Sometimes what an individual perceives something as can be the complete opposite of what it truly is. People create illusions or almost fantasy perceptions on what they believe something to be. False perception verses reality is seen in Joyce Carol Oates’ short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” The major theme in the story is the conflict between fantasy and reality. The main character Connie tries hard to create an adult persona using her attitude and appearance to attract boys, yet she is oblivious to the reality of the society in which she lives. Connie is living in a fantasy world, but when she is trapped by the antagonist, Arnold Friend, she is thrown into a scary reality. Symbols throughout the story play a major role in the theme. Oates uses symbols to ultimately reflect the fantasy verses
…show more content…
Her first reaction is to be concerned with the way she looks. Connie wants to be noticed by boys, but especially by older men. She is curious as to what adult sexuality is and notices that Arnold possesses this sexuality. During Connie’s encounter with Arnold she is torn between desire and fear but as the situation escalates she is overwhelmed by fear. Connie occasionally experiences periods in which she is taken over by dizziness. The dizziness symbolizes Connie’s fear and weakness taking over her. Connie feels a wave of dizziness when she realizes that Arnold’s friend Ellie is also a grown man and has “the face of a forty-year-old baby” (371). Oates elucidates that Arnold has a “long and hawklike (nose), sniffing as if she (Connie) were a treat he was going to gobble up and it was all a joke” (368). This sentence reveals the true evil in Arnold Friend. It almost makes him appear to be some sort of monster, something not of the human race. Arnold embodies all that is evil and is going to break his way into Connie’s fantasy world and take advantage of
Her first reaction is to be concerned with the way she looks. Connie wants to be noticed by boys, but especially by older men. She is curious as to what adult sexuality is and notices that Arnold possesses this sexuality. During Connie’s encounter with Arnold she is torn between desire and fear but as the situation escalates she is overwhelmed by fear. Connie occasionally experiences periods in which she is taken over by dizziness. The dizziness symbolizes Connie’s fear and weakness taking over her. Connie feels a wave of dizziness when she realizes that Arnold’s friend Ellie is also a grown man and has “the face of a forty-year-old baby” (371). Oates elucidates that Arnold has a “long and hawklike (nose), sniffing as if she (Connie) were a treat he was going to gobble up and it was all a joke” (368). This sentence reveals the true evil in Arnold Friend. It almost makes him appear to be some sort of monster, something not of the human race. Arnold embodies all that is evil and is going to break his way into Connie’s fantasy world and take advantage of