Marlie Hyppolite
LIT2020
November 30,2017
Research Paper
Choosing one short story to write about was somewhat hard, but my favorite short story with such a message behind it is “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”? I chose this short story because I only remember being truly moved by this. Past tense me is triggered especially heartbreaking for me.
Joyce Carol Oates in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” starts off with description of the protagonist, Connie. Connie is depicted as superficial fifteen-year-old girl. She is only concerned with her appearance, spends an excessive amount of time daydreaming, and like many teenage girls...... decides her mother knows nothing. Connie also has a lot of freedom. Boy crazy, she also indulges in fantasies, something that will lead her to be deceived, which brings me to my first theme Fantasy vs. Reality Connie forsakes her childlike persona for the realities of being a mature woman. Connie has created an adult persona through her clothing, hairstyle, and general behavior and gets the attention she desires from boys…. Not the one she’d like though because of this Arnold Friend …show more content…
Connie always escaped reality through music and boys. Music functions as Connie’s passage from the real world to her fantasy world, she gathers her ideas about romance largely from songs on the radio or of what she’s heard around. When Arnold shows up at her house, she is again wallowing in the music she is listening to, and it takes her a moment to realize that it is the same music that is originating from Arnold’s car. Even before Connie has noticed this similarity; she finds herself engrossed by Arnold. Music relaxes Connie, and the fact that she and Arnold are listening to the same music lowers her guard just a bit. Connie has gleaned her idea of romance from her favorite music, and her encounter with Arnold reveals that the romance in her is music is much more tempting than the reality of
LIT2020
November 30,2017
Research Paper
Choosing one short story to write about was somewhat hard, but my favorite short story with such a message behind it is “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”? I chose this short story because I only remember being truly moved by this. Past tense me is triggered especially heartbreaking for me.
Joyce Carol Oates in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” starts off with description of the protagonist, Connie. Connie is depicted as superficial fifteen-year-old girl. She is only concerned with her appearance, spends an excessive amount of time daydreaming, and like many teenage girls...... decides her mother knows nothing. Connie also has a lot of freedom. Boy crazy, she also indulges in fantasies, something that will lead her to be deceived, which brings me to my first theme Fantasy vs. Reality Connie forsakes her childlike persona for the realities of being a mature woman. Connie has created an adult persona through her clothing, hairstyle, and general behavior and gets the attention she desires from boys…. Not the one she’d like though because of this Arnold Friend …show more content…
Connie always escaped reality through music and boys. Music functions as Connie’s passage from the real world to her fantasy world, she gathers her ideas about romance largely from songs on the radio or of what she’s heard around. When Arnold shows up at her house, she is again wallowing in the music she is listening to, and it takes her a moment to realize that it is the same music that is originating from Arnold’s car. Even before Connie has noticed this similarity; she finds herself engrossed by Arnold. Music relaxes Connie, and the fact that she and Arnold are listening to the same music lowers her guard just a bit. Connie has gleaned her idea of romance from her favorite music, and her encounter with Arnold reveals that the romance in her is music is much more tempting than the reality of