Essays on Where are you going where have you been

The short story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates focuses on the summer of the main character Connie and ultimately what happens when Arnold Friend goes to her house one afternoon when she is home alone. Arnold Friend victimizes Connie, a self-absorbed teenager, and it is implied that the story ends with something unspeakable happening to her. Oates drew inspiration for her story from a Life magazine article about a serial killer in Tucson,…...

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?' is a vivid and yet graphical short story. Joyce uses fiction to illuminate the life of most 21st century teenagers. Connie's story resonates with the desires of most teenagers who live under their parents' roof. It shows the desire of a teenager who seeks to find the freedom to break away from her depressing mother. Connie says that her mother has been too harsh and unfriendly. She goes to the point of…...

"Where Are you Going, Where Have You Been", there is a clear interpretation of evil in Arnold Friend and how he as a demon tries to pull Connie into the dark world of sex and emotion. Oates seems to extract scenarios of real life and add them into her story. The character of Arnold Friend is more or less what really is out there. The harsh reality that Oates includes in her story is that there are demons like Arnold.…...

“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? ” is a short story written by Joyce Carol Oates. On the surface the narrative is fairly generic. The plot follows a 15 year old girl named Connie who is a typical teen - shallow, and self consumed. She spends her days at the mall, listening to the radio, and boy watching. However, it soon becomes clear that this story has a very dark undertone. Joyce Carol Oates has commented that this…...

The story ' Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?' is about the fifteen year old Connie who is a girl struggling with her sexuality. The girl tries to be an adult and attractive, but at the same time, she hides her sexual side from her family. These two sides cannot remain separate from each other at all times and collide with each other, which this short story depicts. The main idea in this short story is the sexuality…...

The first line of Oates literary work “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” indicates that the conclusion to Connie’s existence may have come to a terrible end. In the short story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” written by Joyce Carol Oates, the story takes you on a journey through the eyes of a helpless girl, who, as shown by the three opening words, came to a very unfortunate collapse. This particular literary work is not…...

Joyce Carol Oates attributes the creation of “Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been? ” to Bob Dylan’s “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” and the article she read “about a killer in the American Southwest”, she also considered “the legends and folk songs connected with the subject of “Death and the Maiden”’ when creating this story (Latta 1). Oates was well known for writing about “the spiritual, sexual, and intellectual decline of modern American society” writing about such…...

In many religious beliefs, the major representation of a wicked spirit, ruler of Hell, and rival of God is of course the Devil. His power to distress human beings both with physical illness and with spiritual corruption is mysterious. However, the idea of a guy with such power and understanding has been used in stories and films alike. In Joyce Carol Oates' short story, "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" Oates depicts Arnold Pal as the Devil; we…...