Doe Season

In this story I think Andy is pressured into doing stuff with her dad that isn’t something a typical girl would normally do. She pretends to enjoy it but deep down inside I think she wishes she were doing something else somewhere else. I think she gets really annoyed by Mac and Charlie Spoon. When she goes for a walk she sees the doe and she tells it to leave and get out of here or it’ll die. I think she really cares about the animals but she doesn’t want to let her dad know that. But when her dad asks her if she wants to shoot it or not she thinks to herself for awhile. I think she takes all her built up anger from the trip out on the doe and that’s what makes her shoot it. She thinks to herself “what have I done?” (Kaplan 456). After that incident she realizes that when Mac asked her “which does she like Andy or Andrea?” (Kaplan 463). She made it pretty clear at the end of the story that she wanted to be called Andrea, when she was running away crying (Kaplan 467).

"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?"

Before our group discussion I had not realized half of the unworded happenings in Joyce Carol Oates's "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?". I, at first, viewed Connie as a stuck up, conceited, bratty, but normal teenage girl. Once we talked it over as a class I realized that this really could have just been a front around her family, trying to uphold the personality that her mother insists she holds. "Why don't you keep your room clean like your sister? How've you got your hair fixed-what the hell stinks? Hair spray? You don't see your sister using that junk" (Oates 509). This is a statement that Connie's mother makes, which describes the fact that Connie is always being compared to her sister by her mother.

Connie is shown as just a self absorbed, pretty girl and it is apparent that her mother does not like that. "If June's name was mentioned her mother's tone was approving, and if Connie's name was mentioned it was disapproving" (Oates 511). This statement implys that Connie was not good enough in her mother's eyes and at that age you need supportive parents, not parents who are going to repeatedly bring you down. There are some indications that her mother may be jealous of Connie, such as "Her mother had been pretty once too, if you could believe those old snapshots in the album, but now her looks were gone and that was why she was always after Connie" (Oates 509). I agree with those who said that her mother is simply trying to keep her daughter level headed. I don't think that she is going about the situation in the correct way, but I can see where her mother is coming from.

As far as Arnold Friend is concerned, I am still wondering if he is even real. I found all of the hidden messages on his car very interesting and obviously relative to her. "Now these numbers are a secret code, honey" (Oates 513) he says right before he reads off the numbers thirty-three, ninteen, and seventeen. The secret code is never officially said, but we discussed in class that they could be related to either the bible or to their ages being added up together. I never would have thought much into those numbers before class, but now that we have discussed their importance it makes a lot more sense.

Even after the group discussion I feel that Arnold was a figment of Connie's imagination. He seems to solely represent her desire to escape her mother. We all know what it is like to be a teenager and those are some pretty difficult times. I think she just needed to feel like she really did get away from it all, even if it was only her mind.

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been

At the begining of this short story I thought that Connie was experiencing her first love. She was day dreaming, and getting images in her mind what love should be like. It brought back memories on when I experienced my first love, and all of the feelings, and emotions I felt. I first, I thought what really did happened when Connie and Arnold were alone in the alley? It doesn't really say in the story what happened, it just leaves our imagination to run wild. If Connie really liked Arnold why didn't she want to get close to him. As I continued reading it all then made sense to me. Arnold is an absolute freak! I didn't understand how he could know so much information about her so fast? He must have been stalking her for a while. I was actually getting goose bumps thinking about that. Also when she was explaining when she was getting stabbed, I thought that she was. In class we disscussed she was having a possible priminition, on what was going to happen to her. I didn't realize Arnold was in his thirty's or possible fourty's. When he kept saying phrases to make it look like he was eighteen. I just thought he was really trying to impress her, but he way over did it. At the end of the story I wasn't expecting what happened. After everything, she just went with him like he was some wonderful man.

"A&P"

In the story "A&P" I enjoyed how the author made the narrator sound like an actual teenage boy. When he talks about how all the girls look and comparing them. Also I noticed how when he talks about how he tells his parents and the says its sad. He sounds like he is writting in his journal about his day. I think it is really interesting how the author made this character, he sounds so real. I feel like I'm talking to one of my friends about what had happened that day. It's kind of sad on his part, he quits his job for some girls who dont even know he exists. Guys, always trying to be the hero.

The Lottery

The Lottery has to be my all time favorite short story. I can't remember when I first read it but it was quite a while ago, probably in 6th or 7th grade, and I immediately loved it. At the time I wasn't sure what it was that struck a chord with me, but I'm slowly starting to figure it out.

Its one of those things that while we'd like to think would never happen, it most likely has. Its really not much different then something like the Salem witch trials. You have people who are basicly "randomly" being chosen as having supposedly done some sort of witchcraft. These people were then burned. The big difference in this case is how someone is chosen, which is more of the luck of the draw, but its still random, and the outcome is the same.

Doe Season

I think Doe Season is a perfect example of a person trying to find thier true identity. I think Andy is pressured by her father to try and be one of the guys, but I think she is tired of doing it. It seems like she trys to tell herself that she was happy to be on the hunting trip and she tries to tell herself that she loves being out with her father. She also says that there is no other place she would rather be. I dont buy it. When she goes to shoot the doe the voice in her head tells her that she doesn't really want to kill it. "But now, seeing it in the scope, Andy was hesitant" (Kaplan 456). I think that passage kinda sums it up, she doesn't really want to shoot the deer, she doesn't want to kill an animal. But her father talks her into doing it anyway. I think if she would of said something to her father he would of understood. When Charlie asked what name does she go by Andy or Andrea she says she doesn't care, you know she has a preference. After that conversation she said she didn't really feel like talking. When Mac and Andy were in the tent getting ready to go to sleep Mac starts to tell her a story of the last time he went hunting with his dad and tells her what they did to the deer after it was killed. "And we hog-dressed the thing. You know what that is , don't you" (Kaplan 461)? Andy had no clue what that was. She is slowly finding out what hunting is really about and is already second guessing her decison to tag along with the guys. I also belive the dream is a dead give away that she was kinda stuck between which role she wanted to be in. When they found the deer dead and they went to field dress it she ran off crying, I think that was her making her decision that she was tired of pretending to like hunting, and she just wants to be a girl

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been

Connie must have been scared out of her wits from this guy. Arnold Friend sounds like a greaseball pervert. I feel that he could have been a pedophile. In paragraph150 page 520 "This place you are in now-inside your daddy's house-is nothing but a cardboard box I can knock down anytime." To me that sounds like a threat. Arnold sounds like a man who likes to rape little girls. This guy is the scum of the earth.It kind of reminds me of a wolf and a lamb. Connie being the sweet little lamb and Arnold being the big bad wolf. To Arnold,Connie is just a sex-type thing. Arnold's state of mind is " You know you want it baby and I am going to give it to you." "You wouldn't make me have to hurt you too." I feel that the title means alot of things. For example "Where are you going,"can mean that Connie is going to hell because Arnold is the devil. "Where have you been," could be a sick and twisted way of Arnold thinking that Connie is a little whore. I also believe that Arnold's state of mind is " I'm gonna learn ya some philosphy." That is, If Connie complies and gets in the car with him. However, Arnold's other altered state of mind is more violent. " Your gonna know about atrocity," if Connie does not comply and take the ride. I am just curious how the ending turned out. Does Connie's father return or does she call the cops.

Doe Season

Well this story was pretty good, but a few things confused me. When we took our quiz in class we were asked what Andy dreamed about. Well I thought that it was about her reaching into the deer's wound and touching its beating heart. While I was reading though I didn't think that that was a dream. I thought it was really happening to her. It was the best anwser I had so I hope it is right. Another thing that confused me was Charlie and Mac. I thought that Charlie was the 11 year old boy, but i now know after our group work that Charlie was Mac's dad. I missed that part in the story that tells us that. Charlie seemed to be so immature about Andy coming along on this trip and shooting the deer. He brought up inappropriate subjects, and it could possibly be something a young child would bring up. I can't believe this man was so immature and talked to this girl like that. So those are the two things that confused me but I got them figured out. This was a pretty good story.

"A&P"

Sammy is trying to show the girls that came to A&P that he is some kind of hero for sticking up for them and quitting his job but in actuallity I don't think the girls even noticed or cared. I don't believe they really even noticed or cared about Sammy while they were in the store. I am glad Sammy stuck up for the girls by saying "I quit." Updike 223 and "You didn't have to embarass them." Updike 223 but he didn't have to quit his job because now not only does he not get any of the girls, he doesn't have a job either. If Sammy didn't like his job in the first place then maybe this was a good excuse for him to quit but otherwise it was not a mature thing for him to do. Also, I think Sammy had a sense of accomplishment for himself when he quit, like he wouldn't let someone boss him around, in this case he should have been more wise though because after all it was his boss.
Sammy now knows he is growing up and has alot of responsibilty and may not be easy. "...and my stomach kind of fell as I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter." Maybe he realized that quitting wasn't such a great idea after all.

Doe Season

After discussing the story in class I liked this story even more. Breaking it down picked out a few points that helped me understand better what I felt was really going on. I feel Andy is a girl striving for her dad's bond and acceptance. She pretends to admire hunting like her father to spend time with him. I can relate to this. Having a big sister (daddy's first girl) and having a little brother (daddy's little boy) leaves me in the middle. I've always felt a little out a place too. So at times I could recall trying to get that acceptance from him. The first clue that tells me she wants to make her dad happy by doing boy things and acting kind of like a boy is when Andy was asked if she liked to be called Andrea or Andy. She said it didn't matter, and then her dad butts in saying that he has always called her Andy. Now Andy is more of a boys name to me. Now not all girls either are in to killing dear. Andy though claimed she was until the end when it came time to. At this point she felt she couldn't do it, or she didn't want to either. But again she did inspite of her dad. To dark to find the deer they will have to return tomorrow. The next day as they approach the dead doe, Andy watches as they slice her. She starts to run away because she just couldn't handle it. As she runs they yell her name, Andy. But she doesn't answer. Her name isn't Andy nomore it says. (Kaplan 467) At the end it led me to think that she knows she can't fool herself no more. She is a girl accepted or not.

Where are You Going, Where have You Been?

In this story, Connie seems to be a normal teenager trying to find who she is. She seems to not be able to see eye to eye with her parents and seems to be the opposite of her sister. A majority of teenagers go through this phase in their life and I think the author does a good job illustrating Connies. When Arnold Friend and Ellie roll into the driveway the story takes a sudden turn and the headstrong rebelliant Connie that was described earlier suddenly fell prey to Arnold. As I read it became clear that Arnold was an extremely manipulative and aggressive person. He was not going to stop until he got what he wanted. I was confused as to what the main role of Arnold's friend Ellie was. Was he there to pose as extra intimidation? What was the reason for him being there? He did not seem to take part in a whole lot of the conversation. It was clear that Arnold was slowly but surely gaining ground on Connies defenses. He knew the right things to say and when to say them so that she would be affected by them; mentally draining her to the point that she could not think or even see straight. In the end, it is said "so much land that Connie had never seen before and did not recognize except to know that she was going to it." (521-161) I believe that this would be informing the reader that Connie's life was taken by Arnold Friend.

"Where are You Going, Where have You Been?"

Like I said in class, I thought Connie's mother was trying to bring Connie back down to earth because of her better than everyone else attitude. No, here mother didn't have to be so cruel about it. We still did not come to a solid conclusion on how Aronold Friend knew so much about Connie. I think the fact that he was a vampire is a little far fetch, but I guess you never know. I think he was just a boy who is messed up, and finds some thrills into kill young girls. And who says he was gonna kill her, maybe he was going to keep her for a long, long, time since she was young and pure.
Arnold Friend reminds me of Ted Bundy, who went around rapping, and killing young college girls. They stock their pray for along time before they act on their illusions.
Maybe Arnold was stocking Connie for along time, and no one knew about it.
It was a mysterious story, with alot of elements in it, like the numbers on his car, and the unusual way Arnold was acting.

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

Connie seemed like an average teenager in this story. She would rather hang out with her friends then families, listens to music, and think she is better than everyone else she comes in contact with. She always needed to be the prettier and skinnier one in other people’s eyes. Connie’s mother looked down on her and relates what Connie does with her sisters accomplishments. When reading the story the beginning seemed like the mother was after Connie because she use to be like her. Connie going through old albums saw picture of her mother “she was pretty once too, if you could believe those old snapshots…” (Oates 509). The mother punished Connie for being pretty and it seemed to me that is why Connie acted the way she did. Towards the end of the story we were introduced to Arnold Friend who I believe was Connie’s other half in the story. Arnold talked like a song that was playing, his voice sounded relaxing when he said that, “I know your name and all about you...” (Oates 514). He knew somehow to get Connie to come out of the house and go with him. Arnold would be the side of Connie that no one else knew about. This side showed feelings and that your looks are not everything. Arnold does not seem to be the most attractive character in the story with his sunglasses and stuffed boots on. When they left she was able to go somewhere with someone new and not letting anyone else know about her past and how it was all a joke and a big fake act.

"Where Have You Been, Where Are You Going"

Joyce Oates’ story “Where Are You Going, Where have you been?” was possibly hinting to the death of Connie with the words “she was going to it”(521-161), referring to the land. It could be seen as her being buried in the land, or that she would just travel to the land. I believe that the most realistic conclusion would be that she was killed, because Arnold Friend prevented her from using the telephone, and said that if she didn’t come out of the house before her family got home, that “they’re all going to get it”(519-131). Her panic attack was compared to him “stabbing her again and again”(520-144), which suggested the possibility of such a death. He also knew too much about her and imposed upon her too much to have been rational. He could be compared to a serial killer, because of his compulsiveness and the “secret code”(513-36) painted on his car.
When Arnold arrived, I thought that it would be great if Connie had a gun, but it would have been of little or no use. She couldn’t even use a phone, when her fingers “were too weak to touch”(520-144) the dial. Connie was weak and naive, because she allowed him to encroach upon her and “watched herself push the door open”(521-160), to willingly go with him. Although she probably could have outran him, with the proper wits and timing, as he “wobbled in his high boots”(517-105), or better yet, avoiding that stranger all together. Her actions and behavior were a great disappointment.

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

Reading this, I got the feeling that Connie was a typical teenager that feels disconnected from her family. Making it seem like she is upsessed with her looks, I think she feels like that because of her position in her family. She feels like her mother loves June (connie's sister) more than her because of all the praise June gets."'Why don't you keep your room clean like your sister?'"(509). Connie could tell the different tones of voice her mom would use with both of them."'Stop gawking at yourself, who are you? You think your're so pretty'"509). Her mothers sisters even praise June. Connie can't seem to get her mothers attention and all her mothers seems to notice about Connie is how many times she looks in the mirror. She comes off as being upsessed with herself. Distant and rebellious are some of the characteristics are of Connie's actions throughout the story. To me Connie's mother hadn't shown her situations that she may encounter and how to deal with them.
Connie meets her friends at the shopping plaza and goes to the movies all the time it seems like. Having her friends father brining them there all the time, they would walk around the mall and stare and people that stare at them wispering. This makes me wonder when and where Arnold started watching Connie. Connie and her friends loved attention. With this confidence, Connie was well off in the boys department. Without commuication comes trouble.
When her family went to a bbq at a friends house and Connie just stayed behind, was when everything comes crashing down. A gold flashy car drivin by a swifty curious looking man and somone else in the front seat, both wearing sunglasses drove up to the house. At first I felt like Connie wasn't scared.When Arnoled talks the way he does with the softness and loudness like the music Connie listens to, thats one way he interests her. She didn't know what to think of the situaiton though. Right when he pulled up to her house is when he started playing Connie like a puppet. He mentioned some numers (33+19+17=69 and 6+9=15 which is Connie's age) is one way of looking at that, or like in class the bible was mention. The book of Judges which is 33rd book and 19:17 is the chapter and verse. "Where are you going and where do you come from?" it states. So with that the numbers mentioned could relate to the ages him being 33 and the others killed 19 and 17 and thoes added up would be Connie's age 15. That could go many different ways.
She knew that she didn't know him but with her loving the fantasy of music and it's messages of love she loved the mysterious ways he was pertraying. What raised a red flag was that he knew everything about her and her family, even what they were wearing on the way to the BBQ. So that tells me that he was watching her for a while, he couldn't have gotten that information in one day."'I never said my name was Connie'"(514). She threatened to call the cops, she knew that the situaion wasn't good but she didn't know what do to. She knew that she shouldn't go on a ride with him but she freaked out when he wouldn't stop sweet talking her. By the end of mind games, Arnold finaly gets Connie to come outside and finally accepts that she is a victum of a murderer.