another, every story comes from something people have seen before. This also includes fictional stories, as everything must be grounded in some type of reality. Reading stories like these helps us understand our own lives as well, things we may not have understood until reading the right book. Some examples are “Where are you going, Where have you been?” by Joyce Carol Oates and “We Grow Accustomed to the Dark” by Emily Dickinson. These both have experiences that many can find themselves relating…
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“My parents don’t understand a word I’m saying (Osterweil 1)” This is a result of communication gap between parents and child. Readers see the same communication gap between Connie and her parents in Joyce Carol Oates short story “Where are you going, Where have you been?” Oates, in her story, gave the ultimate valuation of such a gap through Connie’s surrender to the devil Arnold Friend (Oates). Oates left readers to guess Connie’s fate in the hand of devil Arnold Friend. Joyce Carol Oates in a…
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White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway, we read about two characters, a girl and an American man. The two have short conversations between them, and these conversations can hint of many clues about them and their relationship. In the story, we discover what the characters are like, through what they say, and also through the things they don’t say. The short story “Where are you going, Where have you been” by Joyce Carol Oates is about a teenage girl who is, vain, self-doubting and affixed in the present…
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and use ways to make them feel safe with them, until they realize they’re not. Connie was personally affected when she found out Arnold had been stalking and following her, knowing too much information about her. After a long stand off with him, she realized she must go with him, he’s kidnapping her. In the short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?,” the author Joyce Oates shows how dangerous men can…
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moments. The feelings you release after fantasy horror and real-world horror are incomparable. The short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates describes the life of a girl who was unexpectedly put into a horrific situation without wanting to be involved in it. The outcome of real-world horror is most likely to result in disaster. On the other hand, fantasy horror can be looked at as a positive feeling. Depending on either situation, there is something you can take out of…
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Have you ever felt the pull of temptation so strong that it threatened to shatter your innocence and alter the course of your life forever? Joyce Carol Oates provides readers with an unsettling territory, exploring the blurred lines between adolescence and adulthood, and the hunting consequences of giving in to the siren call of danger, within her story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Through the journey of this short story, the narrator highlights the complexities of shifting from youth…
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In the short story by Joyce Carol Oates, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” the traumatic tale of a young girl preyed on by older men is told. The story begins with a beautiful teen constantly being torn down by her parents. She seeks attention and acceptance from boys around town causing her let her guard around men; which later becomes problem. Two unfamiliar men arrive at her house when her family leaves. Instead of keeping the door shut or calling the police, she opens the door and begins…
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Undoubtedly, being a parent is an endless, difficult, but satisfactory job. Nonetheless, in every relationship, especially between families, communication is fundamental to establish a solid tie. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is a story by Joyce Carol Oates written in 1966. After analyzing the story, one concludes the lack of communication between an adolescent and her parents brings a tragic end for the adolescent. Oates relied on poor communication skills to develop the significance…
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in life. It’s called adolescence. Adolescence can be one of the most difficult things to go through. It’s a constant war that you fight between yourself trying to find yourself, while still trying to be accepted by your peers. In order to survive in this world, it’s essential to know who you are and what you stand for. In the story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”, the character Connie experiences adolescence and fights a battle of finding self-identity. Battling low self-esteem, no support…
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In an ever changing society where the emphasis on a nuclear family is being left behind, Joyce Carol Oates wrote Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been in 1966. This piece was a change from most works of literature at the time, because Oates draws attention to the disconnect between parents and children of the 1950s and 1960s. In the story the main character, Connie, and her parents do not have a good relationship. The frayed relationship between parents and child gives pop culture the opportunity…
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