Monday, April 20, 2020
Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been free essay sample
An innocent young girl is seduced by way of her own vanityâ⬠and that ââ¬Å"she confuses death for erotic romanceâ⬠(419). Oates clearly defines her point when Connie first discovers Arnold Friend at the drive in diner. She catches Friend staring at her with a big smile and Connie ââ¬Å"slit her eyes at him and turned away, but she couldnââ¬â¢t help looking backâ⬠(409). The fact that Connie ââ¬Å"slitsâ⬠her eyes and ââ¬Å"couldnââ¬â¢t help looking backâ⬠(409) shows that she is interested, but does not want to put her true feelings on display. Her more erotic interest comes in the form of his style and physical appearance. Oates illustrates this by using diction and imagery; ââ¬Å"she liked the way he dressedâ⬠and Connie noticing ââ¬Å"the small hard muscles of his arms and shouldersâ⬠(419) when Friend First appears at her house. Unlike Connie, the reader sees Arnold Friend in all of his depravity, we see him as the predator. We will write a custom essay sample on Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He displays this at the drive in by ââ¬Å" waving his finger and laughingâ⬠and saying ââ¬Å"Gonna get you babyâ⬠(409). Oates again uses carefully thought out word choice to prognosticate that we could see Friend later in the story to possibly confront Connie in a derogatory way. In this way, we can see that Connie is both seduced by way of her own vanityâ⬠and that ââ¬Å"she confuses death for erotic romanceâ⬠(419). Oates demonstrates how Connieââ¬â¢s life can be seen in two different lights or two sides, ââ¬Å"everything about her had two sides to it, one for home and one for anywhere that was not homeâ⬠(408). Her life at home was unusual, Connieââ¬â¢s mother is jealous of her beauty and always scalding her about everything. Though Connieââ¬â¢s mother once encompassed external beauty, her looks had dissipated over time.. Her mother finds anyway possible to negatively comment about her, always using her older sister June as an example of how she should live her life. June becomes Connieââ¬â¢s mothers assault weapon because she is not a threat, as described by Oates, June is ââ¬Å"twenty four and still lives at homeâ⬠and ââ¬Å"so plain and chunkyâ⬠(407). This fed Connieââ¬â¢s confidence because she ââ¬Å"thought her mother preferred her to June because she was prettierâ⬠(409). Connie led a pessimistic life with an attitude, she had no one there whom she felt the need to impress. When she was anywhere else besides her house, everything was different, her clothes, her walk, and even her laugh. ââ¬Å" she wore a pullover that looked one way at home and another way when she was away from homeâ⬠(408). It was all about impressing, showing off, and being someone she wanted to be, but wasnââ¬â¢t. When Connie was out the house, most likely at the mall or drive in diner, her life turned into a movie, where all reality was turned into a dream. This is evident when she ââ¬Å"goes down an alley a mile or so awayâ⬠(409) with a boy named Eddie and later remembers the experience as ââ¬Å"sweet and gentle, the way it was promised in movies and songsâ⬠(410). Arnold Friend sees right through Connie, for who she really is, a pretty, young, and insecure girl. Connie gets all the attention that she craves, but the moment Friend takes off his glasses, she notices that he is much older than was previously thought. Panic starts to set in when Friend and Ellie wonââ¬â¢t leave her house. Friend knows about all her family and friends and where they all are. He starts to come on stronger with every word as he states ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢m your lover. You donââ¬â¢t know it now, but you willâ⬠and later ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢m always nice at first, the first time. â⬠(414). This is implying that everything is alright now or ââ¬Å"the first timeâ⬠(414) but is suggesting something bad will happen later. At this moment Connie looses all of her cockiness and vanity and gets a reality check, she is no longer living in a dream, her stress becomes real. She notices everything around her as if sheââ¬â¢s never seen it before, as illustrated by Oates ââ¬Å"The kitchen looked like a place she had never seen before, some room she had run inside but which wasnââ¬â¢t good enoughâ⬠(415). Friend never looses his composure, he is calm, almost sadistic, he promises her he will not enter the house as long as she doesnââ¬â¢t pick up the phone. Finally, Friend threatens Connieââ¬â¢s family, but nothing will happen, so long as Connie goes with him. Connie realizes when Friend says ââ¬Å"The place you came from ainââ¬â¢t there anymore, and where you in mind to go is canceled out. (417) she will not be coming back. All of her pervious vanities are stripped as she makes a generous sacrifice to save the lives of her family. Oates describes distillation; ââ¬Å"Connie is shallow, vain, silly, and hopeful-but capable nonetheless of an unexpected gesture of heroismâ⬠(419). Connie surprises us all with her heroism, she ends he r life deep and pure, not shallow and vane as once conceived. Even after her whole world comes crashing down with all of Connieââ¬â¢s insecurities showing, she makes a choice that was thought implausible.
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