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Example research essay topic: Joyce Carol Oates Literature Resource Center - 1,737 words

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... meaning. Connie and her friends enter the sacred building that loomed out of the night to give them what haven and what blessing they yearned for (Oates 615). It is something they dont feel complete without. Much like an extremely religious or spiritual person, feeling empty without that superior being, and in this story, Arnold Friend acts as that. The diner is much like a place of worship for Connie, with music always in the background like music at a church service, it was something always to depend upon (Oates 616).

Connie depends on this place, her sanctuary. The place where no one knows the real her because she is based solely on fake ideals and mass-produced emotions, greatly influenced by pop culture. With music always heard in the background, Arnold Friend assumes the role of a god, able to manipulate young and impressionable minds by taking on whatever role he feels like, as stated by critic Rena Korb. He latches onto their brainwashed belief systems, and this enables him to better connect to their life and social surroundings. Using the local radio station as a foothold on Connie, Arnold says, I listen to him [Bobby King] all the time, I think hes great. (Oates 618). Knowing this is Connie's favorite radio station, he not only manipulates young girls, but also his fellow crony Ellie Oscar.

Ellie is completely unable to think on his own, relying solely upon what Arnold tells him. He is trapped and held into something he is not, almost like a forty year old baby (Oates 621). Much like the rest of the clones that make up the pop culture, their qualities are the same. Ellie Oscar is a prime example of a pop cultural clone, unable to grow up and fully mature into the grown man he is. Ellie never speaks, never offers any suggestions to Arnold; he just sits in the car while his lips kept shaping words, mumbling along with the words blasting in his ear (Oates 621). This shows that Ellie is a follower, and stated from critic G.

J. Weinsberger that Ellie is an extension of Arnold Friend, but he also represents the alternative to him. Always Arnold's little toady, Ellie is constantly getting thrown aside and verbally abused by Arnold who calls him names like You dope. You miserable creepy dope (Oates 626). Ellie Oscar never matures, and he will always be one of Arnold's prizes, always right there offering threatening assistance to Arnold whenever he is needed.

Right along side Ellie Oscar, stands Connie, another trophy. She succumbs to evil when she allows Arnold to manipulate her naive mind out of the house. In order for this to happen, the pop culture scene has already strongly influenced Connie, ripening her for such manipulation. Constantly in love with the idea of being in love, and as stated by critic Rena Korb, Connie wanted that story tale love like the way it was in movies and promised in songs. It is this immature way of thinking that will inevitably lead to Connie's death at the hands of Arnold Friend.

Sexual Dark Side As Arnold continued in his attempts to ensnare Connie, Connie, even in her innocence, began to realize that he was more than just a good-looking guy with shaggy black hair. She said suddenly, Hey how old are you? His smile faded. She could see then that he wasnt a kid, he was much older thirty, maybe more. At this knowledge her heart began to pound fast. She began to notice the make-up covering his face.

She watched this smile come, awkward as if he were smiling from inside a mask. His whole face was a mask, she thought wildly, tanned down onto his throat but then running out as if he had plastered make-up on his face but had forgotten about his throat. Arnold also portrayed himself as all knowing to seduce Connie, thus by revealing another aspect his supernatural side. He knew all about Connie, about her family and about her friends. I know your name and all about you, lots of things, Arnold Friend said. He had not moved yet but stood still leaning back against the side of the jalopy.

I took a special interest in you, such a pretty girl, and found out all about you like I know your parents and sister are gone somewhere's and I know where and how long theyre going to be gone, and I know who you were with last night, and your best girl friends name is Betty. Right? (Oates 621) It is true that all of the information Arnold had could have come from research and stalking, however Connie was shocked by his knowledge, and it encouraged her belief that he was more than just a man. Connie, with the encouragement of the music, strove to be rebellious. Arnold Friend was her final leap into fully disobeying her parents, into fulfilling the dreams of the music. When Arnold Friend threatened to hurt Connie's family, the combination of her selfishness and her hidden love for her family caused her to fall into the pit of darkness. Her first reaction to Arnold's advances were fear and horror.

Shut up! Youre crazy! Connie said. She backed away from the door. She put her hands against her ears as if shed heard something terrible, something not meant for her. People dont talk like that, youre crazy, she muttered. (Oates 623) However, as Arnold Friends threats and seduction continued growing, she began to give in.

Arnold gave the impression that he could simply retrieve Connie any time he wanted, but that she needed to come out to him. This is even further emphasizing his devilish attributes, as the devil must be invited. Scared and frightened, Connie finds herself in the midst of her home, which holds no much needed security. Arnold is at the front door, calm and collect, as Connie rushes for the telephone. She picked up the telephone.

Something roared in her ear, a tiny roaring, and she was so sick with fear she could do nothing but listen to it-the telephone was clammy and very heavy and her fingers groped down to the dial but were too weak to touch it (Oates 625). This symbolizes Connie's inability to think in times of need, because she is being so completely manipulated by the forces of pop culture, crushing her ability to survive. The roaring in the phone symbolizes Connie's problem with communication. Not only with her self, but also with her mother.

She cried out, she cried for her mother (Oates 626), but once again, her mother is not there to offer her love and maternal warmth. The telephone represents the communication between two people, with Connie on one end, and her mother on the other. The roaring sound is the lack of mother and daughter communication skills. As this is happening, it is almost as though Connie goes through a transformation, regressing back to being a child. Connie gives up because she is weak.

She now belongs to Arnold; and has completely and thoroughly lost her identity. The place where you came from aint there any more, and where you had in mind to go is cancelled out. This place you are now inside your daddys house is nothing but a cardboard box I can knock down any time. You know that and always did know it. You hear me? (Oates 624) Connie began to feel that her soul had already left her body, that her soul had already betrayed her, and that there was nothing left.

She felt her pounding heart. Her hand seemed to enclose it. She thought for the first time in her life that it was nothing that was hers, that belonged to her, but just a pounding, living thing inside this body that wasnt really hers either. She was achieving her goal of ultimate attention and sexuality, even though she was going to be raped and murdered. She knew that Arnold was dangerous and horrible, but she felt that there was no other way than to follow him. She put out her hand against the screen.

She watched herself push the door slowly open as if she were safe back somewhere in the other doorway, watching this body and this head of long hair moving out into the sunlight where Arnold Friend waited. It was all over now, for baby blue. Conclusion In conclusion, pop culture causes a weakening of self-awareness. It causes mass produced emotions and feelings progressing to the inability to think for ones self. Evil is a product of pop culture and Arnold Friend portrays this evil extremely well, with Connie being the recipient and the manifestation of his pop culture. These false values and ideals ended up being predominantly the death of Connie.

She was so used to not having to think, or to need, or even to be. She was just as society wanted her: a beautiful blond, fifteen year old girl who knew no better than to be manipulated by the seductive and influential forces of evil. On the other hand, the dark side of sexuality, which was accurately portrayed in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been, is a subject that is consistently avoided in modern day society. However, it is a problem that should be addressed.

Joyce Carol Oates aspiration in writing this story was to expose these problems to the world. Also, I think these problems are very interrelated and have common and very deep roots. Bibliography Biederman, Hans. Mirror. Dictionary of Symbolism. Trans.

James Hulbert. New York: Facts on File, 1992. Kirszner, Laurie and Stephen R. Mandell. Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing. 4 th ed. Fort Worth: Holt, 2001.

Korb, Rena. An Overview of Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been? Short Stories for Students.

Gale Research, 1997. Online. Literature Resource Center. 1 December 2004. < web > Oates, Joyce Carol. Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?

Kirszner and Mandell, 614 - 26. Wegs, Joyce M. Dont You Know Who I Am? The Grotesque in Where Are You Going?

Where Have You Been? ? Kirszner and Mandell, 647 - 52. Weinberger, G. J. Who is Arnold Friend? The Other Self in Joyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going?

Where Have You Been? American Imago. Gale Research, 1988. Online. Literature Resource Center. 1 December 2004 < web >


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Research essay sample on Joyce Carol Oates Literature Resource Center

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