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Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Book Report

Good Essays

“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, by Joyce Carol Oates, takes place in the 1960s American Suburbs, where a family of four lives in a house that is in dire need of maintenance. Connie is the main character that seems to suffer from a slight boy problem. Connie feels as if her mom treats her cruelly and takes to a “secret” life that will help Connie find an escape. The story is important to read because it helps young girls realize that people will not always be what one makes themselves out to be. The story also helps raise awareness about the manipulation used to persuade young girls. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is included in many short story anthologies due to the fact that it leaves the reader making up conclusions about what happened to Connie. The short story may also be important due to the fact that it is written by Joyce Carol Oates, which is one of the most influential writers known. The ending acts …show more content…

Throughout the movie, many things were the same as they were in the book, which is typically uncommon. The short story is more so preferred due to the fact that one can create images of the characters and build certain ideas about the storyline or ending. In a movie, everything can be provided for the viewers unlike a book, where images are created. The book also focuses more on the struggle for acceptance than the movie does. For instance, when reading the book, one might think that the mother and sister would be ugly, unlike Connie. Upon watching the movie, those thoughts can be changed due to the mother and sister being nothing like they were thought up to be. Also, while reading the book, Arnold was depicted as a dorky guy and he threw himself up onto the porch of Connie’s house. In the movie, Arnold appears to be decent and walks normally, he only slings himself onto the porch when he seems to be “daydreaming” while talking to Connie. Overall, the book is preferred over the

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