This week’s reading “Where are you going? Where have you been?” by Joyce Carol Oates brought up a lot of mixed emotions. For starters, the author’s writing style which was compared to Fyodor Dostoevsky as Rena Korb pointed out in her overview, is very intriguing with its elements of gothic horror and chilling effect that sucks you right in. The story unfolded very naturally and I couldn’t foresee such a plot development quite frankly. One of the things that stroke me is the contrast of how the author emphasized the superficiality of the characters and their everyday life until Arnold Friend appeared in Connie’s driveway. From that point on the intensity and grotesque of the terror and break down Connie goes through escalates quickly. One of the things that was very clear from the narrative is a complete lack of moral guidance from Connie’s family. It’s pretty normal for a teenage girl being self absorbed and pay so much attention to one’s looks as she is growing into a young woman and learning. On the other side her mother and Connie’s older sister seem to be on the same emotional level as her despite their age and instead of worrying herself with being a supportive parent her mother argues with Connie “over something of little value to either of them”. “Inverted fairy tale” is a twisted but accurate take on interpretation of this complex story where as per Korb “Connie’s adolescent dream turned into a nightmare”.
Daily Archives: November 19, 2022
The short story “where are you going, where have you been?” is very dark and sad. To my understanding this reading is life from Connies perspective and explaining the relationship between her and her mother which wasn’t a healthy one at all. Connie expressed herself through her clothing being as she felt like she was hated at home her mom, and her father wasn’t always there when he was around so she had no support. Connies choice of clothing.seems to have caused her to end up in this horrible situation since she had a stalker that she did not know about. her stalker is a grown man preying on a little girl. I really wish the story didn’t end the way it did i was hoping she would have gotten away from them. but unfortunately they stabbed her and I know she most likely dies since they didn’t plan on taking her to a hospital.
The story “Where are you going, Where have you been?” by Joyce Carol Oates is a good reflection of the evil that is present in society with Connie being an average teenager and ignorant to the evil of the world around her. I like the comparison that Rena Korb made in her critical review comparing Arnold Friend to the devil as well as mentioning the vampire aspect of him not entering the house. Both have strong connotations to darkness and evil. Connie starts out as this shallow person who only cared about her looks which is evident throughout the story with her mentioning how she looks and being conscious of her beauty. She uses her beauty to her advantage by frequenting places where older guys hang out probably as a way to cope with the neglect of her parents who don’t sound like they are really there for her. She is able to form two different personalities one for her home life and the other for when she is outside. When she goes to Arnold, she is giving into sin as he represents the evil and darker parts of life.
In the text “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates, I really thought that it was interesting because I thought of it as her parents at home doesn’t see Connie’s real self just the part that Connie puts for them to see. If as a child growing up, your parents are constantly comparing you with someone else, especially a sibling, sure to them it could be a motivation but to any child in the long run is bad for mental health. Before COVID-19 in China, there were always stories on the news about children going suicidal because of too much pressure from parents. Which I connected with Connie having home behavior and outdoor behavior this could be like a mental coping system for her. From my understanding of the text Arnold is bringing out the outdoor part of her. Thus that part at the end that Connie seems to be unable to control her self.
