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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 6 page
paper which analyzes Joyce Carol Oates’ short story “Where Are You Going, Where
Have You Been?” Bibliography lists 5 sources.
Page Count:
6 pages (~225 words per page)
File: JR7_RAwher1.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
disturbing, and incredibly powerful, story of one young womans ignorance and her loss of innocence. It is a short story that speaks of the innocence of a young woman who
is exploring her sexuality with a sense of arrogance and ignorance that ultimately gets her into trouble, and possibly harms some of her spirit. Her character is illustrative of the
type of adolescent girl that Oates often writes about for, as Oates once states, "I feel probably quintessentially very adolescent... I guess its just that age of romance and yearning
and some skepticism, sometimes a little bit of cynicism" (Small Avalanches and Other Stories). The character of Connie is a complex character because she is an adolescent. Yet, at the
same time she is Oates quintessential teenager discovering the world and losing innocence. In the following paper we examine the theme of innocence in Oates story. Innocence "Since
its first publication in the fall of 1966, many critics have undertaken to explain Joyce Carol Oatess short story "Where are You Going, Where Have You Been?" These explanations have
each taken one of several approaches to the storys meaning, or, more importantly, its didactic message" (Kapper). For example, one critic notes, "In Where Are You Going, Where Have You
Been? Oates makes an ordinary tale extraordinary by juxtaposing two powerful legends: the modern rock hero (the story is dedicated to activist-song writer Bob Dylan), and the ancient demon lover.
Drawing together these threads, Oates is able to tell a chilling tale of a young adolescent, tantalized by glamorous surfaces, unable to resist more satanic designs" (Bender). While this particular
criticism does not discuss innocence in a very obvious manner, it is similar to the symbolism in the story of Little Red Ridinghood, wherein a young girl learns of the
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