Elements of Fiction in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is an exemplary model of literary fiction. To be considered literary fiction, a work must possess specific elements and “[give] us a keener awareness if our humanity within a universe that is sometimes friendly, sometimes hostile” (Arp 63). Literary stories, long or short, can contain any or all of the following: symbols, three-dimensional characters facing conflicts, humor, irony, unhappy endings, complex plot structure, artistic unity, an overall theme, or allegory. The short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is a literary work that makes use of many different elements of fiction. “Where Are
