The Symbolism of Music in Joyce Carol Oates’s "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”
“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates introduces a fifteen-year-old rebellious teenage girl fixated on getting male attention. Unfortunately, this all leads up to a man in disguise, named Arnold Friend, exploiting Connie. However, as the story progresses, the reader begins to notice evidence of the influence music has on Connie’s ideas of romance and love. It is evident that the reoccurring theme of music creates an entry way for psychological manipulation.
Parents allowing a fifteen-year-old teenage girl to listen to music that is more advanced and suggests sexual activity is inappropriate, resulting in Connie ideas about romance from the music on the radio. In the story, Connie sneaks off to a designated area for older teenagers. Where she and her friends “listened to the music that made everything so good: the music was always in the background, like music at a church service; it was something to depend upon” (Oates). In this description, the writer initiates that the restaurant is a "sacred …show more content…
Arnold Friend is the reality of the music, both attaining a disguise of youth and unique appeal. He expresses wanting to make love just like the songs’ seductive lyrics foreshadow. His car is gold and blinding like desired musical records with blurred lyrics. Throughout the story, Arnold Friend seems to show up with the occurrence of the music. Taken aback by the provocative gestures Connie discovers Arnold’s age and true motives. Threaten and overpowered; she falls victim to vulnerability and the overwhelming dizziness from fear. Later influencing her fate as she steps outside, she could no longer see her driveway only vast sunlit land. Illustrating that Connie is out of her body like the trance of music no longer in possession, but enslaved by her body and
“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates introduces a fifteen-year-old rebellious teenage girl fixated on getting male attention. Unfortunately, this all leads up to a man in disguise, named Arnold Friend, exploiting Connie. However, as the story progresses, the reader begins to notice evidence of the influence music has on Connie’s ideas of romance and love. It is evident that the reoccurring theme of music creates an entry way for psychological manipulation.
Parents allowing a fifteen-year-old teenage girl to listen to music that is more advanced and suggests sexual activity is inappropriate, resulting in Connie ideas about romance from the music on the radio. In the story, Connie sneaks off to a designated area for older teenagers. Where she and her friends “listened to the music that made everything so good: the music was always in the background, like music at a church service; it was something to depend upon” (Oates). In this description, the writer initiates that the restaurant is a "sacred …show more content…
Arnold Friend is the reality of the music, both attaining a disguise of youth and unique appeal. He expresses wanting to make love just like the songs’ seductive lyrics foreshadow. His car is gold and blinding like desired musical records with blurred lyrics. Throughout the story, Arnold Friend seems to show up with the occurrence of the music. Taken aback by the provocative gestures Connie discovers Arnold’s age and true motives. Threaten and overpowered; she falls victim to vulnerability and the overwhelming dizziness from fear. Later influencing her fate as she steps outside, she could no longer see her driveway only vast sunlit land. Illustrating that Connie is out of her body like the trance of music no longer in possession, but enslaved by her body and