Analysis of Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been Short Story - Book Report/Review Example

A review of the Short Story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Where are you going, where have you been? Is a short story written by Joyce Carol Oates and first appeared in 1966.The story was inspired by murders committed by Charles Schmid. Oates dedicated the story to Bob Dylan after being inspired to write it by his song it is All Over Now, Baby Blue. In this research paper, the archetypal patterns, Arnold Friend character traits, the idea of male dominance, an analytical persuasion between the story and the film smooth talk and the influence of Bob Dylan will be explored. Archetypal folktale pattern An archetype is a recurring symbolic language, character or event in literature. Archetypes are seen as evidence that the human race share symbols, a reservoir of memories and patterns. For example, death and maiden’s theme in Oates story (Oates 584). Death seizing a young woman has been represented in other stories for long such as the story of the abduction of Persephone by Pluto. Persephone was abducted by Hades and taken to the underworld where he married her. Archetypes serve the purposes of expressing our fears, beliefs and desires. Archetypal figures include Devil figures such as Arnold Friend, the Devil in Milton's Paradise Lost, the serpent in the biblical Adam and Eve story and Mephistopheles in Goethe's Faust (Cole 151). The use of archetypes involves recycling of patterns and images from familiar mythic heritage. The title "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" can be seen as an archetypal example coming of age. Such stories present the protagonist as undergoing an important rite of passage or transformation in most cases from childhood to adulthood or from innocence to experience. The story's focus on the passage from one state to the other. At the end of the story by Carol Oates's, it is clear childhood Connie is coming of age and transforms into a grown woman who departs with Arnold Friend. Poems such as On Turning 10 by Billy Collins and to a daughter leaving home by Linda Pastan also capture transition points in life (Rockwood 35). The function of Connie’s rebellion Her rebellious spirit takes her to the drive-in restaurant where the initiating event of the story takes place. Without a visit to the restaurant, Arnold Friend would not have noticed her. Consequently, she rejected to accompany her parents and sister to the barbecue party hence Arnold Friend caught up with her. Her rebellion contributes to adventure to the point of own demise (Gretcher 165). Presentations of Arnolds Friend as; A sexual predator Writings on Arnold Friend car indicated his interest in women for example “done by crazy woman driver." He uses friendly terms such as sweetheart, honey, my Connie to win her heart. His way of describing Connie showed his sexual attractions towards her. He claims he is Connie’s lover and that she could not ask for anybody better than him. He further describes how tight he would hold her and eventually get inside her, and that will make her love him (Oates 595). A demonic adversary Arnold Friend introduces magic to the story. He uses his evil power to give astonishing details about Connie and her family whereabouts. His supernatural power reveals that he is the personification of the devil. One of his boots is depicted as being at a strange angle as though there were no foot in it but instead hooves.  His demonic nature is well illustrated when Connie surprisingly gives in to his demands and follows her. He refers to the “X” that he draws in the air as his sign not forgetting it stays for long without fading. A small alteration in his name, just removing R in his name, the name will read A'nold F'iend, or "An Old Fiend" which means the devil. The music that runs across the story causes a feeling of uneasiness, deception and devilishness (Oates 587). Death personified From his threats, Arnold friend is a possible murderer. To scare Connie, he cites the death of a woman in the neighborhood. He seems to know the cause of death. "Hey, you know that old woman down the road, the one with the chickens and stuff—you know her?" "She is dead!" He further threatens to put the people around Connie in danger in case she failed to cooperate. Connie’s assumption that he was safe inside the house was proofed insensibly when he claimed it was a cardboard box he could knock down anytime. He also threatens to burn down the house. An imaginary figure conjoined up from daydreams Before the arrival of Arnold friend and Ellie, Connie was seated at the lawn contemplating about the boy she had had the previous night and how sweet it had been. She is presented as daydreaming. This may mean that the whole encounter with Arnold friend was an extension of the day dreams. It was difficult for Connie to tell the actual age of Arnold friend, at some point he appeared as a blur to her. Male power and female powerlessness This story was written a time when the American women were fighting for their rights and independence from men and claiming their sexuality than never before. This was the case for Connie, who felt as a pawn who had conquered even her mother until she met Arnold friend. She then realizes she is defenseless, powerless and weak and quickly gives in. Arnold represents men who are powerful and who influences the women revolution in 1960’s (Gale 135). Analytical persuasion between story and the film “Smooth Talk” Carol Oakes’s short story was written in 1966 and was later was made into the movie Smooth Talk. Oates story described the tale of Charles Schmid, who cruises teenage hangouts, picking up girls for rides. This character is presented as Arnold Friend humanness and demonic man. The producer of Smooth Talk develops the characters of Connie’s mother, father and June. Both the story and the film tend to departure from the truth. The story’s and the film’s account of Connie is similar. Both have two sub-sections i.e., the establishment of Connie as a character and a dreamy encounter with Arnold Friend. While the dramatic encounter occupies a large portion of the story, the background story of Connie, her parents and friends occupies most of the film. The story ends with Connie being led out of her house while in the film Connie goes with friend into his convertible parked in an open field (Cole 534). Influence of Bob Dylan’s song Arnold Friend refers to Connie as a blue eyed baby a phrase that is borrowed from the lyric, “And it is all over now, Baby Blue." Oates says Bob Dylan's song inspired her. Other lyrics include something calls for you, you must leave now and the vagabond that rapping at your door. All these are suggestive of a new life awaiting Connie (Becker 3). Works Cited Oates, Joyce Carol. Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? 11th Ed. New York:  Longman, 2010. 584-95. Print. Detroit Gale "Themes and Construction: 'Young Goodman Brown'." Discovering Collection. Bismarck State College Library, 28 Mar. 2008. Web. 9 June, 2014. Cole, Tom. Comparison of Smooth Talk to “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Elsevier 10 .4 (2014): 500-600. Print. Becker, G. "Van Morrison – It's All Over Now, Baby Blue album appearances". Vanomatic.de. 20 September, 2009. Web. 09 June, 2014. Gretchen Schulz & R. J. Rockwood, In Fairyland, Without a Map: Connie’s Exploration Inward in Joyce Carol Oates “Where are You Going, Where Have You Been? Literature Psychology, 30 (1980) 150,165 & 166. Print. Read More