StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Conflicts Between Mother and Child in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been - Research Paper Example

Cite this document
Summary
The paper "Conflicts Between Mother and Child in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" focuses on the critical, and thorough analysis of the conflict between mother and child as portrayed in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? by Joyce Oats…
Download free paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER97.9% of users find it useful
Conflicts Between Mother and Child in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Conflicts Between Mother and Child in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been"

Connie is a very beautiful girl and her mother is very worried about her daughter since the mother thinks that Connie concentrates too much on her beauty and does nothing around the house (Oates, and Elaine, 24).  Connie’s father is busy most of the time at work and when he is home he does not interact with his two children, therefore Connie has little attachment to his father. Connie is always in conflict with her mother and she, therefore, yearns to be an independent girl so that no one bothers with her life.
Oates and Lee affirm that Connie is always concerned with her physical appearance and most of her time is spent grooming herself. She argues with her mother and sister often. Connie’s mother was once beautiful but due to her, the beauty has faded away, but Connie has this beauty that her mother once had (67). The conflict arises when Connie spends much time admiring herself in the mirror and comparing herself to other people to make sure that hers was alright. When Connie’s mother notices this she scolds her daughter about it saying, “Stop gawking at you. Who are you? You think you are so pretty?” Connie would often raise eyebrows about it and wonder why her mother was always furious about it, yet she was once beautiful like her daughter as depicted by the pictures in the photo album.
Steinberg states that moral values are not considered vital and are not conveyed to Connie in their middle-class family setup (72). Connie’s parents seem quite typical and lack the qualifications of an amoral guide to their daughter. No one in Connie’s life can serve as a role model, which makes Connie live a life of her own where no one is present to give her directions in life. Her mother always compares Connie to her elder sister and the mother wants Connie to emulate her sister, June, who is plain and simple. The mother forgets that everyone is unique with distinct characteristics, thus this push by Connie’s mother is trying to make Connie live a life that she is not creating a conflict between. In the story, the names of both parents are not indicated, which clearly shows the lack of identity powerlessness, and weakness. Generally the American middle-class is depicted in a negative connotation shown clearly when the father of Connie’s friend goes to pick Connie and her friends from the plaza and never bothers to ask them what they had done during their time out at the plaza (Steinberg, 74).
Oates and Elaine point out that the conflict between Connie and her mother resulted in a rebellion by Connie (28). She was always against what was told her, for example, one Sunday when the family went for a barbecue at their aunt’s house, Connie chose to stay behind and wash her hair. With Connie’s mother always complaining about one thing or the other, Connie found it difficult to cope up with and she decided to spend much time with her friends at the mall. The outcome of Connie’s search for independence has a brutal outcome in that Arnold Friend arrives and yanks Connie out of her childhood escapades. The things that Arnold tells Connie to indicate the search that Connie has been critically looking for. Arnold Friend tells Connie, “I’m your lover. You don’t know what that is but you will.” Arnold represents all the fears and confusions that Connie experiences as an adolescent.
The conflict that exists between Connie and her mother is seen to be caused by the lack of guidance and role models in the life of Connie since the father is too preoccupied with work that he does not find time to spend with her children. Her mother, on the other hand, keeps on comparing Connie with her sister June who is simple and plain. This creates discontent on Connie’s part since she does not feel appreciated by the family, yet this same family is what Connie depends upon. The conflict in this family setup can only be solved if there is unity in the family and respect for every individual where everyone is appreciated the way they are despite their weaknesses. Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Conflicts Between Mother and Child as Portrayed in Where Are You Research Paper”, n.d.)
Conflicts Between Mother and Child as Portrayed in Where Are You Research Paper. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/literature/1449632-discuss-the-theme-of-conflict-between-parent-and
(Conflicts Between Mother and Child As Portrayed in Where Are You Research Paper)
Conflicts Between Mother and Child As Portrayed in Where Are You Research Paper. https://studentshare.org/literature/1449632-discuss-the-theme-of-conflict-between-parent-and.
“Conflicts Between Mother and Child As Portrayed in Where Are You Research Paper”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/literature/1449632-discuss-the-theme-of-conflict-between-parent-and.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Conflicts Between Mother and Child in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been

Confrontations between Two or More People

Within a larger framework, groups relate to regional, national or even international levels, where such conflicts if not managed well, may even lead to a full-scale war.... In the context, that “a conflict is life as usual” (Abigail and Cahn, 2010, 3) and hence inevitable between human relationships the process must be studied in order to control and effectively manage it and produce beneficial outcome (especially for those looking to work within organizations where working would involve teamwork) this paper will analyze the process of conflict analysis....
18 Pages (4500 words) Essay

Relationships between Parents and Children

Holden discusses how he has been kicked out of school and yet, his parents are entirely unaware of it.... Part of this disconnect may have been related to the fact that Caulfield was sent away to boarding school for so much of his life.... Consequently, the remaining children may feel as though they have been forgotten or are unimportant.... Unfortunately for Holden, his bereavement process has not been facilitated.... Rather, he has been in boarding school, where he has no choice but to sort things out for themselves....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman

The other major characters in the story are Foua Yang, Lia's mother and Nao Kao Lee, Lia's father.... The book, “The Spirit Catches you and you Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman is a valid model of the world today.... The book, “The Spirit Catches you and you Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman is a valid model of the world today.... The Spirit Catches you and you Fall Down The book, “The Spirit Catches you and you Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman is a valid model of the world today....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

Conflict Resolution

Do you consider conflict resolution to be a solution to all conflicts that occur in schools?... Do you consider conflict resolution to be a solution to all conflicts that occur in schools?... Then you can determine whether she is exaggerating the conflict or whether a problem really exists”.... In case of diplomatic talks, the parties in conflict need to have cognitive ability to understand the key elements in the discussion....
3 Pages (750 words) Research Paper

Joyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been

Where Are You Going, where have you been?... Oates Where Are You Going, where have you been?... "Where are you going, where have you been?... Who are you?... ?? (Oat, 25) This explains Connie's relation with the boys and sets the conflict between Connie, her mother and her sister.... Connie wishes the death of her mother and herself; Moreover, her father does nothing to solve the conflict at home; he “reads the newspaper at supper and after supper he went to bed” (Oats, 26)....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

The Concept of Caring for One Another

This is best highlighted in the events that follow the numerous conflicts between the Lee's and the western doctors at Merced hospital in that they all believe in providing the best of care to their dependents (Fadiman 2012, p.... “The Spirit Catches you and you Fall Down”: Book Review Instructor Date The book “The Spirit Catches you and you Fall Down” focuses on a number of themes and aspects that are present in the society and that are highly sensitive....
4 Pages (1000 words) Book Report/Review

The Roles of the lead Protagonists and Conflicts in the Novels

This essay demonstrates the roles of the lead protagonists in Jane Austen's "Emma", Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and Chaim Potok's "My Name is Asher Lev", that are similar in that each face conflicts between self-identity and social norms.... This essay discusses that at the heart of all threes novels Austen, Potok, and Twain place their protagonists in situations where their points of view are another source of conflict for them in respect of family and religion....
9 Pages (2250 words) Essay

Build Your Relationship

The way a person has been brought up impacts the thinking of a person in a very profound way.... Interpersonal communication is inevitable: Even if you don't want to communicate with each other you will still communicate with each other.... you really don't have to say so many words in communication, do you?... Communication is the very basis of a relationship and you do try to communicate with each other constantly....
9 Pages (2250 words) Research Paper
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us