Transformation In 'Where Is Here?' And Tress, By Joyce Carol Oates

One of my friends told me about an experience he has had, when he was about six years old. He went with his family to a small town, to visit his grandparents. One night, he could not sleep, so he and his dad went outside walking with the nice and fresh air. It was quiet and deserted, no one was around them. While they were walking and he was enjoying the walk, suddenly a giant dog jumped out. My friend was so scared, so his dad had to bring him back to his grandparents’ house. It was supposed to be a nice and enjoyable walk to him, but it quickly transformed into a terrifying night he could not handle. Transformation obviously creates fear. This can be seen in the following three stories as well. Oates’ “Where Is Here?” and Tress’ “The Dream …show more content…
This causes the readers to question themselves how if this circumstance happens to them. One example of this is in the line where the mother says “He could be anyone after all. Any kind of thief, or mentally disturbed person, or even murder” (70). This clearly shows the transformation of the mother’s mentality after the disturbance which is the stranger. The line where it says “Without seeming to know what he did the father violently jerked his arm and thrust her away” (76) is also an example of this. This shows a transformation of the parents’ relationship after the stranger leaves, they got mad at each other for no clear reason. Therefore, transformation is effective because it causes fear and unknown that would make the characters, and also the readers, become confused and …show more content…
This is effective because it causes the readers to wonder what would be their feelings if they are in those circumstances. One example of this is the photograph “Girl with Dunce Cap, New York City, 1972” (85), a photo of a girl sits with a dunce cap over her head, in a classroom. A girl who is punished by her teacher because she did not do her homework might be seem to be normal for some people, but her feeling might be full of shame and loneliness. Another example is the photograph “Young Boy and Hooded Figure, New York City, 1971” (84), a photo of a boy who is covered by a hooded figure behind him. Other than the objects shown in the photo, there might be many other stories, such as the boy is kidnapped by the hooded figure, or the hooded figure is a representationive of the death, taking the boy’s life away. Therefore, transformation is effective because the readers might be scared of different stories they imagine, which would totally change the meaning of what they