Introduction
Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? is a short story by Joyce Carol Oates. The story is about the main character, Connie, a teenage girl obsessed with her appearance and social life. Bob Dylan’s song “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” tells the story of saying goodbye to a past life. I chose these two works because the story of Joyce Carol Oates left an indelible impression on me.
It was challenging to read about how Connie voluntarily went to Arnold. In the work, the author hints that Connie is waiting for an unfavorable society that will break and ruin her life completely. When Arnold persuades her to come out, the reader is in suspense and hopes she will not listen.
I have known Bob Dylan’s songs for quite a long time, and listening to them once again, I thought that these two works are very similar. Thus, there is a certain similarity between the song and the work. Therefore, analyzing both works and highlighting their similarities is essential to studying both pieces more deeply.
Comparative Analysis of Oates’ Short Story and Dylan’s Song
Loss of Innocence
The story is often interpreted as an allegory of the loss of innocence and the dangers of sexual awakening. Connie is a typical teenage girl who cares about her appearance and popularity. On the other hand, Arnold embodies the dangers of the adult world (Oates 4). Overall, this is a powerful and exciting story that explores the complexities of adolescence.
The song also says that everything that happened up to this point has passed. For example, “You must leave now, take what you need, you think will last” (Dylan 1). Therefore, the first similarity between the story and the song is that both pieces discuss parting with the present and leaving for a new life.
Use of Music
In both works, images are associated with music. In the story, the young man Arnold lures Connie with stories about music and freedom. He personifies music with a new life and convinces Connie to go with him. When Arnold arrives at Connie’s house, he starts playing music loudly in his car. Connie feels the music pulling her toward Arnold’s car, and she starts moving towards him. Arnold notices that the music affects Connie, and he plays it even louder to convince her to go with him (Oates 9). In the song, Bob Dylan uses music to describe a past that cannot be returned (Dylan 12). Therefore, the second similarity is the use of music for different purposes.
Ambiguous Finale
Both works have an indefinite ending, which makes the reader only guess what happened next. Thus, Connie still went to Arnold: “She watched herself push the door slowly open as if she were back safe somewhere in the other doorway, watching this body and this head of long hair moving out into the sunlight where Arnold Friend waited” (Oates 11)
The author decides to leave the story unfinished, probably because a completely different life awaits Connie next. Moreover, he leaves it to the reader to determine what will happen next. In Bob Dylan’s song, he calls on an unknown girl to burn all the bridges and go with him. At the end of the song, it is unclear whether he succeeded; this work also has an indefinite finale (24). Consequently, the third similarity lies in the fact that the authors of the works decide to leave a mysterious ending.
Symbolism
The next similarity is the symbolism in the story and the song. When Arnold tries to call Connie over, she sees the sun outside. Therefore, the image of the sun embodies the harsh reality of the world outside her home. The main character wants to rebel, but nothing keeps her at home. She sees a kind of salvation in the sun, although she does not realize how dangerous it is (Oates 12). The image of the sun also appears in Bob Dylan’s song: “Yonder stands your orphan with his gun, crying like a fire in the sun” (Dylan 4). The sun also acts here as a symbol of rebellion and something harsh. Thus, in both works, the symbolism associated with the sun is similar.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is essential to note that the works Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? and “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” are similar in meaning and plot. The pieces talk about the loss of innocence and leaving the past behind. Moreover, there are images associated with music and an indefinite end. As a result of this comparative analysis, I learned to pay more attention to details and notice minor similarities. For example, to notice the symbolism and similarities in the storylines. I looked at the story and the song from a different angle and got to know them better.
Works Cited
Dylan, Bob. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue. Web.
Oates, Joyce Carol. Where are you going, where have you been? Rutgers University Press, 1994.