The Fairytale Elements of Joyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been - Essay Example

Submitted The Fairytale Elements of Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Though modern ideas of fairytales and fairytale connotations are primarily based upon a narrative of one-dimensional characters, good versus evil plots and happy endings, this is in fact quite different from the original fairytale premise. Instead, the darker fables of the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson are more akin to the original idea of a fairytale (Murphy). These stories were based upon multi-dimensional protagonists embarking on journeys which did not always necessarily end well. In this vein, Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” displays a fundamental fairytale structure, if slightly subverted. This is evident in the plot development, the protagonist’s physical and psychological representation, the presence of a villain and magical elements, the process of metamorphosis and the strong sense of foreboding throughout the text. The character of Connie, as the protagonist of the story, embodies all of the traditional attributes one would associate with a fairytale princess or protagonist. She is young, lithe, physically beautiful and “had long dark blond hair that drew anyone’s eye to it” (Oates 585). Indeed, her relationship with her mother is also that of a traditional fairytale protagonist, as her mother’s jealousy of her daughter’s beauty leads her to scold and reprimand her constantly when she displays any signs of vanity, “Who are you? You think youre so pretty?" (Oates 584). Connie’s sister June, older and less physically attractive, is doted upon for her dutiful and sensible demeanour, unlike the daydreaming Connie who often becomes lost in daydreams and fantasies, “getting in her mother’s way and thinking, dreaming about the boys she met” (Oates 585). Connie’s familial relationships can be quite obviously paralleled with such fairytale archetypes as Cinderella and Snow White, where the beautiful young maidens are subject to a cruel jealousy by their mothers, and fantasize about escaping their miserable lives, usually via a handsome prince. Beneath the surface comparisons between the character of Connie and traditional female fairytale protagonists, there lies a wealth of fairytale elements in both structure and plot of the story. As Oates herself has stated “the fairy tale of tradition has been imaginatively transformed in recent decades into what might be called the "re-visioned" fairy tale, in which the archetype is retained but given a distinctly contemporary interpretation by individual artists” (98). Indeed, we can see Oates’ interpretation of the original fairytale in this story. Connie’s character is multi-dimensional - she is not all good, nor is she all bad. In many ways, Connie is the character who fits the ‘evil sister’ mould in that she is disobedient and vain. June, on the other hand, is dutiful and reserved (Murphy). However, in the original fairytales of Grimm and Anderson, the protagonists are complex, often displaying conflicting elements of morality and goodness. Connie embodies this as she is portrayed as vain and constantly tempted by ‘evil’ in the form of boys. At the same time, however, she is not overtly ‘bad’, as it appears she has never really given into this temptation when she is confronted by Arnold Friend. It seems she has developed a persona of sexual assertiveness in order to satisfy her vanity, but this persona is not her ‘true’ self. The reality is that she is innocent, proven when presented with the opportunity of sexual exploits and the fear that overcomes her as she screams for her mother. The character of Arnold Friend is presented as the villain, much like any other fairytale narrative. Friend is eventually discovered to be a frightening and unsettling character with intentions to hurt Connie. It is Friend who brings the sense of foreboding and dark tone to the story, a typical element of fairytales, “many fairy tales are nightmares of senseless cruelty and violence” (Oates 99). It is not until Friend shows up at Connie’s house, that this ominous sense of dread begins and escalates as his menacing character unveils himself. When he is first introduced, he could be likened to a fairytale prince as he appears physically appealing, charismatic and wealthy in his gold painted car. However, as he confronts Connie at her house, these initially positive attributes are shown to be false. He is actually much older, appears to be wearing a wig and is shorter than he had appeared to Connie, “she could see then that he wasnt a kid, he was much older — thirty, maybe more” (Oates 590). As Friends true physical attributes are exposed, we are presented with his villainous and perhaps supernatural nature. Some literary criticism has suggested that Friends character represents the Devil himself, tempting Connie away from her life into evil and disrepute (Murphy). The fact that he appears at one stage to be standing very awkwardly, “one of his boots was at a strange angle, as if his foot wasn’t in it. It pointed out to the left, bent at the ankle” (Oates 592), could perhaps connote the hooves of the devil, as he is often portrayed as having. However, more specifically I believe his character to be much more indicative of the character of the Wolf from the fairytale “Red Riding Hood”. The similarities here are abundant; the disguise used by Friend as suggested by the evidence of a wig, appearing younger and the suggestions in the text that he is wearing a mask, “his whole face was a mask, she thought wildly, tanned down to his throat but then running out as if he had plastered make-up on his face but had forgotten about his throat” (Oates 589). Much like the wolf tries to lure Red Riding Hood to his side, Friend consistently attempts to coax Connie to go to his car by offering some sort of intrigue ‘"Around the other sides a lot more — you wanta come and see them?" (Oates 589). Even the words used by the author to describe Friend as his physical and symbolic mask falls is suggestive of this fairytale archetype, “ the nose long and hawklike, sniffing as if she were a treat he was going to gobble up and it was all a joke. The way he straightened and recovered from his fit of laughing showed that it had been all fake” and “his teeth were big and white” (Oates 589). The element of the supernatural, or magic, is another fundamental presence in fairytales. Again, it is Friend who brings these qualities to the story, which also further supports the idea that he is other-wordly or a magical creature of some kind. His powers are demonstrated when he tells Connie detailed information about her family members whereabouts and physical descriptions. When he asks Connie if she has seen his sign, he “drew an X in the air, leaning out toward her. They were maybe ten feet apart. After his hand fell back to his side the X was still in the air, almost visible (Oates 586). This description, though not elaborated on, further suggests magical powers on the part of Friend. The idea of magic is also imbued in the story itself, as Connie and her friends walk into the coke bottle-shaped diner. This event is described in very close similarity to a princess or other female protagonist entering a magical kingdom, as the two enter with faces that were “pleased and expectant as if they were entering a sacred building that loomed up out of the night to give them what haven and blessing they yearned for” (Oates 585). “Metamorphosis is central to the fairy tale, which shows us figures endlessly shifting their shapes, crossing borders, and undergoing change”(Tatar 55). The idea of metamorphosis in this narrative can be seen in the characters of both Connie and Friend. Throughout the story, we learn that Connie has two sides to her personality, one which is designed to draw sexual attention but is insincere, and the other which is innocent and scared-her true identity. As Friend threatens Connie and coaxes her to his will, we see both of these opposing factions of her self-identity confront and conflict with each other dramatically and violently. Initially, it appears that her ‘true’ self is winning, as she cries out for her mother and tries vehemently to reject Friends advances. However, quite surprisingly, in the end it is her other side which appears to take over as she succumbs to Friends will, and thus we see some sort of metamorphosis. In the character of Friend, we see a physical metamorphosis and he as an agent of this, as his initial presentation, both physical and psychological is completely contrasting to what he truly is. Though he does not inherently ‘change’, as he was in disguise, he does undergo a dramatic change in the eyes of the reader. Fairytale elements are infused throughout the story, in structure, tone and content. Much like the fairytales of the Grimm brothers and Hans Christian Anderson, the reader is witness to an imperfect but beautiful young female protagonist who ventures on a journey and is ultimately tempted by the villain. The sense of foreboding and dark tone throughout is also reminiscent of these tales. The presence of a villain and suggested supernatural elements further enhance the stories fairytale allusions. The idea of a metamorphosis which fairytale protagonists must undergo, is seen dramatically in the character of Connie, as she transforms from an innocent but flawed young girl into someone who ultimately gives into temptation and will thus lose this innocence. The unresolved and ominous ending to the story leads the reader to believe that Connie is going to a place from which she cannot return, suggesting that whatever happens to her, she will never be the same. Works Cited Murphy, Melissa. “Literary Analysis: Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Helium. Web. 4 Apr. 2012. Oates, Joyce Carol. “In Olden Times, When Wishing Was Having...” Kenyon Review 19.3 (1997): 98-111. EBSCO host. Web. 4 Apr. 2012. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Ed. X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. New York: Longman, 2010. 584-95. Print. Tatar, Maria. Western Folklore 69.1 (2010): 55-64. EBSCO host. Web. 4 Apr. 2012. Read More