Gender Stereotypes In Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been

Gender Roles Merriam-Webster defines “stereotype” as “a standardized mental picture that is held in common by members of a group and that represents an oversimplified opinion, prejudiced attitude, or uncritical judgment”. Stereotypes can be found virtually anywhere within society. They highly impact the way people treat others, usually negatively. In the short story, Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been by Joyce Carol Oates, the main character, Connie, is subjectified due to her gender and makes poor decisions because of it. Gender stereotypes still exist in today’s society and are unlikely to disappear anytime soon due to the ideas and influences of stereotypes within the patriarchal society that existed in previous generations. First off, a perfect example of a gender stereotype that existed in the past can be seen in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been. Connie, speaking about her older sister and father, says, “June did this, June did that, she saved money and helped clean the house and cooked and Connie couldn't do a thing, her mind was all filled with trashy daydreams. Their father was away at work most of the time and when he came home he wanted supper and he read the newspaper at supper and after supper he went to bed” (Oates 1). Her family seems to be the perfect, ideal family during the 1960s. Connie’s father was in charge of going to work and making money, while …show more content…
Within the two time periods, society feeds both Connie’s father’s and the father within the described family’s egos and give them the mindset that they have full control over what happens within their family, even though they are not as present in the family as their wives, which is completely unfair. Nearly 60 years have passed since the story was written, and the gender roles have still not faded from the society Americans live in, which leads many to believe that they never