Analysis of Symbols within “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” In Joyce Carol Oates short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Oates uses a range of symbols both within her characters and their possessions to extend the meaning of the short story to life. Arnold Friend represents the loss of innocence; he forcefully takes Connie from her façade of womanhood—the hair spray, the “pull over jersey blouse,”(Oates 585), and her dates out on the town—to true adulthood, exposing her to the dangers of life and the injustices that accompany it. His name “Friend” (Oates 588) is likely a false name, though he assures her otherwise saying “and that’s my real name” (Oates 588); this is a deliberate effort to calm her subconscious by associating himself with a positive trait—friendliness. He is established as being older, and Connie, though feigning womanhood, is established as a young girl, still fashioning her world view from the marketing of love and life that accompanies the media by which she is surrounded, forming a shiny world view. Friend’s glasses mirror the world in a “metallic,” “miniature”(Oates 587) reflection, suggesting that he tries to present the situation to Connie in a shiny manner, in accordance with how her innocence makes her view it.
Every attempt to establish a familiar basis of identity creates only the sense of being lost — absolutely lost. Alice becomes, to the reader, a mistreated, misunderstood, wandering
She seems to be in a hurry to grow up and experience the sexual pleasures of life. And sometime wanted to grow up to fast, has its consequences. Connie is rebellious at home, she feels as though her mother is always picking on her for every little thing she does, but on the other hand she gives her older sister praise for everything she does. This causes Connie to mope around the house all day wishing she was older and away from her family. One day Connie and some friends decided to hang out at the Mall and while there, they change into provocative clothes like, skimpy shorts and halter tops to appear much older and to attract the attention of boys.
He tells Connie he is her age and has come to take for a ride in their car with his sidekick Ellie; Connie slowly realizes that he is actually much older, and grows afraid. As Connie refuses to go with him, he becomes more forceful and threatening, saying that he will harm her family (while at the
I think the main theme of the story is the sexual victimization that have been and are facing teenagers in contemporary society. Connie is a fifteen-year-old teenager growing up in suburbia in the 1960’s. She is preoccupied with typical teenage concerns, her looks and popular music. Connie was very vain; the people who surrounded her knew how egotistical she was. She makes fun of her older plainer sister, argues with her mother, and
Reference list 12 “Susanna: [reading from a book] "Borderline Personality Disorder - An instability of self-image, relationships and mood... uncertain about goals, impulsive in activities that are self-damaging, such as casual sex." Lisa: I like that. Susanna: "Social contrariness and a generally pessimistic attitude are often observed." [pauses] Well that's me. Lisa: That's everybody.” - Girl, Interrupted (1999) INTRODUCTION It is common knowledge that adolescence is the period between puberty and maturity, between childhood and adulthood.
Although all these characters are in different stages in life they all lack the one thing that pushes them from society to outsiders. A friend/friends who will be the ear to hear their issues and someone who will help guide when need; the feeling of one whom truly understands. We are introduced to our youngest main character Mick Kelly, a young teenage girl who is an outsider in her generation. She realizes that there are lots of cliques among her classmates and that she does not belong to any one in particular; she decides to throw a party to get to know some of the kids better. As she does she realizes she is nothing like them as demonstrated in the film she yells to all of her guest to leave because they were acting childish.
How does Churchill use structure and setting to present the struggle between the sexes in Act Two of Top Girls? Churchill cleverly and wittingly presents fragmented scenes to present the struggle between the sexes in act two. Her approach to the scenes in act two are not very straightforward but rather they are all relatively connected, weaving between various people, time periods and settings. To allow the readers have some idea and understanding towards shifts that were made whether a change of setting, Churchill uses small, narrative paragraphs to explain briefly to where and what is happening or about to take place. “Joyce’s back yard.
“Teens are Victims of Pedophiles” In the short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” by Joyce Carol Oates, the author describes a 15 year old pretty girl named Connie. Like many teens, Connie has the feeling that her family does not understand her and how everything she does is not good enough. She thinks she is older than she is but shows her immature side in the way she walks described as “childlike and bobbing” at home but once given the chance to go out with friends, she wants to be more grown-up. She wears “bright pink” lipstick to make herself appear more mature. Music is big part of her life and it is mentioned through-out the story.
In some way or another ever person is experiencing Limbo. Not every Limbo is the same, one can be in a situation where one does not know who he/she is, feeling stuck in a personal self-battle. To be in Limbo is to be in the in-between, not knowing which direction to fall. “Where is the Heart”, written by Bagnell, as well as “The Immigrant”, by Barral alongside “Split Personality”, created by Truong share the concept of being stuck in the in-between. Each piece of writing expresses a similar conflict of being stuck between two places, the differences are the ways in which they are stuck, battling with a personal conflict on the inside or not knowing where happiness truly lies or even the creation of a new life by the fact of being stuck between two places.