About ‘Where are you going where have you been’ Book
“Where Are You Going Where Have You Been”is a short story by Joyce Carol Oates. The writer was born in New York and is known for her depiction of Violence and evil in modern American society. Her story was first taken by Epoch magazine, and they published it in 1966; the story is regarded as one of the best-known works of the writer.
Joyce Carol Oates took her inspiration to write this story from two primary sources; one is from the Bob Dylan song “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue.” Secondly, murderer Charles Schmid murdered three young women in Tuscan, Arizona, and this news got highlighted in the Life magazine article which Don Moser wrote.
Joyce Carol Oates’s writing portrays the young culture of the 1960s. Critics and scholars from that era transcribe it as a symbol of sexual awakening. The story was quite popular back in the day due to its elusive interpretation. Where are you going where have you been essays highlighting the negativity of modern culture and its adversities?
Book Summary:
The book’s main character is an attractive young girl who is self-conscious and age 15 years old. Her mother gets jealous of her youth and often compares her to her hardworking sister. Like other teenagers, Connie loves to hang out with her friends.
One day when she was hanging out at a drive-in restaurant with her friends, she saw Arnold’s friends in his yellow convertible says I am Gonna get you, baby and she turned away after listening to him. After a couple of days, Connie’s family went out for a Sunday barbeque; Connie was alone at home.
While Connie was alone at home, enjoying listening to music when she heard a car in her driveway, she came down to see who was in the car; later, it released that Arnold with his friend who had asked her out was there, they insist her to sit inside in their car and go for a ride.
Connie resists as she doesn’t know the guy, who from his appearance looks much older and becomes more aware and reluctant when he says he is 18 years old, they keep on insisting Connie go for a ride with them, but she runs back inside her home and ask them to leave.
But upon gently and menacingly threatening her from outside, she became overwhelmed with emotions and came out finally; it is pretty clear that Arnold plans to take her to an outside place to assault her sexually, and then there is a possibility of murder. Essays on where are you going where have you been highlight this aspect of modern American culture and how it affects the teenagers.
Where are you going where have you been quotes
Multiple quotes reflect the modern aspect of American society and show how much it prevails in society and how toxic it can be if it remains unattended.
- “She knew she was pretty, and that was everything.”
- “Connie couldn’t do a thing; her mind was filled with trashy daydreams.”
- “She spoke sullenly, careful to show no interest or pleasure.”
- “She thought I have got to think. I have got to know what to do”.
- “She watched herself push the door, moving out into the sunlight where Arnold Friend waited.”
- “The asbestos “ranch house” that was now three years old startled her – it looked small.”
Essay Structure on ‘Where are you going, where have you been.’
The structural requirements of the ‘where are you going, where have you been’ essay are no different than other standard formats of the essay. Few suggestions keep the essay structure intact and fulfill all its requirements, including reading the book about which you are writing, then extracting outlines and raising ‘where are you going where have you been questions to support your point of view.
Introduction:
The introduction of any particular essay allows readers to get an overview and learn about the theme and main extracts of the essay. Especially in the case of an essay written on a topic picked for a specific book, it reflects a brief explanation of the book and points towards the thesis statement where the writer’s stance on a specific topic describes the overall authenticity of the essay.
Body:
After the essay introduction, the essay body provides the reader with an in-depth analysis of the topic. The writers often use different methods to support their argument by providing references and other supportive elements. All the points in the body of an essay are well explained and carefully arranged according to their relevance. Other requirements like transitioning between paragraphs are also kept in mind; it is the part where readers find most food for their thoughts.
Conclusion:
The ending of any essay is equally important as the starting. In contrast, the starting or introduction introduces what the essay is all about. Its ending or conclusion gives the final ending statement, whether or not the topic or argument stated in the introduction is it do justice to the writer’s perspective or not. Many essay writers make the simple mistake of adding new facts in their conclusion to support their findings further, but it weakens the whole narrative and your key explaining point.
6 Tips to Consider While Writing An essay about ‘where are you going where have you been’
Writing an essay on a topic selected from a particular book is not an essay task; it requires hard work and a full grip on the book. The firm grip on the book is done reading it and noting all its turning points and facts. Though it seems a difficult process, if done following the below tips, it will be a lot easier.
Read the Book Thoroughly:
The first step in writing a book essay, where are you going where have you been, starts with the reading. While reading the book, noting all the important information helps you choose your essay topic and develop an understanding of the book’s main theme and things that the book writer wants to explain. It also helps the essay writer analyze the author’s writing style and way of explaining different subjects.
Find a Compelling Topic:
Finding a compelling topic is hard if you are not familiar with the book or don’t read the book in the first place. But if you read the book and develop an understanding, it is easier for you to suggest or create any compelling topic. However, the below steps help you by making the topic selection process simpler:
- The first step to do it is by writing all the information that you think is worth including in your essay, writing it in raw form, rearranging it, refining it, and ending your essay. In this way, you have a complete essay without a topic; now, read it again, and you will have an idea of which topic will best explain your essay.
- You can also create a compelling topic out of your thesis statement; you need to explain more about your essay theme and briefly explain it in your essay introduction.
- The length of your essay topic does not matter; if it describes your essay well, it’s a good, compelling topic.
Create the Outline:
It’s a proven method; whenever you find a difficult task, divide it into smaller parts and do it one at a time. It will simplify the process and get the job done. The same is the case with writing an essay on a book; it’s a hard task, and you must break it down into smaller parts, which is efficiently done by creating an outline for your essay. The outline will simplify your whole essay, make your thinking clearer, and focus attention on the topic, helping you draft a perfect essay.
Write the Thesis Statement:
Writing a thesis statement depends on a clear understanding of the book or topic that comes with reading the book. Then it involves the theme or base of your essay upon which the whole essay structure is built. A thesis statement doesn’t stick to one particular sentence; it can differ from one person to other based on their opinions, understanding, and way of looking at things through their lens. A thesis statement for ‘where are you going, where have you been’ can be contemporary practices and their effects on society, especially teenagers.
Include a Lesson or Moral:
Every writer shares their perspective looking at things; it may involve one subject or have multiple lessons to learn. A good writer always writes with a thought process or learning that they want to give their readers, and if the readers benefit from it, the purpose of a writer is to educate or spark a new thought in the reader’s mind is accomplished.
In the book ‘where are you are going and where you have been,’ having multiple folds of lessons or thoughts compels the reader to unfold them and learn from them. The story emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries and giving one a choice of freedom to express and choose for themselves.
It also highlights the thought process and negativity that modern American culture holds. Last but not least, if someone tries to push you or make you do things that you don’t want to deal with, then deal with it with courage and resilience because, in the end, it’s you who will suffer.
Conclusion Proofread your Work:
What better than proofreading to remove your essay mistakes and omit any errors present in your essay. It allows you to present the advanced copy of your work before your readers or audience, especially in the case of academic writing; it proves to be a turning point in attaining perfect grades for your essay.
But before proofreading, use the same effort and energy to write the conclusion for your essay. The conclusion states your final assessment of the topic, and That’s why it holds the real authenticity and credibility of your essay.
FAQs
Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Based on a true story?
Joyce Carol Oates uses two references to write this story. One is a bob Dylon song, and the other is the story of a murderer in Tuscon, Arizona, name Charles Schmid who killed three teenage girls and was involved in the rape and sexual assault.
Who is Connie in the story Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?
Connie was the main character of this book. She was a beautiful young girl who often faced resistance from her mother, who cornered her out of jealousy. She likes to hang out with his friends away from home.
