Similarities Between Bernice Bobs Her Hair And Where Are You Going Where Have You Been

“Bernice Bobs Her Hair” by F. Scott Fitzgerald and “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” by Joyce Carol Oates are stories about two different teenage women, despite living in different eras and different social classes, who seek to change who they are because society tells them to. “Bernice Bobs Her Hair” is during the transition from the Victorian era into the jazz age, where women began to gain their social independence and the women’s suffrage movement, also known as “the first wave”. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” focus’ on a time during the sexual revolution when women were becoming more sexually promiscuous and finally have sole responsibility and power over their fertility. Fitzgerald and Oates use their characters …show more content…
The symbolism remains the same but seems to pinpoint the characters’ actions and expressions better than Oates did in her story. Connie, played by Laura Dern who is best known for her roles in two of the Jurassic Park films, captured the hurt she felt when her mother, played by Mary Kay Place, treated her with disrespect and scolding. Connie seems to be more reckless in the film, as well. The actor with the most emphasis on the written character and who actually received an Independent Spirit Award as best male lead is Treat Williams, known in “Smooth Talk” as Arnold Friend. Arnold has an awkward persona in the story, but when portrayed on film, his peculiarity is accentuated. His body tends to move in strange and awkward positions, almost similar to G-dlike1 movements, but his persona is evil. The short story leaves the reader to believe that Connie was kidnapped and will never return home again but the film has the audience questioning if the encounter between Connie and Arnold even existed. At the end of the film, even Connie is asking questions as to whether Arnold Friend is her new friend or a presence she