What is the meaning of Where Are You Going Where have you been?

What is the meaning of Where Are You Going Where have you been?

Analysis. Joyce Carol Oates begins “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” with a reference to Connie’s vain habit of compulsively checking her reflection in mirrors. In these tales victims are often shown gazing into mirrors, admiring their own beauty, much like the teenaged Connie.

Where Are You Going Where have you been important quotes?

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? | Quotes

• She knew she was pretty, and that was everything.
• Connie couldn’t do a thing, her mind was all filled with trashy daydreams.
• Connie’s mother kept picking at her until Connie wished her mother was dead.
• Sometimes, over coffee, they were almost friends, but something would come up—some vexation …

Where are you going How have you been?

First published in 1966, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” became an instant classic. It’s regularly included in literary anthologies of great fiction, and was even adapted into a popular 1986 film, Smooth Talk, starring Laura Dern.

Is Where Are You Going Where have you been an allegory?

“[The] story is clearly an allegory of the fatal attractions of death (or the devil),” Oates explains. “An innocent young girl is seduced by way of her own vanity; she mistakes death for erotic romance of a particularly American/trashy sort” (source).

What does Arnold friend symbolize?

Arnold Friend clearly symbolizes the devil through his physical traits, his knowledge of Connie, and his power over her kind of like he was hypnotizing her to go with him. First, Arnold Friend’s physical traits portray him as Satan.

Is Arnold Friend real?

Oates has described how she based the character of Arnold Friend on the real life serial killer, Charles Schmid, who also wore makeup and stuffed his boots in order to alter his appearance, and was known for preying on teenage girls—taking three of their lives in Tuscon, Arizona the 1960s.

How would you describe Connie in Where Are You Going Where have you been?

The protagonist of the story, Connie is a pretty fifteen-year-old girl who loves spending time with her friends and flirting with boys. Connie takes great pleasure in her appearance, so much so that her mother often scolds her for being vain.

What type of character is Connie in Where Are You Going Where have you been?

Fifteen-year-old Connie is a stereotypical teenage girl: rebellious, superficial, and vain, she often lies to her mother about where she’s going and where she’s been.

How does Connie change in Where Are You Going Where have you been?

Connie is in the midst of an adolescent rebellion. She argues with her mother and sister, June, and neglects family life in favor of scoping out boys at the local restaurant. She tries to appear older and wiser than she is, and her head is filled with daydreams and popular music that feed her ideas of romance and love.

Where Are You Going Where have you been conflict?

Conflicts present in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” include an ongoing conflict between Connie and her mother about the way she lives her life. A second conflict arises between Connie and “Arnold Friend” who arrives at her house when she is home alone with the intention of abducting her.

Where Are You Going Where have you been American dream?

The Broken American Dream in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?, a Short Story by Joyce Carol Oates. Joyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? represents the stark realities of real life invading the American Dream. Connie, the victim, lives the ideal life of a rebellious teen.

Where Are You Going Where have you been realism?

Oates has described the form of “Where Are You Going” as “psychological realism”; or “realistic allegory,” a fictional mode that is “Hawthornean, romantic, shading into parable.”2 At the same time, the story deals with a terrifying possibility of contemporary American life, a situation of invasion, abduction, and …

Where Are You Going Where have you been feminist analysis?

The short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates can be interpreted from a feminist perspective. There are many parts of the story that seem to symbolize the oppression of women. The story symbolizes the exploitation of women by men, and how women allow themselves to be controlled.

Where Are You Going Where Have You Been climax?

The climax of the story comes when the two men come to Connie’s house. She is alone, her family has gone to a barbecue. When Arnold Friend and Ellie arrive at her house, she is initially excited about the possibility that she was being sought out.