The detailed and descriptive language in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” creates a vivid image, allowing readers to see the world through the lens of a teenage girl filled with imagination and curiosity. “They went up through the maze of parked and cruising cars to the bright-lit, fly-infested restaurant, their faces pleased and expectant as if they were entering a sacred building that loomed up out of the night to give them the haven and blessing they yearned for.” This passage illustrates how teenagers often perceive everyday situations as grand and significant. They are constantly in search of excitement, even in mundane places like restaurants.
In contrast, the language in “Cathedral” is more direct and less explicit. It emphasizes what’s left unsaid and relies on subtext rather than intricate descriptions. However, the emotions conveyed through this style are just as profound. “My eyes were still closed. I was in my house. I knew that. But I didn’t feel like I was inside anything. ‘It was really something,’ I said.” This quote from “Cathedral” captures the protagonist’s transition from holding prejudice against the blind man to achieving a deeper understanding of what it might feel like to lack vision, through their shared experience of drawing the Cathedral with eyes shut.
2 thoughts on “Jiyuan Wang Discussion 7”
Jiyuan, great use of quotes from both texts. You make an excellent point when you write that with Carver is very much about what is not said, and yet the emotions are as intense as those expressed in the more descriptive writing style of Oates.
Hi Jiyuan! I also agree that the two stories contain a deeper meaning. As you said, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” starts off as a fairytale because it contains vivid images. The point you made about teenagers is most look for excitement in problematic situations. In “Cathedral” the husband is annoyed by the blind man but then opens his eyes to a new perspective. Convey made emotions be more profound. These two different approaches to the conflict are both life lessons.