Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?

The short story, Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been? has become a regularly anthologized allegory that was originally authored by Joyce Carol Oates in 1966. The story was dedicated to legendary American singer, Bob Dylan since the author had been inspired by his song titled It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue. The story has attracted critical reviews over time and scholars have been divided on whether it should be perceived as an allegory or taken literally as written. However, it is undeniable that this short story is an impressive piece of literature that should be adopted in the classroom for a variety of reasons. Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? is worthy of study because it helps learners understand the vital elements of a narrative including plot, character, and theme developments.

A major reason why the story should be adopted as part of the class literature is that it helps the learners to comprehend plot development. The ability to craft an unpredictable and worthy plot is deemed to be daunting but necessary (Starr 1). As a learner, it is essential that one understands how to craft a plot as well as evaluate the possible impacts that it brings on the reader. In the case of the short story, Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? the protagonist, Connie, a teenage girl who is self-obsessed, acts secretively towards her parents and spends time picking boys at a restaurant. Furthermore, the author tries to compare the protagonist’s life with that of her sister, June which expands the plot of the story. As one reads through this story, there is the acknowledgement of the author’s skillful approach in developing an unpredictable and worthy plot.

            Another reason why the short story should be part of the class literature is that it has embodied character development. Characters are the people or personalized objects that are used to bring out the plot of the story. Often, there is one leading character in the story who is referred to as the protagonist while the others are known as secondary characters. In this case, the lead character was Connie and as described by Oates (1), “She was fifteen and she had a quick, nervous giggling habit of craning her neck to glance into mirrors or checking other people's faces to make sure her own was all right.” Other characters emerge as the story continues which is a good method of character development in literature. The secondary characters that emerge include Connie’s mum, June, and Eddie.

            Furthermore, Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? should be included in the literature class since it encompasses theme development which is essential to learners. In any literature works, a theme is perceived to be an idea that pervades in the story or poem as a major subject (Starr 1). By the end of reading a narrative, one should be able to establish the main takeaways. For instance, in the case of Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? the overriding theme is search for independence. The consistent conflicts that Connie has with her family as well as her determinations to be sexy are means to search for her freedom. The theme of the story can be seen throughout the plot which is major lesson to literature students.

            In conclusion, Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? is worthy of study because it helps learners understand the vital elements of a narrative including plot, character, and theme developments. The story has embodied these major characters that are essential in a narrative. Therefore, the story can be deemed fit for a beginners’ class in literature.

Works Cited

Oates, Joyce Carol. “Where are you going, where have you been?” Epoch Magazine, 1966.

Starr, Cheryl. “What are the four elements included in a narrative?” Pen & the Pad. 2017.          Retrieved from https://penandthepad.com/four-elements-included-narrative   12113436.html