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Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

 

            "She wore a pull-over jersey blouse that looked one way when she was at home and another way when she was away from home. Everything about her had two sides to it, one for home and one for anywhere that was not home: her walk that could be childlike and bobbing, or languid enough to make anyone think she was hearing music in her head, her mouth which was pale and smirking most of the time, but bright and pink on these evenings out, her laugh which was cynical and drawling at home- 'Ha, ha, very funny'-but high-pitched and nervous anywhere else, like the jingling of the charms on her bracelet." (p.216).
             Inductive Reasoning (Conflict in Oneself).
             The essay, "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?," Joyce Carol Oates, is about a pretty fifteen year old girl named Connie, who has split personalities with "everything about her [having] two sides to it". Connie lives with her parents and nine-year-older sister; but it is an unhappy home. Her father pays very little attention to her. When he arrives home from a day at work, he sits in his favorite chair and reads the newspaper. Connie's mother frequently compares Connie to her sister, who not only does chores, but also earns money to help the family. Her mother is jealous of Connie's youthful beauty, and the envy consumes her. .
             In order to survive living at home, Connie acts as innocently as possible; "her walk [can] be childlike and bobbing," "her mouth which [is] pale and smirking most of the time," and "her laugh which [is] cynical and drawling at home- 'Ha, ha, very funny'." .
             When she's not at home, Connie acts more mature, striving to gain the attention of boys her age, and even those who are much older. She puts on makeup in order to feel more beautiful. When she is away from home, she acts like a different person. For instance, her walk can be "languid enough to make anyone think that she [is] hearing music in her head," "her mouth [is] bright and pink on these evenings out," and "her laugh [is] high-pitched and nervous anywhere else, like the jingling of charms on her bracelet.


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