Joyce Carol Oates: A Prolific Writer
Joyce Carol Oates is a prolific and well-known writer of her generation. Her articulate and exceptional short stories, along with her longevity in the writing field, effectively distinguishes her from her contemporaries in an industry where she is a leader. Her books continue to be well-received to this day. With various books to her credit, Oates has established herself as one of the best authors of her generation.
The Setting of "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?"
Her short story, "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" is set in the formative years of the 1960s, a time when the separation between children and adults was at its highest. It follows the travails of a young teenage girl named Connie who is lulled into a false sense of security owing to the obliviousness of what was happening outside her comfort zone, her immediate reality.
An Element of Familiarity in Connie's Story
In "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" there is an inherent sense of familiarity that appeals to the reader upon reading Connie's story. In Joyce Carol Oates' short story, Oates uses Connie as a representation of everyone in society. This analysis aims to recreate the element of familiarity evident in the story.
Connie: Relatable and Familiar
Anyone who has read Joyce Carol Oates' short story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" will always attest to the element of familiarity one draws from the story's main character, Connie. She is a teenage girl whose most intimate desires are manifested through her efforts at sexual exploration, vanity, and her self-absorbed tendencies (Oates 1). In essence, Connie is a representation of anyone in today's contemporary society. Connie could be anyone in the reader's life, a friend or a close acquaintance. Oates effectively models her story through the element of familiarity to which the reader can relate. It is also through this element that the reader can, in an ironic twist, expect what fatefully happens to Connie in the end. Furthermore, the antagonist in the story employs a familiar approach of deception which also adds to the element of familiarity in the story.
Connie's Character: Relatable Teenage Behavior
The author creates Connie's character to be like that of any other girl in her teen years. She is highly confident of her appearance to the extent of appearing as vanity. Connie's mother notices her daughter's tendency to always look at herself in the mirror. Her mother had no reason to keep looking at herself in the mirror any longer. She always scolded Connie because of this telling her, "...Stop gawking at yourself. Who are you? You think you're so pretty?" (Oates 1). To this, Connie would respond by raising her eyebrow, her mother's complaints were all too familiar to her. She was pretty, and that was all that mattered to her (Oates 1). For an individual who has undergone strong urges to find their identity as a result of hormonal changes, Connie's experience is not anything new.
Connie: The Rebellious Teen
Connie's character is also a representation of the rebellious nature of one's teenage years. Unlike her twenty-four-year-old sister who was mature, responsible and helpful around the house, Connie never did anything to help out. Again her mother scolds her, "Why don't you keep your room clean like your sister?" (Oates 1). This frustrated Connie to some extent which made her resent her sister, nevermind that it was not her fault Connie was always so rebellious. The author notes that the reason Connie could not help out was because "her mind was all filled with trashy daydreams" (Oates 1). Furthermore, the author's characterization of Arnold Friend also backs up the element of familiarity of the story. Just like any antagonist, his evil nature is masked by his attractiveness, and sweet words (Oates 2). He assumes the antagonistic appearance seen in any other story. By extension, the reader can already predict the fate that awaits Connie because of her association with Arnold Friend. His name is somewhat ironic in that it serves to paint him as a "friend" who might fulfill Connie's wishes.
A Relatable and Readable Story
In conclusion, Joyce Carol Oates' use of the element of familiarity in her story makes it relatable and readable to the audience. Through this, it is possible for the reader to almost predict the tragic outcome at the end of the story.
Work Cited
Oates, Joyce Carol. Where are You Going, where Have You Been?: Selected Early Stories. Ontario Review Press, 1993.
