Although there are many common grounds by comparing the two typical stories “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Oates and “A Small, Good Thing” by Raymond Carver, but each writer has its own purposes and points through the essences of their story to convey its readers in order to achieve their goal. As a product of middle class American descendants, this made Oates and Carver in common as a symbol of criticasters of the cultural and social structures of middle class America. Both of them have pointed out the postwar America had created an environment of alienated, loneliness, and pointless suburban life style with no outlets to its people. Definitely each of them represents a particular societal group that they want to focus in convincing: Oates attaches her importance to feminism and cultural significance, whereas Caver focuses on America’s social and economical structures.

By looking at the allusions through the historical period and social context both “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” and “A Small, Good Thing” talked about the life style of middle class American. In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Oates uses the character descr

To sum up, both Oates and Caver have many common grounds in their writing as a criticaster of American social and cultural structures, but each has their own purpose and point inculcating through their essence of literature to convey his or her audience readers.

Though “A Small, Good Thing” Caver uses the baker as a representative of blue collar worker and Howard Weiss as a specimen of entrepreneur. Both the Baker and Howard represent the business world of the American society with baker (as labor) in one side and Howard (as employer) in the other side. Here is a description of the social statues of thebaker: “‘I work sixteen hours a day in this place to earn a living,’ the baker said. He wiped his hands on his apron. ‘I work night and day in here, trying to make ends meet.’” (P.147) .The second description refers to the social statue of Howard: “Until now, his life had gone smoothly and to his satisfaction-college, marriage, another year of college for the advance degree in business, a junior partnership in an investment firm.”(p.134)

Oates not only challenging the role of feminism, beside that she also criticizes the popular culture of the 60’s. Ironically she was condemning the youth culture through the essences in her story about the seductive violence, free attitudes toward sex, the iconoclastic language and the use of marijuana.

In contrast, Carver pointed his critics toward the social and economical structure of American society. Such as capitalist trays to brainwash their worker’s rational thought by increasing the long working hour schedule.

Some topics in this essay:
Baker Howard, Oates Carver, Betty Friedan, Been” Oates, Betty Friedan’s, Oates Caver, Raymond Carver, Short Fiction, Thing” Caver, middle class, “where been”, Howard Weiss, “a thing”, feminism writer, middle class american, oates carver, life style, class american, american society, suburban life style, america created, importance feminism cultural, attitudes sex, alienated loneliness pointless, postwar america created,