I am not going to give an overview of this story because we have to read it for class anyway, but this short story of Joyce Carol Oates instead of focusing on violence, hints at it through Arnold Friend's threats to come into her house if she doesn't give in to what he wants. This story is sexually based, which is also a pattern that I have noticed throughout Oates's writing in "Will You Always Love Me," and her novel, Them. Her writing focuses a lot on rape, sexual innuendoes, and murder (both physical murder and emotional murder). In "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" the main character, Connie, is being emotionally murdered because she loses all sense of herself, who she is, and what she should do when Arnold tries to get her to come to his car. She has no adult there to protect her.
It is definitely interesting to discover certain patterns in Oates's writing, and discerning her short stories.
What did you think of the short story? As I said in class, when I had to read it in high school, I was forced to analyze which took away the actual story from me. Then I re-read without analyzing and thought it was a great one. So how do you feel about it?
ReplyDeleteWhile reading this post I was like.... where are you going, where have you been wow that sounds familiar haha. But obviously it's because we read it in class i didn't even think of it at first. I loved this short story and in turn makes me so interested in what else oats has to say! She is brilliant in her writing from what I can tell so far.
ReplyDeleteI loved this story. It felt like Connie was the sacrificial lamb waiting to be slaughtered in order that her family may live. I hated, however, that it ended just when it was getting good and that the beginning was slow. Once the pace picked up, I was enthralled. I would like to imagine that Connie got away, though she probably didn't in Joyce Carol Oates' mind.
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