Research Paper

-"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" is a often anthologized short article in writing by Joyce Carol Oates. The article first emerged in the Fall 1966 version of Epoch Magazine. It was motivated by three Tucson, Arizona killings pledged by Charles Schmid, which were profiled in Life publication in an item in writing by Don Moser on March 4, 1966. Oates said that she dedicated the article to Bob Dylan because she had been motivated to compose it after hearing to his recital "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue."

The major feature of Oates's article is Connie, a attractive but rather irresponsible 15-year-old young female who is at odds with her mother, herself one time a attractiveness, and with her dutiful, "steady", and comfortable older sister. Without her parents' information, she expends most of her evenings picking up young men at a Big Boy bistro, and one night captures the vigilance of a menacing outsider in a gold jalopy enclosed with cryptic writing. While her parents are away at her aunt's barbecue, two men drag up in front of her dwelling and call Connie out. She identifies the person going by car, Arnold Friend, as the man from the drive-in bistro, but is primarily rather charmed by the smooth-talking, charismatic outsider in his trendy taut casual trousers and white T-shirt. He notifies Connie he is her age and has arrive to take for a travel in their vehicle with his sidekick Ellie; Connie gradually recognizes that he is really much older, and develops afraid. As Connie denies to proceed with him, he becomes more forceful and intimidating, saying that he will damage her family (while at the identical time appealing to Connie's vanity, saying that she is too healthy them), until Connie is compelled to depart with him and manage what he claims of her. The article finishes as Connie departs her front porch; her eventual fate is left ambiguous.

 Joyce Carol Oates values several symbolism to evolve the contrive and her characters. This assists set up the major topic in the article Where are You Going, Where Have You Been which is the approaching of age of Connie.

Joyce Carol Oates' Symbolism of Good and Evil

One of the allusions is Connie portraying as if “everything about her had two edges to it, one for dwelling, and one for any location that was not home” (Oats, pg 510). This entails Connie has two identities. It could furthermore signify the two edges of human nature- good and evil. One front, the good one, is for the advantage of the family. The other, a more bad Connie, she places up for friends.

Connie, being a teenager, is at a crossroads. She has not resolved in a self that she is snug in. She is still finding her religious persona, so to speak. When she's with her associates, she permits her hair down. She is not defended in her activities like when she with her mom, who often criticizes her and calls her ...