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Example research essay topic: Joyce Carol Oates Pied Piper - 1,728 words

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Critical Analysis of Joyce Carol Oates Where Are you Going, Where Have you Been Introduction The sexual theme is often hidden in literature, and the darker sexual theme is often ignored. Joyce Carol Oates went beyond the typical expectations of society and wrote a short story with such a theme. Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been is based on the serial killer Charles Schmid, who was also known as the Pied Piper of Tucson. Charles Schmid was sentenced to death for the rape and murder of three teenage girls. Joyce Carol Oates brought him to life using the character Arnold Friend. In the story, the author also reveals the immense influence music has on teenagers, and partly based the story on a song written by Bob Dylan, Its All Over Now, Baby Blue.

Themes from the song, as well as the true story of Charles Schmid, are clearly evident in the story, as well as references to the effect of music and pop-culture on the younger generation. This effect is another major theme of Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been. The story by Joyce Carol Oates suggests that a young teenage girl may succumb to evil due to pop culture and its manipulative and strongly influential forces. The main character, Connie, is an extremely helpless character and it as though she is being spoon-fed everything from the messages of pop music and Arnold Friend, leaving her unable to think on her own. Pop culture is a dominating factor that takes hold of Connie, and doesnt seem to let go until its too late. Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been uses musical symbolism and supernatural influences to reveal the dark side of sexuality.

This paper discusses and analyzes story by Joyce Carol Oates from the perspective of these two problems. Connie Connie, the protagonist in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been, was a gorgeous young girl who was constantly scolded by her mother for thinking so highly of herself. Connie was always checking her appearance in mirrors and believed that her mother was being ridiculous. Her mother had been pretty once too, if you could believe those old snapshots in the album, but now her looks were gone and that was why she was always after Connie. (Oates 614) Connie's mother was able to see her past self in Connie, and she feared the path that it would take Connie on. Her mother most likely learned the consequences of being superficial the hard way, and was simply trying to protect Connie from going through what she went through.

Because her mother had only focused on her outwardly appearance, her mother no longer had any beneficial qualities once her looks faded. However, instead of trying to talk to Connie about looking into the deeper value of life, her mother simply praised her sister, June, constantly. She was so plain and chunky and steady that Connie had to hear her praised all the time by her mother and her mothers sisters. (Oates 615) Connie could not see any positive qualities in her sister, and was thus alienated from her family. She was not receiving any positive attention from her family, so Connie turned boys and rebellion.

Everything about her had two sides to it, one for home and one for anywhere that was not home: her walk that could be childlike and bobbing, or languid enough to make anyone think she was hearing music in her head, her mouth which was pale and smirking most of the time, but bright and pink on these evenings out (Oates 615). Connie has this undying desire to be accepted by others, and as stated by critic Rena Korb, when Arnold arrives at her [Connie's] house she fixes her hair before she approaches the screen door, demonstrating the belief that she will be judged by her looks. (Korb) Arnold was judging her from the very beginning, keeping his evil eye on her and watching her closely. Connie's other side, her sexual side, was highly influenced by the music she heard and knew. The music encouraged her actions and filled her with joy... listened to the music that made everything so good: the music was always in the background like music at a church service; it was something to depend upon...

her face gleaming with a joy that had nothing to do with Eddie or even this place; it might have been the music. (Oates 618) Connie was always listening to music, and the music brought Connie into a new and exciting world. The world of the music was an escape from reality, which created ultimate joy and happiness. Arnold Arnold Friend attempts to lure Connie into his world, with supernatural characteristics. The author purposely makes it unclear whether or not Arnold Friend is actually supernatural. However, she does give him these characteristics, which characterize Arnold as the devil himself.

One of his boots was at a strange angle, as if his foot wasnt in it. (Oates 617) The reference to his boot not fitting correctly is part of Arnold's devilish supernatural characteristics. The devil has cloven hoofs, which would not fit properly in a boot. Arnold Friend desired Connie from the beginning, and strove to lure her into his world. It was a boy with shaggy black hair, in a convertible jalopy painted gold.

Her stared at her and then his lips widened into a grin. Connie slit her eyes at him and turned away, but she couldnt help glancing back and there he was still watching her. He wagged a finger and laughed and said Gonna get, you, baby, (Oates 618) Arnold strove to, and succeeded in appealing to Connie. He knew from the beginning that he wanted her, though it is not clear if he had been watching her before the story began. Arnold, who was modeled after the Pied Piper of Tucson, Charles Schmid, used disguise to his advantage. He used make-up, stuffed his boots to increase his height, and wore sunglasses to shield his eyes.

Eyes show the depth of the soul, and, by covering his eyes, Arnold was shielding his soul from the world. The darkening of the skin with make-up was intended to make Arnold more alluring; it also created a mask for Arnold to hide himself behind. Arnold used his charms to bewitch Connie as he came to her door. Arnold's appearance at Connie's house shows a direct correlation to the musical influences present in the story. Two of the lines from Bob Dylan's song, Its All Over Now, Baby Blue tie in directly with Arnold and Connie's meeting.

The vagabond whos rapping at your door is standing in the clothes that you once wore. (Oates 619) Even though Arnold is from a completely different dimension than that of Connie, he changes himself by creating physical attribute for himself that Connie would find appealing. When Arnold arrived, he was accompanied by his friend Ellie, who was holding a radio to his ear the entire time... listening to the music from her radio and the boys blend together. (Oates 619) Ellie's radio and Connie's radio were in unison, revealing how Arnold is also using music to lure Connie to the dark side. Pop Culture Side Popular music in this story displays the illusions of important values in life, and a horrid devotion to fake meanings and messages of rock music. Pop culture has a wide variety of contributing factors, with vanity being one of them. According to the Dictionary of Symbolism, the mirrors, a constant emblem of this vanity, purport Connie as fixated upon her long dark blond hair that drew anyones eye to it (Oates 615).

This could suggest multiple meanings. The mirror symbolizes that all of creation is seen as a reflection of Gods being, creation is both an eye and the mirror in which the eye see itself. Dark mirrors that send no reflection back warns us of bad luck or even death. (Biedermann 222 - 23). Evil is something that surrounds pop culture. Musically, it lures the swaddling babe-like listener into its seductive melody and lyrics. Arnold Friend is this pure evil.

He seduces and manipulates Connie into leaving the house, into saying things like This is how it is honey: you come out and well have a nice ride. (Oates 624) He uses sweet and caring words to make her think everything will be just fine. He calls her names like honey, and sweetie, attempting to win her over. It is suggested by critic G. J Weinberger that Arnold Friend does not really exist. Connie is told to take a ride with him, and if she said no, the cost of refusal is the failure to obtain adulthood. (Oates 620) Much like the rest of the people who are so involved with this pop culture, they refuse to grow up, still holding onto that youthful idea of perfection. Connie's perfect older sister June who is still twenty four and still lived at home (Oates 615), is just a person who can, sadly, not grow up and get away from those immature ways of life.

Almost abandoning those sweet words and careful phrases, Arnold uses a sexual and seductive manner to lure Connie out of her house. Announcing his sexual desires, Arnold tells her Ill have my arms around you so you wont need to try to get away, and Ill show you what love is like, what it does (Oates 625). Not surprisingly, he eventually manipulates Connie into coming out of her house and into his arms. Like Arnold, pop culture has disgusting ways of luring followers such as Connie into its falsely proclaimed values of life and self worth, worshiping their music makers and their messages. Critic G. J.

Wienberger points out that music is a medium through which adolescents derive the meaning of life and it is in a music-induced trance-like state that Connie later sees Arnold Friend. (Wienberger) Connie does see Arnold at the diner that she and her friends sneak over the highway to visit. The diner is described by critic Joyce M. Wegs as being in some way like a grotesque parody of a church. (Wegs 649) This is substituted from the traditional and conventional ways of worshiping a god, now taking the place of overplayed and overrated music with no...


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