The story itself begins with the introduction of Connie, the protagonist. After awhile, I began to realize her family members were not on the best of terms, to the point her mom calls her ugly almost everyday (at least she does when Connie looks in the mirror, which happens to be a lot). Connie's life however seemed somewhat normal; Socializing with friends at the mall, the occasion argument with mom, and even the day dreaming of boys. However, upon closer inspection, religious themes and motifs began to occur often, as well as the presence of music in Connie's life. Since I am in the group of analyzing the relationship between whether or not Arnold is Satan, my overall attitude and critique of the story is more religious based. Plus, in the group I alone am assigned the importance of music in Connie's life, and so this reaction post will mostly focus in on that. In the critical essay, "'Don't Know Who I Am?' The Grotesque in Oates's "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?", Wegs explains how the entire story is based around music, to the point that "Since music is Connie's religion, its values are hers also" (Wegs 101). After I read this paragraph, I went back through the book to see whether or not her values changed due to the presence of music, and it did. The common usage of music in Connie's life helps show when she is feeling alive, active, social, and lively, as well as when she is quiet, bored, and upset. It was almost as if she had two completely different sides of her; One for when she was at home, and one for when she was out with her friends. The most clear example of the importance of music would have to be when she is leaving the plaza with her friend, and the way she describes it "...Connie couldn't help but look back at the darkened shopping plaza with its big empty parking lot and its signs that were faded and ghostly now...She couldn't hear the music at this distance" (Oates 29). Despite the fact that the plaza was lively just a short time before she left, the plaza now seems to be a ghost town because she cannot hear the music.
Although the influence and presence of music was very interesting, the character Arnold Friend definitely makes the story. Near the end of the book, Arnold and his friend Ellie stop by Connie's house with hopes Connie will go for a ride with them. Even though this seems harmless, Arnold's true intentions and identity remain a mystery to Connie, but are perfectly clear to the reader. First, Arnold's appearance is quite interesting. As Wegs puts it, Arnold can be seen as Satan for many reasons. First "...he is in disguise; the distortions in his appearance and behavior suggest not only that his identity is faked but also hint at his real self" (Wegs 103). When Arnold first tries to bow to Connie, he almost falls forward and as he continues to get closer to the house, he seems to have increasing difficulty of standing up without falling. Plus, Arnold continues to adjust his boots, which Connie notes "One of his boots was at a strange angle, as if his foot wasn't in it" (Oates 42). Wegs also points this out, saying the most likely explanation is that Arnold really doesn't have human feet, but those similar to hooves which explains why he has such a hard time walking and why he has the need to support his weight on something. His disguise is also seen through by Connie, but not all the way. She makes note of how carefully he removes his sunglasses and puts them on his hair, almost as if he did not want his wig to fall off. Plus Connie has a hard time in the beginning distinguishing how old Arnold and Ellie are. Lastly, she realizes Arnold seems to have a lot of makeup on his face, but not on his neck, showing part of his true identity.
Although Connie cannot quite put her finger on it, she can see there is definitely something wrong with the two boys. However, the reader can clearly see Arnold's true identity with the help of Connie's keen eyes, the screaming in the phone, and, in the very end, how Connie cannot recognize her home anymore. Overall, I enjoyed this story greatly, despite having such weird and creepy characters. With the help of "'Don't Know Who I Am?' The Grotesque in Oates's "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" all the connections in the story were made clear, creating new feelings and attitude towards Oates, the characters, and the overall purpose of the story.
Works Cited:
Oates, Joyce Carol. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Ed. Elaine Showalter. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2002. Print.
Wegs, Joyce M. “‘Don’t You Know Who I Am?’ The Grotesque in Oates’s ‘Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?’” Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Ed. Elaine Showalter. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2002. Print.
(This is Casey)
ReplyDeleteGood post Bryan. I thought that your use of the essay and Oates’s story to back up the ideas that were presented in your PowerPoint was a very effective use of your post, especially because I could use my memory of your presentation to better understand the ideas in your post. Furthermore, the point about the music that was played sporadically throughout WAYGWHYB? is very interesting and well developed due to your evidence from Wegs and in WAYGWHYB?. And I could also add that Oates’s choice to dedicate the story to Bob Dylan, a folk singer and even somewhat of a folk hero to many youth during the 1960’s, and to allude to his song “It’s all over now, Baby Blue” adds richness to the story. First, Oates’s allusion to the song and Dylan make the time period that the story was written in (the 1960’s) relevant, which constructs the actions of Connie, Arnold, and others as carrying a socially significant message. Second, the story becomes an exploration of the changing social duties and experiences in the 1960’s since Bob Dylan and other musicians profoundly influenced the evolution of rock into multiple different genres, and each expressed its own style to move the listener. As music evolved, each genre became popular among certain groups of people who shared common beliefs, creating a loose connection between music and social activism that peaked with Woodstock in 1969. Moreover, folk music is typically known for its cultural implications to certain nationalities. Therefore, since Oates’s inspiration came from a folk singer and a song about letting go of past attachments and moving on, I thought that the music represents Oates telling Connie to move on from all her problems and develop as a mature woman. Also, since the story is socially charged during the feminist and women’s rights movements of the 1960’s, Oates could also be telling women to move on from their past restrictions as strictly housewives to greater positions in society. In the case that Oates wants women to move on from their past restrictions, the symbolic nature of the door as a boundary would entail that Arnold is trying to get Connie to leave her private, womanly domain in the home for the public, manly domain with Arnold. Therefore, in the case that Arnold is the devil, I would think that Oates’s message would be that of a cautionary tale for women who move on from their restrictions, warning them of the dangers and uncertainty of entering a possibly unfamiliar domain. Regardless, great post Bryan.