As with much of Oates’s fiction, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” uses the technique of psychological realism, funneling the narrative through Connie’s consciousness, along with elements of gothic horror, to chilling effect. The story has been subject to differing interpretations by various critics. It has been seen as an inverted fairy tale in which Connie is joined not with Prince Charming but with the Prince of Darkness. These readers have pointed out similarities between Arnold Friend and the devil: his disguise, his supernatural knowledge of the whereabouts of Connie’s family, his ability to lure Connie to him against her will, even his very name, which is by no coincidence close to ”Arch Fiend.” Others see it as a tale of initiation into evil, with the end depicting Connie’s acceptance of the depraved American culture. Here Connie inhabits a world of moral impoverishment in which only the false and tawdry are revered. The loss of Connie to Arnold Friend is thus not only the story of one girl’s fatal misperception of appearances but also a representation of a loss of innocence. There are still others who read the story as a feminist allegory which suggests that young women of today, like the generations that have come before them, are headed into sexual bondage. In addition to reading ”Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” for its critical interpretation, it can also be enjoyed as a finely crafted story. Oates’s control over her narrative is clearly evident as she introduces a protagonist who is familiar enough to earn the reader’s empathy, yet still able to surprise.
Daily Archives: November 18, 2022
William Carlos Williams believes that “the reader must complete what the poet has begun” since the poet often times depends on readers to put effort into it. I find so much beauty in the idea that poetry is somewhat subjective since William Carlos shares that the “act of completion begins when you enter the imaginative play of a poem”. I understood that poetry can be what readers want it to be by sharing ideas and experiences that might not have been the first impression. In the poem “The Lake of Isle of Innisfree” by W.B Yeats, he writes “Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee; And live alone in the bee-loud glade. And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow”, I immediately imagined a man running away from the busy city life, tired and exhausted and finally being able to embrace his new calm life with nature surrounding him. He started really taking in the beehive, the structure of his new home, the lake. I picture myself there, and seeing and feeling what he feels, everlasting peace.
Rena Korbs’ article states that “The loss of Connie to Arnold Friend is thus not only the story of one girl’s fatal misperception of appearances but also a representation of a loss of innocence.” I could not agree more. Our protagonist (Connie) is described as a vein 15-year-old. Through the story, we learn that she is a little boy crazy as well (Frequenting the drive-thru of the older kids eagerly leaving her friend to spend time with a boy she felt attracted to, even spending time with him in his car in an alley {possibly engaging in promiscuous activity} spending her summer thinking/dreaming about the boys she met). We also learn that she displays two separate personalities depending on where she is. At home, she shies away to avoid her mother’s criticism. When out in the world her demeanor is one that garners attention, even her style of dress differs (“She wore a pull-over jersey blouse that looked one way when she was at home and another way when she was away from home.”). She is teetering on the cusp of maturity, hiding behind the guise of innocence at home. To me, Arnold Friends arrival marks the collision of the two worlds she attempts to keep separate. Arnolds’ request for her to come outside can be seen as a metaphorical representation of temptation (mature desires), beckoning her to leave behind her innocence (represented by her home and the personality she shows her family) to embrace her “womanhood” (the personality she exhibits to the world). Arnold speaks in a way that is supposed to sound comforting but is threatening. This can be viewed as a warning to Connie about the falsehoods that exist in the world she’ll embrace if she chooses to go with Arnold aka the embodiment of Maturity/loss of […]
This weeks read “Where are you going, Where have you been?” by Joyce Carol Oates was chilling and uncomfortable. My own understanding of the story was that Connie was your average pretty high school girl who had a rough home life being scrutinized by her mother, compared too much to her sister and ignored too much by her father. All of this leads to Connie living her life knowing her beauty is something that can get her the attention she is missing at home. That beauty only gets her so far when Arnold comes into the story and completely strips that attitude away from her. As Korb says in her analysis, Arnold gets past Connie’s “at home” persona, he is able to psychologically capture her. The story was so creepy to me because Arnold knows exactly what he is doing to the young girl. It made me wonder how many other innocent girls he must have done this to. The stalking, the showing up unannounced and the way he speaks to her to rattle her out of her “I’m above you” persona is truly demented.
First, I would like to say that the story “Where Are You Going, Where have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates has my pressure through the roof. This was a very chilling story. Arnold Friend used Connie’s insecurities to get to her. He knew everything about her, and one of the things he knew was the lack of attention she received because of her beautiful sister Joan. He was able to pretend to be a teenager, and Connie didn’t pay attention to the truth, until things started getting really creepy. Rena Korb article gives different interpretations of the story, in which I can agree with certain perspectives, such as Connie being joined with the “Prince of Darkness”. Arnold used his charming ways for Connie to have some sort of infatuation with him, and just like that, he turned into an older creep that she tried to get away from, but it was too late. One’s perspective also stated that Arnold was the devil. Which I can also say is my perspective on the story as well. Arnold has telepathic vision, in which he can see what Connie family is doing. He also was able to take control of Connie’s mind body and soul. She doesn’t realize where she is, he was able to continuously stab her without stepping foot into the house, and at the end she willingly went outside to him into a green field, assuming that’s where the dead go.
Wow this story is dark and very triggering for me. The story starts with Connie who is always compared to her older sister June who in Connie’s opinion is fat, plain, and boring. Connie is a bit egotistic and is aware that she is very pretty which is something expected of someone her age. Her mother seems to give off narcissistic tendencies and constantly picks on Connie while praising Connie’s sister. Perhaps Connie reminds her mother of how her mother used to be when the mother was young and now the mother is bitter. Connie meets this guy “Eddie” who is actually Arnold Friend which name is ironic since he is not friendly at all. Arnold Friend grooms Connie by taking her to a restaurant for some burgers and they might have possibly fooled around in his car in the alley which implicates alot. When Arnold Friend pulls up at Connie’s house knowing she is all alone and did his research on her and bought a friend this gave off alarming red flags. It is also implied that Arnold and his friend might be under the influence of drugs. Arnold did his research on Connie and tells her to go with him, threatening her. Arnold is definitely a predator and has done this before in the past, Connie realized that Arnold is older than he seems possibly in his thirties. Connie leaves with Arnold in the end but she imagined this wailing while she hangs up the phone planning to call the police, I believe the wailing is in her head and is a sign of her wailing in her despair and realizing this is her reality. This is her life. She thought nothing of just hanging with her girl friends in the plaza and maybe talking to some boys, […]
I found this observation quite insightful: “We are all expelled eventually from the original paradise of infancy, where all our wishes were fulfilled without any effort on our part. Learning about good and evil—gaining knowledge—seems to split our personality in two: the red chaos of unbridled emotions, the id; and the white purity of our conscience, the superego. As we grow up, we vacillate between being overcome by the turmoil of the first and the rigidity of the second (the tight lacing, and the immobility enforced by the coffin). Adulthood can be reached only when these inner contradictions are resolved and a new awakening of the mature ego is achieved, in which red and white coexist harmoniously.” (Bettelheim 214) I find it insightful because a lot of fairy tales tend to have some underlying context involving coming-of-age, maturing into adulthood and the perils of naivety. Snow white was given multiple chances to avoid danger as instructed by the seven dwarves, but she fell victim to the tricks and lies from her evil stepmother. The story serves the purpose of providing valuable lessons. The idea that one must overcome their idealistic and dewy-eyed outlook on the world because the world is designed to be chaotic and that nothing is at it seems so one should be prepared to defend from forces that wish harm especially those who you can consider family and/or friend. The other lesson is that jealousy rarely ends well for the person who is feeling it such as the stepmother who later was punished and was sentence to wear iron shoes with hot coal inside them and was ordered to dance until she died.
In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”, the beginning makes me think that Connie is at the edge of adulthood. Just like any teenager, she sneaks out, wants to meet boys, and compulsively checks her reflection in the mirror. I’m pointing out Connie’s obsession with her reflection because of its emphasis on her beauty which gives her a sense of power. Having a bad relationship with her mother and being criticized for being obsessed with her appearance, lying where she goes, and being very interested in boys at fifteen years old is showing Connie being vulnerable and the mother wanting to protect her. To me, Rena Korb’s interpretation of “feminist allegory” best describes this story because Connie identifies herself heavily through music and films of romance. Compulsively checking her reflection in the mirror is only a reflection of how people see her, Connie knew she was pretty and it was everything to her. Arnold staring at her and his sunglasses is a reflection of Connie being vulnerable and not being able to stand up to him. He controls who she is and she obeys him sadly in the end, walking down the path to the car and images her not coming back.
My understanding of the story “Where are you going, Where have you been?” by Joyce Carol Oates is very basic. I see a story of a normal American girl and her normal everyday life until she is caught in the sights of someone. The story which seemed innocent at first had become a tale of horror the moment a car that Connie didn’t know showed up on her driveway. Rena Korb saying that it can be seen as an inverse fairy tale was something I didn’t even think about but it made my understanding a bit better. The story which starts off innocently about a superficial girl and her day to day life as she tries to find love is very fairy tale like. However, Arnold, while he might have seemed like a charming prince at first on the surface, was everything but a prince. It reminds me of the original stories of fairy tales like Snow white or Cinderella where the original stories were much darker. In that sense this story could be seen not as an inverse fairy tale but more alike with the original stories.
