What is the message of Where Are You Going Where have you been?
The main themes of “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” are appearance versus reality, the embodiment of evil, and self-sacrifice. Appearance vs. reality: Both Connie and Arnold have two-sided natures, presenting an appealing self when necessary and withholding another.
What is the purpose of Where Are You Going Where have you been?
Joyce Carol Oates wrote her short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” after reading about the 1950s serial murders of Charles Schmid, a story that was profiled in Life magazine. For one thing, she was concerned with the increasing fixation on sexual themes in the youth culture of the 1960s.
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.
What do the numbers mean in Where Are You Going Where have you been?
Harold Hurley posits that the numbers carry a sexual connotations because when added together they equal 69, a sexual position. This reading makes sense in the context of the story and in relation to Arnold’s continuous claims that he will teach Connie about lover, and specifically sex.
Why does Connie have Arnold friend?
Due to her insecurity and low self-esteem, Connie is just gullible enough to believe that it really is “all over for [her] here.” She is willing to go with Arnold Friend not because she actually wants to, but because she thinks he is right; Connie has nothing keeping her, not her friends, her family, or any of the …
Where Are You Going Where Have You Been point of view?
“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is told by a third-person limited omniscient narrator who focuses on Connie’s point of view. This narrative choice allows readers to empathize with Connie while at the same time maintain some distance from the events.
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.
Why is Arnold friend’s name ironic?
In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?,” the surname of the antagonist, Arnold Friend, is ironic because he is definitely not a friend. Despite claiming to be friendly and polite, he is menacing to Connie. He wants to be her lover through force.
How would you describe Connie’s relationship with her mother sister and father?
There is no intimacy or tenderness in the relationships that Connie has with her family members. Her parents also have little, if any, knowledge of Connie’s associations and activities. A pretty girl, fifteen-year-old Connie is entirely self-absorbed.
How does Arnold know Connie’s name?
Arnold Friend knows Connie’s name without being told and, more disturbingly, seems able to see across town and into her aunt’s barbeque. One critic suggests the reason for Arnold Friend’s ill-fitting boots are his cloven hooves (Wegs 69). Others have likened the name Arnold Friend to Arch Fiend or An Old Fiend.
Is where are you going where have you been a dream?
In Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” the reader can conclude that this story is Connie’s realistic dream. The narrator leaves the reader to decide Connie’s fate, which is waking up from this awful nightmare relieved that her dream was not reality. Works Cited. Oates, Joyce Carol.
Who does Connie see at the drive through?
The girls often sneak across the highway to a drive-in restaurant and meet boys. One night, a boy named Eddie invites Connie to eat dinner with him, and Connie leaves her friend at the restaurant’s counter to go with him. As they walk through the parking lot, she sees a man in a gold convertible.
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 antagonist?
Arnold Friend is Connie’s antagonist.
How is music used in Where Are You Going Where have you been?
Music. Music functions as Connie’s bridge from the real world to her fantasy world. Connie enjoys escaping her life by listening to music and daydreaming about boys, and she gathers her ideas about romance primarily from songs on the radio.
Who is the main character in Where Are You Going Where have you been?
Connie
Where Are You Going Where Have You Been identity?
Identity in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” acts to separate Connie from her family emotionally and then physically as Arnold Friend misrepresents his own identity to her.
Why does Connie wish her mother was dead and she dead herself?
He didn’t bother talking much to them, but around his bent head Connie’s mother kept picking at her until Connie wished her mother was dead and she herself was dead and it was all over. Connie wishes for death to end her toxic family dynamic.
How does Arnold Friend manipulate Connie?
When he first arrives at Connie’s house, Friend behaves and speaks as though his presence makes perfect sense. As the story comes to a close, Friend successfully manipulates Connie: he has worn down her agency and free will so completely that she is unable to act in her own best interests.