The History of Bob Dylan - Admission/Application Essay Example

4 June The Function of Connie’s Antagonist Introduction Joyce Carol Oates talked about her inspiration for the short story in a number of interviews. She said that she had heard the song “It’s all over Now, Baby Blue.”, by Bob Dylan. Before the song, the author had read a newspaper article about a psychotic killer who used to seduce young girls into his car after school; he would later molest and kill them. The real-life Bob Dylan was arrested and found guilty of the murder and abduction of three teenage girls. He was sentenced to hang but escaped the death penalty when a fellow convict killed him. Therefore, the antagonist in the short fiction is a sexual predator who mimicked a real-life story. Arnold Friend as a sexual predator The above revelation by the author puts to rest other possible interpretations of Connie’s antagonist. Perceptions of Arnold as a demonic adversary, death personified, or a figment of her imagination may not be logical because they leave too many questions unanswered. If the protagonist was the devil, then why did he show up earlier in the story at the shopping mall? (Widmayer 91). The encounter shows that he was simply a stalker who wanted to find out everything about his potential victim. Additionally, if he was death personified, then how come he had an accomplice and never really killed the girl in the story? Furthermore, the idea of an imaginary figure is also far-fetched because if he were a product of her sexual fantasies, then what would be the point of sacrificing her well-being for her family. She would simply have conjured a more palatable imaginary figure. It is for this reason that the best description of the predator is one that leaves fewer questions unanswered. The author also solved this problem by stating that it was inspired by a 1960s story about abduction of teenagers (Widmayer 92). Author Joyce Oates often acknowledged the fact that she used news events of the day as stimulation for her narratives. Oates believed that news events were like skeletons longing for flesh. She usually treated these reports as a mould in which she would create new characters. Connie wanted to demystify the tale of abduction and invasion of privacy by highlighting how such an encounter could take place. Therefore, sexual predation was indeed an area of interest by the author who heard about the related real-life news events, but shied away from reading all of it in order to maintain her originality. In a commentary in the introduction section of the book “Where are you going, where have you been”, the editor asserts that the story may be envisaged as a tale about the fatal attraction of death. This is an account about an innocent under aged female who fails to recognize the fatal nature of her encounter with Arnold Friend because she is too caught up in her erotic, romantic world. In fact, when the yellow jalopy pulls up in the driveway, Connie is only worried about her hair; she was too naïve to even think about the risks associated with the car’s arrival (Oates 25). This is the kind of fodder that sexual predators relish. Theriot explains that rape and death possibly occurred in the narrative thus leading to Connie’s lost innocence (6). Antagonists like Friend epitomize the war, crime and violence that would become a reality for the society in which Americans lived. Not only did Connie loose her innocence, but her family also awoke to the loss associated with invasion by a violent stranger. From the 1950s, Americans would need to brace themselves for more violent times in the 1960s just like Connie’s family. Social innocence would no longer be a reality in a world where people like Arnold Friend exist. America would have to awaken to the certainty of crime (Theriot 6). Friend was a manifestation of the ambivalence and moral indifference that thrived at the time. Connie’s father rarely talked to his family while her mother never asked the important questions, like “Where have you been?” or “Where are you going?” whenever her daughter came back from the movies. If adults fail to hold children accountable for their actions, it is likely that certain vices will thrive. Friend took advantage of an opportunity that should never have existed in the first place if her parents were engaged in their children’s lives. The antagonist represented other criminals who possibly succeeded in situations where assumptions of innocence and indifference to parent responsibility grew. Even a feminist critic of the narrative illustrates that the antagonist in the story should be perceived as a sexual predator. Connie decides to surrender her freedom and selfhood because of the combination of male desire and domination. She is a fifteen year old who has just reached sexual maturity. However, she appears to follow the same fate that other women in the 1960s were condemned; sexual bondage by male ‘Friends’ (Denittis 33). If females had been empowered at that time, then it is likely that Connie’s fate would have changed. This domination is symptomatic of those who prey upon other’s weaknesses in order to satisfy their own grotesque desires. Feminist scholars have argued that uninitiated females in that society were in grave danger because sexual gratification would come at a price. The antagonist in the story knew about these longings, so he pounced on his victim at the slightest opportunity. Arnold was a man who employed both seduction and women’s need for satisfaction to rape, abduct or harm them. The story may thus be perceived as an invasion of privacy of the female body both internally and externally. Friend does not respect the boundaries of Connie’s world and eventually uses threats in order to get her away from the house and the phone as well (Oates 30). The predator took advantage of Connie’s young age and gender in order to turn her into a victim. Victimization of a beautiful girl in the story may be perceived as a product of the male gaze under the feminist lens as well. This gaze has surpassed society’s moral boundaries and entered the predatory realm. Conversely, Connie’s personality and availability attracts the attention of boys her own age, who are harmless, as well as older and more sinister characters like Arnold (Denittis 18). In attempt to fulfill her idea of romantic love, Connie becomes the victim of an older man. Therefore the antagonist’s character epitomizes the perpetration of violence against young girls. Conclusion The antagonist in the tale can best be understood as a sexual predator. This interpretation is strongly supported by the author’s acknowledgement of the same in interviews. It is also informed by a feminist perspective, which would view Friend as a depiction of the sexual bondage and domination to which women were subjected. Parental disinterest and moral indifference were fertile ground for predators like Friend. Connie was an innocent girl who was too caught up in her romantic world to perceive reality accurately, and Arnold preyed upon those gestures. Works Cited DeNittis, Elizabeth. Gender and the Grotesque in the Short Fiction of Joyce and Carol Oates. 2008. Web. 4 Jun. 2014. http://libres.uncg.edu/ir/uncw/f/denittise2008-1.pdf Oates, Joyce. Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been? Rutgers: Rutgers University Press, 2002. Print. Theriot, Mechele. “The Eternal Present in Joyce Carol Oates “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Journal of the Short Story in English 48(2007): 1-27. Print. Widmayer, Martha. “Death and the Maiden in Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Journal of the Short Story in English 42(2004): 91-109. Print. Read More