Joyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been

Joyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Joyce Carol Oates was born in 1938 in Lockport, New York. She started writing very young and that the age of fifteen she submitted her first novel, but it was rejected for being too dark;. This style of writing is common on many of her works including Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?; Oates graduated from Syracuse University and then went on to get her masters degree from the University of Wisconsin. Oates turned much often in her writing to everyday characters, which she often placed in situations that were both psychologically and socially terrifying.; (Short Stories For Students 258) Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? is based on a killer in†¦show more content†¦Friend has shaggy black hair that looked crazy as a wig. His nose was long and hawk like and his most devilish of features was his eyes, which looked like chips of broken glass that caught the light; (Devilish Qualities of Friend, Collins) Friend seemed to know everything about Connie. He knew where her family was, what they were doing, and even small details like what her sister was wearing. That gives the reader an eerie feeling, almost a foreshadowing of how much power Friend has over Connie. The name Arnold Friend brings up a lot of speculation. Of course the last name Friend; is highly ironic because that is the last thing Arnold wants, to be her friend. Linda F. Raines, the author of Joyce Carol Oates writes an interesting interpretation of Arnold Friends name involves removing some of the letters in order to see the secret meaning; behind the name: ARNOLD FRIEND Now, minus the R; in Arnold and the R; in Friend he takes on a new, possibly truer identity: AN OLD FIEND.; Arnold Friend interpretation of the Devil or evil is quite vast. So much has been written on even the slightest of similarities its impossible to find every meaning behind him and his actions. In the parking lot Friend signs Connie with an X;. Friend always had a habit of wagging hisShow MoreRelatedJoyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?651 Words   |  3 PagesJoyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Every person comes face to face at some point in life with vital decisions. Some of the decisions are minor ones, while others can bring turning points in life. In Joyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? she displays a particular instant in the main characters life. This character, Connie was caught in the difficult transition from her youth and innocence to a doubtful future. Throughout the story Connie alternatesRead MoreWhere are you Going? Where Have you Been? by Joyce Carol Oates1100 Words   |  5 PagesWhere Are You Going, Where have you been? is a short story written by Joyce Carol Oates. The 75 year old American author and professor at Princeton University, introduce the story of 15 year old Connie who is rebelling against her mother’s whishes. A very arrogant and selfish girl that in her world the only thing that matters is how many heads she can turn when walking into a room. Through the story life gives her a test, to confront Arnold Friend, th e antagonist of the story; who possesses a nefariousRead MoreWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been By Joyce Carol Oates990 Words   |  4 PagesSocial Reality: An Analysis of â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been† by Joyce Carol Oates Joyce Carol Oates has kept her true inspiration behind â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been† in order to create a willing suspension of disbelief between realism and fantasy. The short story by Oates was released soon after the newspaper published the murders committed by Charles Schmid Jr. in 1966. The story displays numerous resembling details that match the real-life murder case involving â€Å"TheRead MoreWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been By Joyce Carol Oates1032 Words   |  5 PagesOne may never realize the people surrounding one’s everyday life, crammed with bodies of contrasting characters, pasts’, and styles; however, who are these people genuinely? Arnold Friend, in the short story, â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been† by Joyce Carol Oates, managed to deceive with his false characteristics. Arnold Friend was brought to life from Oates’s imagination of the mischievous serial killer Charles Schmid. Arnold Friend and Charles Schmid similarly attempted to delude withRead MoreWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been? by Joyce Carol Oates1157 Words   |  5 Pages Joyce Carol Oates’ â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?† is a modern interpretation of the classic narrative of evil tempting innocence. Oates’ version of the devil allegory combines this Christian model of temptation with contemporary secular society. Connie is a pretty fifteen year-old girl, beginning the process of maturation into adulthood. She begins to become aware of her ability to act of her own volition, but her naivete renders her ignorant to Arnold Friend’s layers ofRead More Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been by Joyce Carol Oates1563 Words   |  7 PagesWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been by Joyce Carol Oates In Joyce Carol Oates story, a teenage girl named Connie was stripped of her innocence. Gonna get you baby( 497).This chilling line is what the devil said to Connie the first time Connie came in contact with him which foreshadows of things to come. This one comment clearly points to a situation where Connie would be taken from a safe haven of innocence. She would be TAKEN, not simply invited. Connie was a Read MoreWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been by Joyce Carol Oates1107 Words   |  4 PagesIn Joyce Carol Oates â€Å"Where are you going, where have you been?† introduces us to Connie a self-absorbed, rebellious, and very naà ¯ve fifteen year old who is tossed into this world of sexuality, and adulthood she believes she knows all about. As Oates explains about Connie to us we get introduced to what influences her to act out and not care what others think and go about dealing with problems herself. Her mom is brought in as an over protective mother who wants to see her daughter succeed but doesn’tRead MoreJoyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going Where Have You Been1502 Words   |  7 PagesThe Devil in Disguise Joyce Carol Oates’s â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?† describes the story of a fifteen-year old girl named Connie who does not seem to have a care in the world. The story takes place in the seventies. Connie is a girl who just wants to have fun and is all about her appearance and boys. In the beginning of the story, you understand the relationship between the mother and Connie. The mother appears to be malicious of her young and beautiful Connie saying such harshRead MoreWhere Are You Going Where Have You Been? by Joyce Carol Oates991 Words   |  4 PagesThe decisions that you make throughout life can make or break you; you just have to make the right ones. In Joyce Carol Oates story â€Å"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 cente r or the movies. One day they decided that instead of going to the mall they would go to the diner across theRead MoreWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been by Joyce Carol Oates1008 Words   |  5 Pages There are always two sides to every story. The short story â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been†, by Joyce Carol Oates is a prefect example of just that. In this short story, the main character is a fifteen year old girl, named Connie. The young adolescent has two sides to herself; one when she is at home and one when she is out with her friends. When Connie is at home, she acts childlike. However, when she goes out she tries to act like an adult by changing her clothes and the way she talks