Excerpt via Term Paper:
Manipulation is the main theme of Joyce Carol Oates’ short story, “Where are You Going, Exactly where Have You Been? inch Through the mindful development of her characters, Oates presents us with details that improve a tale of violent manipulation thrust upon an blameless girl. This kind of paper will examine Oates’ technique and just how it plays a part in the overall effect of the story.
Oates spends a great deal of time describing Connie. Each of our first indicator that this might be a tale of terror is definitely the first sentence, which lets us know that her first name was Connie instead of is Connie. Connie is a standard young young adult, filled with common emotions. For instance, just as every teenager, Connie does not usually get along with her mother. Our company is told that sometimes Connie’s mother will pick by her “until Connie desired her mom was dead and your woman herself was dead and it was most over” (Oates 2075). Connie tells her mother light lies and wonders if it is “cruel to fool her so much” (2076). During these scenes, Oates is providing all of us with adequate facts to know that although Connie is growing up, she is still naive.
Connie is also coming of age in this story for she actually is beginning to understand that the world is included with possibilities and promise. Connie does normal things with her good friends, such as see the movies and the travel in restaurant “where the older kids hung out” (2075). Her and her friends to use the counter with their legs crossed at the ankles, “their thin shoulder muscles rigid with excitement, and listened to the music that manufactured everything therefore good” (2075). She experiences new and exciting thoughts that are hard to explain. As an example, as she’s walking with Eddie, were told that her deal with is sparkling “with great that acquired nothing to carry out with Eddie or even this kind of place” (2076). She spends time discussing with young boys and fundamentally feeling great. Connie is also aware that she is becoming a woman. She enjoys her femininity in straightforward ways, including washing her hair each morning “so which it could dry all day long inside the sun” (2076). Connie sits:
with her eyes shut off the sun, dreaming and dazed with the heat about her as if there are a kind of take pleasure in, the caresses of love, and her mid slipped over onto thoughts of the young man she was with the night before and how great he had been. (2077).
Connie’s development is critical to the short story since it allows us to think as though we realize Connie. This can be an excellent strategy because it as well allows us to know how Connie could be manipulated by someone just like Arnold Friend. We are presented a glimpse into her world, that enables us to comprehend why she is not afraid of Arnold once she first meets him. Her community is encased and quite secure which element makes Connie the ideal victim.
Connie’s behaviors are really obvious that we know what will probably happen to hear from the beginning of her encounter with Arnold. For instance, we are told that when Arnold tells Connie that she’s cute, your woman “pretended to fidget, going after flies away from door” (2078). The fact that she does not close the doorway or call someone during that time indicates her level of chasteness in regards to awful people. Arnold becomes very aware of this kind of when he has the capacity to keep Connie talking. This individual talk about things that a young adult would be considering talking about, just like music, to help ease Connie’s some doubts and help to make her believe he is not going to hurt her.
We see Arnold’s character as well. He’s sneaky and intensely intelligent. His character becomes more hostile as the progresses. He is in many ways, Connie’s foil because his meanness enhances Connie’s innocence.
Arnold’s technique of manipulation is not hard and straightforward. This individual begins to enhance her. For instance, he tells her the girl
