead to believe that Connie’s experience with Arnold Friend is a nightmare used to awaken her to the consequences that her behavior could result in.
This short story is about a girl trying to be an adult while still being a child. In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates, Connie tries to grow up too soon. Through setting Connie’s true self is revealed by characterization and figurative language through the house as a metaphor.
Have you ever been so focused on achieving your dreams that you become unaware of your current situation? When we focus on the goals ahead of us, we fail to see the obstacles and dangers that are in front of us. In order to achieve our goals we involuntarily put ourselves in an unwanted situation. Connie, herself, struggles to achieve her goal of being a desirable girl that turns heads when she walks into the room. She becomes so set on being this girl that she doesn’t realize the danger of the situation. In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Oates utilizes metaphors, diction, and imagery to show how Connie is in a constant tug between her reality and her dreams, and how this confines her freedoms in a world that is surrounded with malevolence.
In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” by Joyce Carol Oates, Connie is a normal teenage girl who is approached outside her home by a guy named Arnold Friend who threatens to harm her, and she obeys, if she does not get in the car with him. Connie is the main character in this story who teaches us that sometimes we might search for adult independence too early before we are actually ready to be independent and on our own. Connie is so focused on her appearance that she works hard to create a mature and attractive adult persona that will get her attention from guys. This search for independence conflicts with Connie’s relationship with her family and their protection of her. Connie’s insecurity and low self-esteem is triggered by her fear of intimacy. Connie confuses having the attention of men with actually having them pursue her in a sexual way.
In Joyce Carol Oates's short story, "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" the protagonist introduced is Connie, who is an interesting and strong character. Just like every other teenager, she is searching for a purpose and trying to find her place in society. Although Connie seems to be an incredibly self absorbed teenage girl, there is a part of her personality that is different than the rest. She lives a double life, having one personality around her house, with her family, and the other when she is hanging out with friends in public. Due to this double personality, the reader can't help but become intrigued and question which girl she truly is.