...the film “Smooth Talk” & Joyce Carol Oates’s short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” are supposed to be the same story, one can only wonder if the same message is actually being presented. Through extensive research on the criticisms of both the story and the film, I have come to the realization that the overall moral & the characters of the story have been changed so much for the film version that at the end it’s questionable at best if the overall message of the story comes across as intended. Beginning with the moral of the story, in an article by Joyce Carol Oates herself entitled "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? & Smooth Talk: Short Story into Film” she discusses how she “deferred in the end to Joyce Chopra's [The Film’s Director] decision to reverse the story's conclusion… [in which] the film ends not with death, not with a sleepwalker's crossing over to her fate, but upon a scene of reconciliation, rejuvenation” (Oates, “Where” para 10). Yet, as this deferral might seem slight, in actuality it changes the whole tone of the story, as critic John Simon put it, “[this] disgraceful ending… turns allegory, Gothic horror, and tragedy into soap opera” (Simon, “Lowering” para 1). Yet, besides the ending Joyce Carol Oates did approve of the film, in the same article she also stated, that “Laura Dern is so dazzlingly right as "my" Connie that I may come to think I modeled the fictitious girl on her” (Oates, “Where” para 9). Before I go on I would...
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...Real World as Seen in Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Researchers have said for years that reading is good for you. It encourages the thought process and can relays methods of working through situations one has never encountered before; that reading is the difference between a smart well-prepared child and one set in stone for failure. This resonance is similar to that of Gretchen Schulz’s and R.J.R. Rockwood’s belief asserted in “In Fairyland, Without a Map: Connie’s Exploration Inward in Joyce Carol Oates’ ‘Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?’” that, “The society depicted in ‘Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?’ has failed to make available to children like Connie maps of the unconscious such as fairy tales provide, because it has failed to recognize that in the unconscious, past and future coalesce, and that, psychologically, where the child is going is where he or she has already been” (1453). The point Schulz and Rockwood are making is that Connie’s generation and many following it, are neglecting to read fairy tales as bedtime stories and are consequently inhibiting the child’s ability to experience and work through problems he will encounter in adolescence. Whether we are aware of it or not, these stories have lessons that engrain themselves deeper than that on the superficial layer of a hero will save the day. For my short story analysis I will exemplify Oates’ fairy tale references...
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...Richard McQuitery Analyzing “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” English 221 Westwood College “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates is a story with connections to Bob Dylan, has themes of control and family, and has an antagonist that is believed to have been based on a serial killer. It is one of many stories of the ages that will be discussed for years to come. Joyce Carol Oates dedicated this short story to Bob Dylan. Oates admitted in an interview that after hearing Bob Dylan’s “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” she was inspired to write the story. (Davidson, 1997) Leave your stepping stones behind, something calls for you Forget the dead you’ve left, they will not follow you The vagabond who’s rapping at your door Is standing in the clothes that you once wore Strike another match, go start anew And it’s all over now, Baby Blue (Dylan, 1965) After hearing these lyrics in Dylan’s song, it is very easy to identify the scene with Connie speaking to Arnold Friend through the screen door. The song’s eerie tone adds a greater depth to Arnold and Connie’s conversation. In an interview on Youtube, Oates was asked why she dedicated the story to Bob Dylan, and her response was: “…Dylan was in a phase where he was writing music like “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” and that song, and some others on the same album were rather like fairy tales and nursery rhymes that had gone wrong. He had taken a kind of simplicity of imagery...
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...The Truth Behind Arnold Friend In Joyce Carol Oates short story, “Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?”, it is argued that the antagonist in the story is the incarnation of evil; Arnold Friend. Connie, the protagonist in the story, was a naïve fifteen year old who was fascinated by boys and was constantly out of the house with her friends. She always talked about the positive effects of her looks, but never realized the negative attention that could draw from how she dressed and acted outside of her house. Arnold Friend was drawn to Connie from the first time he saw her. One day Arnold visited Connie's house harassing her to come take a ride with him and he would not take no for an answer. That was the negative attention that Connie did not want. It is concluded at the end of the story that Connie gave in and went with Arnold knowing her fate would probably be death. Joyce Carol Oates never actually let her audience know who or what Arnold Friend represented, but it is argued that he may or may not be the devil. Throughout the story, Oates used many different ways to show that Arnold could be the incarnation of evil including lust, symbolism, and various religious references. At 15, most young girls in the 1960s were not as adventurous with boys as Connie. It was looked down upon by just about any adult for girls to be alone with any boy at her age. Connie was never really interested in the individual boys she had met, but more of the feeling she got from being in that...
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...In the Romantic Works, Joyce Carol Oates, and Edgar Allen Poe explore the nature of violence through Gothic Elements. In Joyce Carol Oates works such as “Where is Here?”, and “Where Are You Going,Where Have You’ve Been”, and Edgar Allen Poe’s works such as “The Raven”, “A Tell-Tale Heart”, and “The Black Cat”, both of the author's give a form of imagery to create the feeling of violence. Such as Oates creates indirect violence, hidden within the lines, where Poe, has more explicit and direct violence not hidden between the lines. In Oates's works such as ,” Where is Here?”, violence is not told to be happening within the context of the writing, but one has to look more closely to actually see it. For example, in Oates work “Where is Her?” in his writing it says,” This was one of my happy places!-at least when my father was not home. “. When Oates writes about it being peaceful when the father was not home. It suggests that the father in a way was abusive, or in any form violent because in the tex . “The father violently jerked his arm and thrust her away”.In quote to this shows one of the rare direct violence in Oates writing where the father directly jerks the mother's hand away, and where the mother walks away, KNOWING that a bruise the size of a pear would appear on her arm in the morning. In oates other story “Where Are You...
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...In Joyce Carol Oates “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” Joyce writes about a young lady named Connie. In the introduction of the story you can tell that Connie suffers from self-esteem and insecurity issues. The reader notices right away that she is self-centered. This will eventually be her downfall. Many readers think she is like this because she doesn’t have a great relationship with her family. Her mother shows hatred throughout the story toward Connie and her father is never around. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” can be linked to numerous theories. Some theories relate Arnold Friend to the devil. Joyce Oates correlates Arnold Friend to the serial killer Charles Schmid, or well known as “Pied Piper of Tucson”. I selected...
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...Symbolism of “Screen Door” “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates, is packed with symbols that are very important to the meaning of the short story. There are several important symbols in the story that eventually leads up to Connie’s decision to give herself to Arnold. One of the crucial symbols in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is the screen door of Connie’s house. The screen door symbolizes Connie's transition from a teenager to a mature woman that is accepting her fate. Throughout the story Connie is scared to open the door and go outside, the closest she gets is when the boys first pull up and she “hung[s] out the screen door, [with] her toes curling down off the step” (Oates 508). Connie knows that Arnold won’t come in the house because he tells her several times, “I’m not coming in that house after you” (Oates 513). So in a way she feels comforted by the screen door that is separating them. The screen door is a boundary between Connie and Arnold, Connie stands inside the house as Arnold stands on the front porch with his arms open. If Connie opens the screen door to go out with Arnold she is excepting her fate but if she keeps the screen door shut and stays inside, she remains the fearful young teenager who is not ready to leave. By the end of the story Connie has made up her mind, “She put her hand against the screen door. She watched herself push the door slowly open as if she were safe back somewhere in the other doorway,...
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... 2012 Comparison of Eveline and Connie “Eveline” and “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” are similar stories set in different eras. “Eveline” is a short story written by James Joyce. “Where are you going, Where have you been” is a short story written by Joyce Carol Oates. Eveline and Connie are two teenage girls who are ultimately trapped by the influences of their cultures. The church plays a heavy influence on Eveline throughout the story. Eveline is conflicted on whether she should leave with Frank or stay behind with her father. The unknown priest mentioned in the story appears to be significant because of his absence. The priest represents the Catholic Church, a powerful influence in Dublin but he is only remembered from a “yellowing photograph” (Joyce 4). Eveline's religion is not a relief to her at this point in her life; it is a set of rules to live by, which are deeply implanted in her. Eveline is left with obligations and duties, "promises made to Blessed Margaret Mary Alacoque"(Joyce 4), but she does not have support from a church to help her carry them out. The nameless priest who represents the church, like everyone else immigrated to a place far away. Another cultural factor that traps Eveline is the Patriarchal household. Eveline is living with a father who is becoming more and more abusive. She is the last that’s left of her family, her mother has died and her brothers have moved on. She sits at the window pondering over her past and what...
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...INTRO “I consider tragedy the highest form of art.” Joyce Carol Oates reveals her very realist outlook though this quote, which she stated on a PBS interview in 2008. As an American Author from 1963, being a woman writer was overlooked, however, she managed to make a career out of something she started to love as a child. Throughout this speech, I will tell you about Joyce’s life, the book of hers that I read, and how she connects to what we’ve learned in English Lit thus far. BODY 1. The Author Joyce Carol Oates was born on June 16th on her parents' farm, outside the town, and went to the same one-room schoolhouse her mother had attended. This rural area of upstate New York, straddling Niagara and Erie Counties, had been hit hard by the Great Depression. The few industries the area enjoyed suffered frequent closures and layoffs. Farm families worked desperately hard to sustain meager subsistence. But young Joyce enjoyed the natural environment of farm country, and displayed an interest in books and writing. Although her parents had little education, they encouraged her ambitions. When, at age 14, her grandmother gave her her first typewriter, she began consciously preparing herself, "writing novel after novel" throughout high school and college, said American Writers: A Collection of Literary Biographies. Without the typewriter from her grandmother, she may not have even started writing seriously. When she transferred to the high school in Lockport, she quickly distinguished...
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...Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”. For Bob Dylan” presents a compelling narrative exploring the nuances of teenage rebellion, vulnerability, and the predatory behavior exhibited or displayed by specific individuals. The main character, Connie, is portrayed as a typical teenager, yearning for independence and lost in her daydreams. However, her innocence stands clearly opposed by the menacing presence of Arnold Friend, who symbolizes the veiled dangers of the world beyond. By highlighting the contradictions in Connie’s thoughts, her longing for freedom, and her unease regarding the unknown, Oates underscores the vulnerability of youth and the predatory nature of those who prey upon it. The story’s setting is pivotal...
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...Jackson State University Department of English and Modern Foreign Languages English 105 Research Paper Rubric ____ I have included my title page. ____ I have included my sentence outline. ____ I have included my table of contents page. ____ I have included my five page body of my research paper. ____ I have included my Works Cited page. ____ I have checked my paper for grammatical accuracy. ____ I have been careful to give my authors credit for the sources I have used. Grammar and Mechanics ________of 20% The writer displays mastery of punctuation and mechanics adhering to grammatical rules. The student uses formal and Standard English avoiding slang and casual language. Content and Subject matter ________of 20% The writer has successfully created a paper displaying original, creative thought and content. There is no redundancy and the writer stays on topic creating an interesting essay for readers. Parallelism, unity, and coherence ________of 20% The writer’s work is clearly organized, and each paragraph adheres to the topic sentence. Additionally, the paper does not ramble and is easily understandable and rational using transitional devices. MLA formatting and documentation ________of 10% The paper adheres to all the strictures of the MLA format including in text citations, direct quotations, and proper Works Cited documentation. Thesis Statement and Application ________of 10% The thesis statement is present and concise...
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...Kyle Nerbonne English 1102 Dr. Wilson Spring 2011 Title Joyce Carol Oates, an American fiction writer, was born in 1938, in Lockport, New York and many hold Oates as "America's preeminent master of the short story.” Her literary career began with her first novel, With Shuddering Fall, in 1964. Soon after she wrote her most noted work, “Where are you going, where have you been.” She grew up in the Erie County countryside near Lockport, which provided the setting for some of her stories and novels. I believe that this area where she grew up was where she based her story “Where are you going, Where have you been.” She was raised in a catholic household, but now is an Atheist, which could be why in “Where are you going, Where have you been” she is portraying the battle between good and evil. Oates’s critics argue that this short story is about sexual innocence, but I believe that Oates is portraying the religious battle between good and evil and she describes real life in her fictional work. In “Where are you going, Where have you been,” Connie, the young girl, hates her mom because her mom is jealous that her daughter is so beautiful. So Connie and her mom are always fighting and arguing about how Connie needs to be careful. When Connie leaves her house and goes out with her friends she dresses modestly just to make her mom happy, but when her friend’s dad drops her off she rolls up her shirt so that she is showing off some skin. She and her friends go to a fly infested,...
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...Who is the Real Arnold Friend? Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is a chilling tale based on true events that involved a serial killer and his young victims that occurred in the 1960’s. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? “ Is a story about a young girl’s daydream that turn into a nightmare as she faces the evil of reality in the form of Arnold Friend. Arnold Friend represents a supernatural figure that creates a forbidden dream life that Connie craves, but fears at the same time. Arnold has set his sight on Connie; he will become something so familiar to Connie that she will lose her ability to discern fantasy from reality. Arnold Friend will take Connie from the safety of her home and childhood dreams...
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...enemy in Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been.” Between the archetypes of the shapeshifter and the enemy, Arnold is much more of an adversary than an undecided figure. Oates first introduces the audience to Arnold when Connie sees him, while out on a date. “Connie slit her eyes at him and turned away, but she couldn’t help glancing back and there he was, still watching her. He wagged a finger and laughed and said, ‘Gonna get you baby,’ and Connie turned away again without Eddie noticing anything.” (Oates 4) This is foreshadowing for the terrifying fate that Connie will eventually meet at the end of this story. He later ends up coming to her house offering to take her for a drive, and never allow her to return....
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...In “Where are you going, Where have you been” by Joyce Carol Oates the plot is set in multiple places including Connie’s house, the mall, and the burger joint in which she meets Eddie and first encounters Arnold friend. Connie is a self centered teen who has a knack for exploring a world not meant for teenagers. While Connie continues here acting of being older than she is in order to attract older men, she accidentally attracts a stalker whom later arrives at her house to take here away. The importance to read this story is to gain insight on the culture of teenagers, and does an exceptional job of portraying the rebellious nature embedded into teens from many generations. Additionally, the movie is important because it illustrates that being...
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