“where are you going, where have you been?”

“Where Are You Going,

Where Have You Been?”

Joyce Carol Oates

Joyce Carol Oates (b. 1938)

American writer, poet, and American writer, poet, and essayist.essayist.

Professor at Princeton Professor at Princeton University.University.

As the author of more than As the author of more than 50 novels and numerous 50 novels and numerous non-fiction works, is famous non-fiction works, is famous for being exceptionally for being exceptionally prolific.prolific.

Joyce Carol Oates talks Joyce Carol Oates talks about her characters.about her characters.

“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” (1966)

Based on Bob Dylan’s Based on Bob Dylan’s song and dedicated to song and dedicated to Bob Dylan. “It’s All Over Bob Dylan. “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue” (1965).Now Baby Blue” (1965).

Filmed in 1985 as Filmed in 1985 as Smooth Talk.Smooth Talk.

Cryptic character, open Cryptic character, open ending.ending.

Oxymoron

A rhetorical figure in which incongruous or A rhetorical figure in which incongruous or contradictory terms are combined, as in contradictory terms are combined, as in a a deafening silencedeafening silence and and a mournful optimist.a mournful optimist.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/oxymoronhttp://www.thefreedictionary.com/oxymoron

“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”1.1. How are the characters portrayed? Why is How are the characters portrayed? Why is

their appearance important for the their appearance important for the meaning of the story?meaning of the story?

2.2. What is the semantic role of the setting?What is the semantic role of the setting?

3.3. What recurring details did you notice?What recurring details did you notice?

4.4. What is the semantic role of music?What is the semantic role of music?

“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”6. What themes can you single out?6. What themes can you single out?

7. Does the story remind you of anything you’ve read 7. Does the story remind you of anything you’ve read before?before?

8. Does the author use figurative language in the story?8. Does the author use figurative language in the story?

9. Is this a realistic or an allegorical short story?9. Is this a realistic or an allegorical short story?

10. How do you interpret the title? 10. How do you interpret the title?