Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Illusion vs. Reali
We have all experienced nightmares. Nightmares are very different from theeveryday dreams that we have for many reasons. The feeling of utter helplessnessis a major characteristic of a nightmare that seems to linger in our minds. Nomatter how fast you think you can run, how hard you think you can fight, or howloud you think you can scream, it is just never enough to save you in anightmare. We seem to think irrationally, and eventually feel so helpless thatwe may just give up the fight for survival. In Joyce Carol Oates' short story"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" we meet a character (Connie) whoseems to have fallen asleep and landed in a hellish nightmare. Connie is a young woman, just beginning to explore her interest in the oppositesex. She seems far too young to have wildly lustful ideas in her head, butexhibits a rather playful and innocent attraction to other boys of her age. Sheis far more interested in making sure her hair is nice and shiny, as opposed towearing revealing clothing. In Connie's nightmare, we are introduced to a veryevil figure, Arnold Friend. Arnold represents a greater evil in this dreambecause of the way he exemplifies a striking resemblance to the devil. Satan (in
He was not tall to begin with, even with the stuffed boots, so why wouldhe try to make himself seem just a bit taller, at the expense of lookingawkward? She also notices he wears a "mask" of sorts. She tries to scream, but her voice is gone. He often will present himself to an individual as one'sfriend or ally. Adversity and life-threatening situations often bring out the finest survivalskills in people, but in a nightmare, we are at the mercy of the unknown. Arnold also becomes very forceful, to the point where he poses two choicesfor Connie. "He was standingin a strange way, leaning back against the car as if he were balancing himself. "He took off thesunglasses and she saw how pale the skin around his eyes was, like holes thatwere not in shadow but instead in light. He is also wearing a wig, something she noticeswhen he places the sunglasses on top of his head. "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" is a very dark story that isloosely based on a real life serial killer, Charles Schmid. Either Arnold does represent ahigher form of evil in the world (possibly derived from her growing interest insexuality, which is an impure thought) or has been stalking her for quite sometime. He tries music, but is shut down, forcing him to try anotheroutlet, and making him increasingly frustrated. He is a deranged image, not seen in life, but dreamed of in order tocreate fear in people's minds. The very thought of being so helpless in such a situation makes the story seemmore like a dream, as Connie surrenders the way many of us would in a nightmare. Connie immediately notices howstrange his eyes are, and then notices that he is wearing makeup on his face,but not around his eyes or neck.
Common topics in this essay:
Arnold Friend,
Carol Oates',
Bobby King,
Carol Oates,
Satan Bible,
,
Arnold It's,
Freddy Krueger,
Friend Where,
Friend Arnold,
arnold friend,
joyce carol,
door missing,
real life,
connie begins,
screen door,
evil figure,
|
Acceptance Essays
