Analysis and Discussion of Joyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?
Except for the armed forces still slugging it out in the frozen battlefields of Korea, the late 1950s were a great time to be alive in the United States especially if you were white and middle-class. In very sharp contrast to today, American kids rode their bikes everywhere freely, without being overly concerned about anything except flat tires, stray dogs and potholes and the future was bright. People in small-town America left their doors unlocked and everyone knew everyone and no one had even heard of domestic terrorism except for the blacks in the Old South where this was the status quo. Against this idyllic backdrop, it is not surprising that some young people, most especially females, experienced a suboptimal adolescence due in large part to the freedoms they otherwise enjoyed due to their propensity for experimentation during this formative period in their lives. It was during this post-war period in American history that Oates set her short story which examines what happens when one young girl becomes a victim of the times. The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the relevant literature to analyze and discuss Joyce Carol Oates short story, Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? to identify its plot and the theme of carelessness as part of immaturity. Following this review, the paper presents a summary of the research and significant findings concern the foregoing issues in the conclusion.
Review and Discussion
Overview of the plot. In reality, 15-year-old Connies life was not so dramatically different from the vast majority of American girls during the late 1950s. Unfortunately for Connie, the plot of this fictional story also concerns how her vulnerability due to carelessness also translates into a violent encounter with an older, predatory male. In sum, Connie is a typical American adolescent who tends to daydream and indulge in romantic fantasies. In this regard, Anand, Velayathikode and Chatterjee point out that, Connie is introduced to the reader as a teenage girl who like other girls at her age is very conscious of her physical appearance. Oates, however, develops her character in contrast with her prim and prudish sister by specifically focusing on her preoccupation with beauty (84).
The plot unfolds as Connies world takes a dark turn when she encounters a mysterious and charismatic stranger named Arnold Friend. With his disturbing blend of machismo and menace, Friend approaches Connie at her home when her family is away. As the story draws to a conclusion, the tension between the two escalates, revealing Friends sinister intentions and Connies vulnerability. The plot explores various themes of adolescence, the danger that carelessness causes, and the loss of innocence due to this same carelessness which is an inherent part of growing up. The storys conclusion, discussed further below, leaves readers with a haunting and ambiguous feeling that compels reflection on the vulnerabilities of youth. Because Connies unsettling experience was not particularly uncommon then or now it is important to examine these overarching themes which are discussed further below.
Discussion of the theme of carelessness as part of immaturity. Sibling rivalry is a powerful force in American families, as Connies was no exception. As noted above, Connies sister was employed full-time (at her school no less). In sharp contrast to Connies overwhelming self-consciousness and vanity, her sister was a veritable paragon of virtue who was consistently placed on a pedestal by her mother who made it clear that she disapproved of Connies self-absorbed behaviors. For instance, Oates writes, Her mother, who noticed everything and knew everything and who hadn't much reason any longer to look at her own face, always scolded Connie about it. Stop gawking at yourself. Who are you? You think you're so pretty? (1).
Imbued with the unshakeable belief that she was in fact pretty (countless hours before the mirror confirmed it), Connie chalked her mothers critical actions towards her to her loss of her own youthful beauty and hopes of living a better life vicariously through Connie. In this regard, Oates adds that in response, Connie would raise her eyebrows at these familiar old complaints and look right through her mother, into a shadowy vision of herself as she was right at that moment: she knew she was pretty and that was everything (1). This early assertion concerning Connies thoughts and familial tensions helped define the characters and set the stage for what would follow.
As the old saying goes, When you got it, flaunt it,...
…that rape and even murder were not out of the question. As Anand et al. conclude, Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? exhibits a telling inclination toward a purely naturalistic mode wherein the central character is predestined to an inevitable doom (83).Conclusion
While it is tempting to conclude that Connie managed to extricate herself from her violent encounter with Arnold Friend, it is also reasonable to suggest that she experienced the same type of sexual assaults that have always been commonplace between vulnerable young girls and predatory males. This unfortunate eventuality continues to occur far too oftendespite aggressive efforts by law enforcement and onerous laws against sexual predation, so it is also reasonable to posit that this theme resonates with modern readers as well. In the final analysis, the plot delves into the darker aspects of adolescence as the tension between Connie and Friend heightens, revealing sinister intentions and Connies vulnerability to a predatory figure. The story explores themes of danger, the loss of innocence, and the inherent carelessness of growing up in mid-20th century America. Finally, the haunting and ambiguous conclusion prompts reflection by readers of all ages concerning the profound complexities of human behavior, particularly in the context of the unsettling experiences of Connie which were not uncommon then or now. The narrative encourages an examination of these overarching themes that resonate with the broader challenges that are still routinely faced by adolescents everywhere.
Works Cited
Anand, Aswathi Velayathikode, and Srirupa Chatterjee. From Naturalistic Savagery to Humanistic Redemption: Artistic Transformations in Joyce Carol Oatess Short Stories. IUP Journal of English Studies, vol. 12, no. 2, June 2017, pp. 8189.
Coulthard, A. R. Joyce Carol Oatess Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? As Pure Realism. Studies in Short Fiction, vol. 26, no. 4, Sept. 1989, pp. 50510.
Hurley, C. Harold. Cracking the Secret Code in Oatess Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Studies in Short Fiction, vol. 24, no. 1, Jan. 1987, p. 62
Sutton, Brian. An Unconscious Obsession: The Influence of Flannery OConnors Novels on Joyce Carol Oatess Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Flannery OConnor Review, vol. 4, Jan. 2006, pp. 5468.
van de Ven, Inge. Gonna Get You, Baby! A Qualitative-Empirical Study of Attentional Modulation in Reading a Short Story. Language &…
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