Where are you going discussion questions?
Where are you going discussion questions?
Discussion Questions: “Where Are You Going?
What does 33 19 17 mean in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?
When Connie asks him what the stuff painted on his car means, Arnold goes through the various sayings and eventually comes to the numbers 33,19, 17. Harold Hurley posits that the numbers carry a sexual connotations because when added together they equal 69, a sexual position.
What is the significance of Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?
The short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates can be interpreted from a feminist perspective. There are many parts of the story that seem to symbolize the oppression of women. The story symbolizes the exploitation of women by men, and how women allow themselves to be controlled.
What does Connie name mean in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?
Many critics have interpreted Arnold Friend as a symbol of some larger idea or force, such as the devil, death, or sexuality. Connie, also, has been said to represent many things: Eve, troubled youth, or spiritually unenlightened humanity.
How does the title Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been relate to the story?
What is the meaning of the title of Joyce Carol Oates’s short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” The questions are not asked in the story. The title also points to the strained relationship between Connie and her parents, who nag her about her behavior but do not question her actions.
Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been setting?
The Suburbs, Early 1960’s America. The story takes us on a tour of early 1960’s suburbia from the perspective of a teenager: drive-in restaurants, movie theaters, shopping malls, “ranch”-style homes.
Why did Connie go with Arnold Friend?
This fear, this defense that Connie has developed, is another reason that she ends up with Arnold Friend in the end. Her insecurity, her low self-esteem, and her fear of intimacy all aid her in her unconscious decision to leave her house and go with the devious Arnold Friend in his gold convertible jalopy.
What does Ellie represent in Where Are You Going Where have you been?
In her 1990 journal article published in Studies in Short Fiction entitled “The Shadow of a Satyr in Oates’s ‘Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” literary critic Joan Easterly posits that the name “Ellie Oscar is a parody of the name of the Greek god of mercy, Elios.” This is a highly defensible theory of the …
Is Oates portrayal of Connie sympathetic?
Oates’s uses a sympathetic but serious tone for this story. The story is largely told with sympathy to Connie as the reader is allowed to explore Connie’s thoughts and feelings toward her family, life, and Arnold Friend.
Where do Connie and her friends go when they leave the shopping plaza?
Connie and her friends enjoy being dropped off at a shopping plaza without adult supervision, wearing ballerina slippers and charm bracelets. Often after being dropped off, they run across the highway to a drive-in where older kids gather.
Why do you think Oates choose the title Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been Why do you think the title is a question?
Expert Answers Joyce Carol Oates’ title “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” supports the larger themes of journey and discovery within her short story. The protagonist Connie dreams of growing up and going places. The lyric quality of the title also flows with Connie’s love for music and the…
Why is the story Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been dedicated to Bob Dylan?
The story first appeared in the Fall 1966 edition of Epoch magazine. Oates said that she dedicated the story to Bob Dylan because she was inspired to write it after listening to his song “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue”. The story was originally named “Death and the Maiden”.
Why did Joyce Carol Oates write where are you going?
What was Oates’ purpose in writing the short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Joyce Carol Oates wrote her short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” after reading about the 1950s serial murders of Charles Schmid, a story that was profiled in Life magazine. For…
Who are the main characters in where are you going, where have you been?
In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by author Joyce Carol Oates, Connie is the main character, a fifteen-year-old girl leading a relatively normal life. Connie appears superficial… Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?
Why did Joyce Carol Oates name her book Death and the maiden?
Joyce Carol Oates manifests this idea in the text by offering absolutely no background information about Arnold Friend. Some critics have even interpreted the title as the questions Connie must ask herself as she attempts to become an adult with a fully formed identity. Explain the significance of the story’s original title: “Death and the Maiden.”
How is Connie portrayed in where are you going, where have you been?
Though Connie is portrayed as somewhat vain and naïve, the story’s treatment of her is largely sympathetic. Connie is obsessed with her own beauty, flirts with young men, and spends her time mulling over “trashy daydreams” in her head. Yet Oates recognizes and empathizes with Connie’s excitement over her increasing freedom and entry into adulthood.
