Choose one of the following questions and answer below in your comment:
A. Can you find any parallelism (similarities) between Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” and the famous fairy tale “Little Red Riding Hood"? Discuss.
B. Discuss the character of Arnold Friend. Are there any hints that he is somehow "inhuman"? Think about what his name might suggest. Comment on his car, clothes and language. What does he represent in the story?
C. In what ways do you think “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” could be a comment on American society?
TEN sentence minimum. Use support from the text to strengthen your response.
C. In what ways do you think "Where are you going, Where have you been?" could be a comment on American Society.
ReplyDeleteIt's both sad and horrific to say that so many young girls are kidnapped, raped, and murdered in America. This story shows how we sexualize children at such an early age. The girl who was abducted from her home was only 15. Girls and young women begin to open up sexually at an early age. That is recognized by those who are around them. Whether those who are watching are present or peering in from a distance. You cannot blame Connie for being a teenager. She gets to try on different personas and live through different versions of herself. She doesn't even know who she is yet. As a country we try to push blame on the victims because we want a simple answer. We try to justify why a young woman was brutily murdered. There is no justification. You cannot take what isn't yours just because you think it's beautiful, sexual, flirty, or flamboyant.
B. Discuss the character of Arnold Friend. Are there any hints that he is somehow "inhuman"? Think about what his name might suggest. Comment on his car, clothes and language. What does he represent in the story?
ReplyDeleteArnold Friend is hinted that he is inhuman. His car is painted gold and eye-catching which makes him stand out. He speaks in a calming and monotonous voice that entrances Connie especially when he tells her things that no one else would know about her; he has pale skin, wears sunglasses, and has wild hair that seems like a wig. When he walks, he wobbles because his feet are unsteady suggesting that he stuffs his boots to make him appear taller. He is muscular and dresses like a teenager, but to Connie, he looks like he is thirty or older. Arnold threatens and demands things of Connie and calls her names. Arnold, with his appearance and calm voice, that is what gives him a threatening quality. His name suggests that he is “no friend.” He represents a predator and more symbolically, a demonic figure or the devil. With the idea that Arnold is the devil, it is said that Arnold wobbles because he has hooves for feet.
Can you find any parallelism (similarities) between Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” and the famous fairy tale “Little Red Riding Hood"? Discuss.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading "Where are you going, Where have you been?" I did think it had a good amount of similarities with another story, "Little Red Riding Hood." The biggest similarities being both girls strayed from their main "path" and that both girls in the story sealed their own fates after being manipulated by a masked figure.
"Little Red Riding Hood" is a very well known story of a girl who is walking through the woods and wanders off the path only to run into the Big Bad Wolf. Later after leaving the Wolf's presence she reaches her Grannies home only to find a more suspicious looking Granny in bed. The little girl then mistrusts this figure and shakes off her suspicious conscience only then to be eaten by the Big Bad Wolf. This directly goes with what happened with Connie because she was supposed to be going to the mall with her friends ,her "path", but ended up wandering to the local teenage hot-spot where she came in contact with a dark figure that caught her attention. After paying no mind to him and going on with her business the following day he shows up at her home and demands she goes with him on a ride. After refusing he becomes angered and starts to falter his facade giving Connie more and more reasons to refuse to go with him. Little did both Connie and Little Red Riding Hood know that they were dealing with masters of manipulation. Both the Wolf and Arnold made the girls feel both uneasy yet trustworthy at the same time. The part where both of the girls trusted their murderers in the end was the decision that sealed both of them in a very similar fate.
The short story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" is definitely a comment on American Society. There are many aspects throughout the story that resembles today's society. Firstly, Connie’s mother doesn’t approve of her daughter’s looks. This relates to our society because many people are jealous of others, regardless of who you are. Connie says that her mother used to be pretty but once she lost her looks, she scolded Connie for appreciating hers. Another resemblance to American Society is today’s crime rate. The story uses a scenario that is very possible in real life. There are many criminals in America who are not afraid to do whatever they have to in order to get what they want. It is horrific how in America young girls are traumatized by these criminals and it is becoming a more common occurrence. It just goes to show that in America, where we have so much freedom, sometimes it’s not always good. You cannot do whatever you want with whoever you want, like Arnold Friend tried to do with Connie. She is just a teenager and should be able to live her life as she pleases not worrying about people claiming her.
ReplyDeleteIn the story there are a lot of hints that suggest Arnold friend is inhuman. One reason is he has looked up everything about connie and knows where she lives, what color hair she has, what color eyes she has, where she’s been, he also knows where everyone in her family is and he wants her to come with him in his car. We can tell he is inhuman because no one would do that normally and he seems to be obsessed with her and wants her. We can tell that if she doesn't go with him something might happen to her, but we can tell that if she does go with him he's going to do something to her. His name can suggest that he wants to be everyone's friend and make them comfortable that he can be your friend. Also that he doesn't want you to know his real name because of what he has planned.
ReplyDeleteThe use of parallelism is found between Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” and the fairy tale “Little Red Riding Hood”. In both the story and fairy tale the antagonist thinks of himself as being the most powerful. In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, when Arnold Friend arrives at Connie’s house he begins talking to her, but when she denies going for a ride with him and his friend Elliot, he begins to get mad. He tells her how their is nothing stopping him from coming inside, and that he will stay outside, but if she picks up the phone that promise will no longer be kept. He tells her “anybody can break through a screen door and glass and wood and iron or anything else if he needs to, anybody at all, and specially Arnold Friend.” This example shows us how Arnold thinks of himself, as someone who can do whatever he wants. In the fairy tale “Little Red Riding Hood” the big bad wolf thinks of himself in the same way Arnold thinks of himself. They also both act as if they are somebody else. The big bad wolf acts as if he is the girl's grandmother so that he could eat her, while Arnold pretends he is a gentleman so he can get Connie to come with her and he can kill her. These are some of the way parallelism is found between “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” and “Little Red Riding Hood”.
ReplyDeleteI liked the way you connected Arnold Friend and the big bad wolf. They are the same as how they say that they will break inside the others house if they didn't come out, which I liked how you said that in your response. A good point was by mentioning how they act as they are someone else to get what they want.
DeleteGreat connection, John. The big bad wolf and Arnold Friend both have similar characteristics that I never realized until reading this. It's crazy how a fairy tale can have so many similar qualities to a modern story.
DeleteI like the connections that you made that Arnold's and the wolf about how they think that they can do whatever they want to do. Another thing I liked is is that made the connection that Connie and little red riding hood are helpless. You did a great job with these connections!
DeleteI agree that in both "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been" and "Little Red Riding Hood" that the antagonists both think that they are the most powerful character in the story. The example that you gave about "Little Red Riding Hood" shows exactly how the wolf thought he was the strongest and smartest in the story. The thought that by killing the grandmother and disguising himself as her, that he would be able to trick Little Red Riding Hood. Arnold Friend also thought that he was the most powerful, but in the story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been", he actually is because he is able to control Connie into putting the phone down, so she wouldn't call anyone to help her.
DeleteIn the story "Where Are You Going" the character Arnold Friend could be signified as inhuman. For example his car is painted gold and that would be eye catching to any human. His car also has has these secret codes that are on the sides of his car that was never explained, and to a human it wouldn't make any sense. Another example is that his eye were not dark like other people she said that they were light and were reflecting the sun light. Arnold also has a moment were he keeps repeating different phrases to try to fit what everyone else was saying. It could be inhuman because for a normal person they would have just said what they said and be done with it but what Arnold did was keep talking and trying to fit the time. The last example of Arnold friend being inhuman is that he doesn't have a sole. He talks in this monotone voice to try to seduce a young girl. Anyone with a sole would never do something like this to a little girl or to anyone. It would take a monster to find the information he needed to capture her and take her from her family. These reasons is why Arnold Friend is inhuman.
ReplyDeletesoul*
DeleteBut at any rate
DeleteYou have a lot of really good points here. I believe Arnold's voice is part of what made reading the story so anxious even when we couldn't actually hear it. Also, you're very right about Arnold having no soul. Rape is an indescribably horrific action that no one should ever have to endure.
DeleteYou made a really well connection to your topic, and provided alot of good examples. Your example about his speaking really is important because he didnt want to take no for an answer he was going to make her come with him no matter what. You also pointed out how he knew everything about her which was another real important part.
DeleteI liked the way you described why Arnold is inhuman. Even just the secret code is weird, but who keeps a secret code on their car and what does it mean? Is he trying to show off or something? I liked how you included how he doesn’t have a soul. Your detailed description of Arnold’s appearance, behavior, and voice showed his inhuman qualities.
DeleteYou have some good examples Louis. Especially nice job with the eye example. That's certainly something that would signify he is inhuman. It's also really obvious that something's up when he talks about the party Connie decided not to go to and her when she was in the other room holding the phone, as if he could see the events himself even though he was standing at the door.
DeleteC. In what ways do you think “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” could be a comment on American society?
ReplyDeleteThe events in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” depict what can happen in American society. The idea of an older man luring a young girl away from her home and family is one that is all too real. The fact that the story is taken directly from actual events by a real serial killer show how real it can be. Even though the story is set in the 1960’s, this is still happening in America well into the 2000’s, if not more than in previous times. Connie doesn’t feel accepted by her family, specifically her mother, which leads her to stay home while everyone else leaves. When the mysterious Arnold Friend comes along, he uses what seems like a supernatural power he possess to get her to come out of her house. A question remains, both in the story and in real life, as to why she accepted his request? Maybe it was his charm, maybe she was afraid. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” can be an excellent warning to show the dangers of what can happen to really anyone at anytime.
I like the way you worded this, very intelligent. I believe this as well, it does connect to the real world this way. I liked how you questioned real life as well. this was very well put and an excellent job.
DeleteC. In what ways do you think “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” could be a comment on American society?
ReplyDeleteIn "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" the events that occur represent the American Society all too well. This story is in fact based off a real life serial killer that lured young girls into his traps. That still happens in American today and this story puts that into perspective. Oates tells the story of a young girl, Connie, that does not feel accepted by her family. Especially her mother. Her mother pushes her aside and tells her she is not important just because she is pretty. By being treated like this in her own home, Connie already feels alone. When Arnold Friend comes into the picture, he uses his charm and supernatural presence to persuade Connie into getting into a car with him. "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been" shows a dark glimpse into American Society where young girls are getting abducted, killed, and possibly raped.
I like how you added the concept of how the way Connie was treated terrible buy her own mother. I feel as though that because she was treated like that she was more susceptible to Arnold's mind game, or his trance, on her. This definitely does happen in American society still and is actually a little too common for comfort.
DeleteOption C
ReplyDeleteI think the events that occur in "Where Are You Going. Where Have You Been?" represent the American society in many ways. Even in the simple ways, like when Arnold Friend continued to consistently badger Connie about getting in the car with him after she clearly said no. He kept trying to tell her what to do like he was entitled to force her to do as he pleases. In American society today, it is a common occurrence for someone to think they deserve something that the other person may not be comfortable with, but they persist on anyway. Also, when Connie tried locking the screen door, Arnold hinted at getting violent. People often turn to violence and force in situations that are being controlled by only one person. Connie also mentioned how she had to wash her hair for when her father comes back and Arnold's response was "You washed it for me...I thank you sweetheart." This related to American society because everything seems to have to be for someone else in their eyes. It can never just be that girls like dressing up for themselves or boys buy those expensive shoes because they simply like them. It is usually to impress others because society has forced us into thinking we need to please them, like Arnold is doing with Connie. The sad truth is that even in the 2000's, rape is still a prominent part of daily life. This is reflected in this passage. Rape and abduction are shady topics for many people. Most have the attitude that if it's not spoken about, then it doesn't matter. That couldn't be more false. This story shows those tragic things as they are, horrid. Those things still occur today and that is vile, but everyone needs to be aware.
Question B
ReplyDeleteArnold Friend is a figure that comes into the story after Connie sees him a first time. The first time she sees him, she only notices his shaggy black hair, his convertible jalopy that is painted gold, and his finger that he waves at her. When Arnold comes to Connie’s house unexpectedly, he is pale and has a translucent appearance that is unlike most humans. His black shaggy hair looks like a wig, and for some reason Connie can not tell why he appears older but seems young, or even the opposite. Arnold stands out, in a weird way. Although the name on his car and his actual name are the same and may appear friendly, he resembles a demonic figure or a nightmare to Connie. His appearance can seem like he is Connie’s age, but his actions could tell how much older he is. The reader may think that Arnold and/or Ellie is trying to rape Connie, or try and murder her in her own home. Arnold’s appearance is very unlike most humans and represents a huge threat to Connie.
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ReplyDeleteB. Discuss the character of Arnold Friend. Are there any hints that he is somehow "inhuman"? Think about what his name might suggest. Comment on his car, clothes and language. What does he represent in the story?
ReplyDeleteArnold Friend is first overlooked by young Connie. When he shows up at her house, however, he surely has her attention. The very first strange characteristic about Arnold Friend is his name. He uses this alias to conceal who he really is. He wants his victims to be tricked into thinking he is an old friend. However, Archfiend describes him a lot better. His name is the first thing to suggest that he is “inhuman” or even the devil himself. His car is a symbol of disguise. Despite the gold color and slogans on it, it is imperfect, and Connie is aware that he is fake. His appearance at a first glance seems young and beautiful, however, much is hidden behind his mirrored sunglasses. His fairly old, translucent skin along with his crazy wig-like hair make him look more crazy than attractive. His gait is unusual as well. It seems that he has filled in his large shoes with something, and therefore, he walks unsteadily. This is another connection to the devil who is said to have hooves for feet. Aside from appearance, his demeanor in itself is incredibly creepy. His voice is calm yet forceful as he threatens and coaxes Connie. His knowledge of her life and loved ones is uncanny. Only the devil himself could know exactly what her family is doing while he stares into the eyes of his victim. His fake facade did nothing to trick Connie, however in the throes of violence, she eventually gives in.
B. Discuss the character of Arnold Friend. Are there any hints that he is somehow "inhuman"? Think about what his name might suggest. Comment on his car, clothes and language. What does he represent in the story?
ReplyDeleteThere are many hints in the story, Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been, that suggest Arnold Friend is inhuman. The hints include Arnold’s car, clothes, language, appearance, and his name. The first hint that suggests that Arnold is inhuman, and just odd in general, is the description of his car. It is described as bright gold and it had a “secret code” on it. It also had his name, Arnold Friend painted on it, which was also a strange thing to put on a car. Arnold’s clothes, and his appearance in general, was also inhuman. Joyce Carol Oates described Arnold as very attractive, at least through Connie’s eyes. He was a little taller than Connie, but was muscular and had on attractive clothing. At one point in the story though, Connie noticed that when Arnold didn’t smile, line appeared in his face and, at that point, he looked a lot older. The way Arnold spoke was also inhuman too. He told Connie where her parents went and what people were wearing and who was at the barbecue. 7 Lastly, another hint that Arnold is inhuman is his name. His first name is sort of normal, but his last name, Friend, is very odd. It is misleading because he really doesn’t want to be Connie’s friend, he wants to rape and force her to love her. Arnold Friend is the antagonist and the main threat to Connie in the story. That is how Joyce Carol Oates put hints in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been that suggest that Arnold Friend is inhuman.
C. In what ways do you think “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” could be a comment on American society?
ReplyDeleteIn the American society of today it is not rare to hear of someone being stalked, kidnapped or raped, especially young girls. In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?," Connie is a fifteen year old teenager who goes out with her friends and starts to put herself out there with boys. Fifteen years old is around the age that teenagers typically enter high school and become involved in sexual relationships. Connie is stalked by Arnold Friend who knows everything about her from her address to where her parents are and what her sister is wearing. This is a pure example of stalking and plotting a plan. In today's society, stalking and finding out information about someone is not in anyway difficult. Every piece of information we could want to know could be exposed to us at the click of a button. Social media has made it easier for this act to occur as well. People could create false profiles and accounts to befriend you and lure you into a trap the same way Arnold Friend did to Connie. Once someone has the information they are looking for they could then pursue an even more horrific act that is becoming less rare to hear about in America. This act being rape. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” comments on this act when Arnold Friend states that he will show Connie how love works and will hold her tight so she can't try to get away. In conclusion, the comments on American society that “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” make known put this society to shame and shows the horrific actions that occur around us daily.
Question B:
ReplyDeleteArnold Friend somehow appeared inhuman. The first hint was his hair. His hair was black and shaggy and it looked like a wig. Even though this could be normal to a human, his full appearance seemed off. His skin was pale and translucent. He seemed like he was both young and old at the same time because Connie couldn’t tell. He resembles like a demonic figure towards Connie. The way he threatens her was calm and quiet, which made him seem more creepy. He told her it was easy for him to break down a door, and would do it if she went for the phone. He owned a gold convertible which had his name imprinted on the side that made him stand out. The reader might assume that Arnold was going to kill Connie and that created a creepy and inhuman thought about him.
Zach,
DeleteI agree. Arnold appeared to be both young and old at the same time. It was a disturbing illusion. As the story advances Arnold grows scarier and scarier. Even his body language sets off red flags. When he continued to ask Connie to come outside I knew what his actual plan was.
Arnold definitely had a lot of inhuman features, and that made him a really creepy, antagonistic character. The scariest part is that people like him exist in the real world, people who have those demonic thoughts and act on them. This story makes the reader feel threatened just like Connie did because no matter what you believe about an actual "devil" existing, there's no doubt that evil people exist, and everyone could be in danger because of them.
DeleteThis is a comment on American Society. Everyday someone is either raped, kidnapped, stalked, killed, etc. Most of the time it is a young girl that this happens to. In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, a fifteen year old girl named Connie is hanging out with her friends and starts to hang out with boys. Her age is in the general range that teenagers start relationships and etc. In the story, Connie does not feel accepted by her family. Her mother most of all because she said that she is not important because she is pretty. She is being stalked by Arnold Friend. He knows everything about her. Arnold then used his charm and supernatural persuasion to get her into the car with him. Everything can happen in an instant. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” makes you think. It could happen to anyone at any given moment. It really shows how messed up the world is.
ReplyDeleteQuestion c
ReplyDeleteIn this story Connie is basically another typical every day girl. She is fifteen and basically still finding herself. She's out with her friends and starts talking to boys. You can tell at this age that's basically when you start building and getting confidence. This story I believe is definitely how society works these days. Now a days it's so easy to stalk and kidnap someone. Especially now with internet and all the technology you could basically find anything out. There have been many stalking cases in our world from older women to younger girls to even guys. You never know who is watching you or looking at your profiles or comments or information. Also now you have those relationship websites like tinder, eharmony, match, etc. Some kids will go on and they will find people who they think are their age. It happens all the time you have random older people that find young kids and try an talk to them and say they are a different age. Even if people don't get stalked or kidnap that way someone could just grab yo out of nowhere. The world is a beautiful but dangerous place. But social media and technology now allows everything to be accessed from age to phone number to people's addresses. You'll have those people out there like Arnold Friend who will make fake profiles and then try to meet up with someone younger. That younger person then thinks they are talking to someone their age or not dangerous. You will see this almost everyday. There is rape, kidnapping, etc. The world is dangerous.
Nalani
A. Can you find any parallelism (similarities) between Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” and the famous fairy tale “Little Red Riding Hood"? Discuss.
ReplyDeleteI see many similarities between Oates’s story and the classic story of “Little Red Riding Hood.” One is the method of sweet-talking the girl into giving in to the abductor. In the fairy tale, the girl notices the wolf’s odd features, and he explains that they are “The better to (see/hear/hug) you with, my dear.” In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” Connie asks Arnold about the writing on his car, and he tells her that it means he is her friend. Another parallel is the fact that the wolf was disguised in the grandmother’s nightgown so the little girl would trust him, while Arnold disguised himself as a teenager so Connie would trust him. Arnold learned all about Connie and her family and used his knowledge against her. Similarly, the wolf found the girl in the woods on the way to her grandmother’s house and gleaned information that way, which he then used to harm them both. Another parallel is the way Arnold took his time trying to convince Connie to go with him, and promised not to go in the house. This is reminiscent of the wolf laying in the grandmother’s bed, trying to convince the girl to trust him. When she didn’t, he sprung anyway. Another similarity is the victimology; both Connie and the victim in “Little Red Riding Hood” were young girls, a little too trusting of their attackers, and both made mistakes that led to their victimization.
Dana great job on your response! You used great detail to describe the similarities. All the facts are very true as well. So good job!:)
DeleteWhen choosing which prompt to write about, I looked at this one and didn't quite understand how it could in fact share similarities with "Little Red Riding Hood." However, I do see it now. It is incredible and disturbing at the same time that two scenarios, one more realistic than the other, share such dark similarities. Great job Dana!
DeleteA. Can you find any parallelism (similarities) between Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” and the famous fairy tale “Little Red Riding Hood"? Discuss.
ReplyDeleteThere is parallelism or similarities between Oates “Where are you going, Where have you been” and the fairy tale “Little Red Riding Hood”. For example one similarity would be how in both stories someone or something is try to capture or take the main character in the story. In “Little Red Riding Hood” the capture is a wolf. The wolf is trying to capture the little girl in order to eat her. In “Where are you going, Where have you been?” The capture seems to be a older man trying to convince the girl to go for a ride.
Another similarity would be that the capture pretends to be something they are not. In ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ the wolf dresses up and pretends to be the girl's grandmother. In “Where are you going, Where have you been” the older man is dressed to look like a younger man. The type of man that Connie often spends time with. Therefore, those are two examples of parallelism between Oates “Where are you going, Where have you been” and the fairy tale “Little Red Ridding Hood”.
Your blog makes me believe in the similarities. The similarities between the wolf and the older man makes a lot of sense. How he dressed to be younger vs. the wolf dressing to be the grandmother. The similarities are striking.
DeleteI really like your examples. Arnold Friend does try to capture Connie like the wolf tries to do to Little Red Riding Hood. Also I like that you included that Arnold dressed in younger looking clothes to seem more trusting towards Connie. And of course the wolf dressed up as someone Little Red Riding Hood could trust. Thanks for sharing Jackie!
DeleteJackie, these are two really good similarities! I didn't even realize them or make a connection to "Little Red Riding Hood" when I was reading "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?." I really like how you included the similarity of the wolf pretending to be her grandmother and Arnold Friend pretending to be someone whom he is not and how he was disguised to appear younger.
DeleteA. Can you find any parallelism (similarities) between Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” and the famous fairy tale “Little Red Riding Hood"? Discuss.
ReplyDeleteThere are definitely quite a few similarities between the two stories. The stories themselves can be generalized together in this way; A vulnerable young girl attempts to resist an obvious trap set by a force wishing her harm, but it ends up working anyway. The effectiveness of this generalization, of course, depends on which version of Little Red Riding Hood you choose to take the name. However, in all versions of Little Red Riding Hood, the wolf’s goal is certainly harm to Red Riding Hood, so at the very least there is some similarity between the two regardless of your preferred version.
Additionally, in most versions of Red Riding Hood the wolf’s tactics could be described as attempts to trick the girl into coming to him, which are reflected in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Arnold Friend, who is very nice to our female protagonist. It also can be inferred both antagonists were doing this to amuse themselves, and that they are evil beings both in the story and symbolically.
Other parallelism could include how the wolf and Arnold Friend both dressed up as a person familiar to both female protagonists as an attempt to draw them into the trap. The wolf dressed as the girl's grandmother and Arnold Friend dressed as a teenager. I agree with you that the wolf and Arnold Friend both find it amusing to play with the female protagonist's mind to trick them especially when the wolf and Arnold Friend both know personal information about their victims.
DeleteIn both stories, there is a protagonist that wanted to do what they wanted and not listen to their mother. In “Little Red Riding Hood”, the girl doesn’t listen to her mother and she wanders off the path and encounters the wolf. In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, Connie would go out with her friend. Her friend’s father would drop them off, then Connie would do anything she wanted even if her mother would not approve. On one of these nights, Connie meets Arnold Friend, but she doesn’t think he is important at that moment. When Arnold pulls into her driveway, she doesn’t remember his car. This also happens when Little Red sees the wolf dressed as the grandmother. The antagonist in both stories try to overpower the protagonist and make them stray off their path. Arnold want to take a “ride” with connie. The wolf wants to end Little Red’s life.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you on this. When Little Red was warned of the wolf, she didn't pay much attention. However, the wolf ended up being a major problem for her later on. This resembles how Connie didn't give Arnold much thought but he ended up being an issue later in the story when he showed up at her house. Both of the girls from these two stories were young and naive. They did whatever pleased them which turned out to be what put them in harms way. Connie and Little Red should have listened to their mothers in the first place.
DeleteA. Can you find any parallelism (similarities) between Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” and the famous fairy tale “Little Red Riding Hood"? Discuss.
ReplyDeleteI believe the fairytale and the story have many parallel similarities. For example, as the wolves true intentions are over looked by his innocence and swift ways, as are the perpetrator's in "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been". Both stories have a simple concept of predator and prey. In Little Red Riding Hood, the predator is the wolf, as the prey is little red. While in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been, the predator is the older man, while the prey is the 15 year old girl. With the results being obvious, the initial acts are dreaded. Another similarity is that both the bad guys attempted to disguise themselves to gain an advantage. The wolf had dressed as Little Red's grandmother and the man tried to pull off a teenager look. Sadly, both little girls in each story were fooled and overpowered at one point or another.
These are just a few similarities in both Little Red Riding Hood and Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been.