Table of contentsWho wrote the plot of the novel?Man: neglect and oppressionWoman: exclusion and passivityReferencesWho wrote the plot of the novel?'Where are you going? -you, where did you go? is written by Joyce Carol Oates. Oates is one of the most famous writers in contemporary American literature. Although she claimed not to be a feminist writer, she tried to show the lives and destinies of female characters in many novels and short stories. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” is one of the Oates’ famous short stories. It first appeared in 1966, at the height of the second wave of women's liberation. Through the tragic story of the young girl Connie, the weakest member of the female world, this novel shows Oates' immature and incomplete feminist vision in her early literary creations. This essay attempts to analyze the reason for Connie's tragedy under the joint action of male and female characters. The plot of the novel is not complicated. One night, while walking around the mall with her friends, Connie met a boy with "untied black hair and an old convertible painted gold" (Oates). One day soon after, when Connie was left alone by her family, the boy cheated and threatened Connie to leave the house. At the end of the story, Connie obeys the boy's will and her tragedy unfolds: she faces the possibility of being harmed by the bad boy and his friends. Her tragedy was caused directly by Arnold, but also indirectly by her family and herself. The causes of Connie's tragedy mainly come from two aspects: the neglect and oppression of men, and the exclusion and passivity of women. Male: neglect and oppression The male characters featured in the novel include Connie's father, the boy Eddie, Arnold's friend and his friend Eli Oscar. All of them are more or less linked to the heroine of this novel and her ultimate tragic fate. Of the three men, Connie's father and the boy Arnold are most closely connected to Connie's tragedy. Connie's father is the representative of American patriarchal society. He was the head of the family and one of Connie's closest relatives, but all he cared about was himself. The lack of communication between him and his daughter makes it difficult for the latter to feel the warmth and care of the family, only to feel profound loneliness. Seeking comfort at home, Connie had to go out and spend time with other teenagers. And this kind of behavior is extremely dangerous for a beautiful girl living in a hostile and violent turbulent society. The father's behavior is a kind of domestic violence of inaction. It was this kind of domestic violence that forced Connie to leave home, facing unknown dangers. Her father couldn't give Connie enough security, only indifference. Connie's father in the novel does not have his name, which makes his identity more universal. He can be the father of any woman. As a group of men, they dominate a society full of indifference and violence towards women. Compared to Connie's father's cold violence towards Connie, Arnold's friend directly insulted the girl with words and probably hurt her physically in the end. When he persuaded Connie to come out of the house, he kept vowing to destroy Connie's will. Additionally, Arnold's friend threatened Connie with words, causing Connie to "burst out crying bitterly." She was trapped in this crying like she was trapped in this house.(Oates) The metaphor suggests that Connie is as indebted to Arnold's friend as she is to her family. Eventually, she is threatened by Arnold to leave the house and falls prey to the devil. At the last moment, Connie could only "see herself slowly pushing open the door and seeing the body and the long-haired head come out into the sun, where Arnold's friend was waiting." (Oates) These words showed that Connie knew that only danger awaited her, but she was not strong enough to protect herself from the danger outside the door. The moment is perfectly blended with Bob Dylan's song "Now it's all over, baby blue": Connie's innocence, even her life, is about to be destroyed, and Connie is going to be a poor, sad baby . From Arnold's friend, we can not only learn about the domination of men over women, but also the aesthetic standards set by men to control women. Arnold's friend seduced Connie more than anyone else because Connie was a beautiful girl by the beauty standards of the male world. In their conversation, Arnold talked about Connie's sister, Pearl: "and your sister in the blue dress, huh?" And high heels, that sad wretch, nothing to do with you, my dear! (Oates) Pearl was on the verge of being verbally abused by men like Arnold simply because she was "average looking, short and fat." (Oates) “She’s too big. I don't like that they are so big. I like you, darling. (Oates) The male world sets a standard for the beauty, ugliness, fatness and thinness of women, and uses this standard to control and dominate their bodies and minds.Woman: exclusion and passivityIn this short story, there is mainly three female characters related to Connie: Connie's mother, Connie's sister, Pearl and Connie herself. They have very different personalities in the novel. The difference in character created a different fortune in their lives. Connie's mother is a typical American housewife. She had no personality characteristics but appeared as the mother of Connie, the protagonist of the novel. She had no advantage to make herself unique in the society, so she had to stay at home and become the servant of other family members without any help from her husband. Connie's father went to work and when he came home, he was just waiting to be served by Connie's mother. She also defends male authority and obeys the standards that men set for women. In a male-dominated society, women's role is to stay at home like Connie's mother. Even when a woman works, she can only do jobs designed for women and corresponding to their role. As a loyal follower of male authority, Connie's mother constantly reprimanded Connie's rebellious behavior in front of Connie's father. Connie resented her passivity under the control of men. Additionally, Connie's mother appeared as Connie's oppressor on the path of seeking freedom and joy. She had been young and beautiful, but now she was old and pale, and Connie, her daughter, was young and beautiful. Connie's youthful beauty contrasted sharply with her decline in appearance, which is why she always belittled Connie, a graceful girl. It wasn't just her daughter she belittled, but her friends as well. “Her mother, calling her sisters, complaining about this and that, complaining about this and that.” (Oates) Connie's mother, under the domination of male authority, never realized her submissive personality and passive situation. She was not only happy with her situation, but she also set the standard for Connie to end up in the same situation. When Connie failed to meet this standard, she used her mother's status to insult 2012.