“How I Contemplated

the World from the Detroit House of

Correction and Began My Life Over Again“

by Joyce Carol Oates

Oates was born and raised in Oates was born and raised in rural western New York. Her rural western New York. Her immediate ancestors were a immediate ancestors were a polyglot combination of polyglot combination of immigrants, including Irish, immigrants, including Irish, Hungarians, and German Jews. Hungarians, and German Jews. Oates has told several Oates has told several interviewers that one of the interviewers that one of the intentions driving her prolific intentions driving her prolific output has been the desire to output has been the desire to enter imaginatively into the enter imaginatively into the experiences of her experiences of her grandparents and parents and grandparents and parents and to explore the psychological to explore the psychological tensions in her own upbringingtensions in her own upbringing..

The critical reservations about The critical reservations about Oates's stature may be condensed to Oates's stature may be condensed to three major concerns: three major concerns: firstfirst, that she , that she has written too much to have written has written too much to have written enough of it carefully; enough of it carefully; secondsecond, that , that she has dabbled in technical she has dabbled in technical experiments and has not formulated experiments and has not formulated technical innovations that have had a technical innovations that have had a marked influence on the work of marked influence on the work of other writers; and other writers; and thirdthird, that her , that her work exhibits an almost obsessive work exhibits an almost obsessive interest in a rather narrow range of interest in a rather narrow range of themes - most notably, the nature themes - most notably, the nature and effects of violence, the and effects of violence, the paradoxical toughness and fragility paradoxical toughness and fragility of the human psyche, the paradoxical of the human psyche, the paradoxical vulnerability and perseverance of vulnerability and perseverance of women, and the changes in 20th-women, and the changes in 20th-century American culturecentury American culture. .

Of all of Oates's collections of Of all of Oates's collections of short stories, her most short stories, her most influential may still be The influential may still be The Wheel of Love and Other Wheel of Love and Other Stories (1970), which contains Stories (1970), which contains her most critically discussed her most critically discussed and frequently anthologized and frequently anthologized stories, "How I Contemplated stories, "How I Contemplated the World from the Detroit the World from the Detroit House of Correction and Began House of Correction and Began My Life Over Again" and My Life Over Again" and "Where Are You Going, Where "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" Have You Been?"

How I Contemplated the World From the Detroit House of How I Contemplated the World From the Detroit House of Correction and Began My Life Over Again” was first published in Correction and Began My Life Over Again” was first published in magazine form in 1969 and then collected in her 1970 volume of magazine form in 1969 and then collected in her 1970 volume of short stories called  short stories called  The Wheel of LoveThe Wheel of Love. Its sarcastic rendering of . Its sarcastic rendering of upper-middle-class suburban life is not only an accurate critique upper-middle-class suburban life is not only an accurate critique of that aspect of American life, it is also a true rendering of the of that aspect of American life, it is also a true rendering of the adolescent world view that rings as true today as it did when the adolescent world view that rings as true today as it did when the story was written.story was written.

The story’s experimental form seemed lifeless to some early The story’s experimental form seemed lifeless to some early critics, but has proven to have given the story literary staying critics, but has proven to have given the story literary staying power. The full title, “Notes for an Essay for an English Class at power. The full title, “Notes for an Essay for an English Class at Baldwin Country Day School; Poking Around in Debris; Disgust Baldwin Country Day School; Poking Around in Debris; Disgust and Curiosity; A Revelation of the Meaning of Life; A Happy and Curiosity; A Revelation of the Meaning of Life; A Happy Ending . . .,” invites readers to compare the prediction for a happy Ending . . .,” invites readers to compare the prediction for a happy ending with the story the narrator tells at the end. ending with the story the narrator tells at the end.

Plot Summary

In a partial and disorganized set of notes for an essay for her In a partial and disorganized set of notes for an essay for her English class at a private school, a sixteen-year-old girl tells the English class at a private school, a sixteen-year-old girl tells the story of a set of events that lead her to a house of correction and to story of a set of events that lead her to a house of correction and to an opportunity to contemplate her life and begin over again. an opportunity to contemplate her life and begin over again. Though the details are not presented in chronological order, the Though the details are not presented in chronological order, the full story does emerge upon careful reading.full story does emerge upon careful reading.

At fifteen years old, the narrator, the child of wealthy parents in one At fifteen years old, the narrator, the child of wealthy parents in one of Detroit’s suburbs, escalates her habits of stealing and of Detroit’s suburbs, escalates her habits of stealing and vandalizing by shoplifting a pair of gloves from an “excellent” vandalizing by shoplifting a pair of gloves from an “excellent” department store and gets caught. Her parents react by hushing department store and gets caught. Her parents react by hushing everything up and smoothing it over, and she never gets whatever everything up and smoothing it over, and she never gets whatever attention she was craving. Her mother just wants to know why “if attention she was craving. Her mother just wants to know why “if she wanted gloves, why didn’t you say so?”. The narrator thinks, “I she wanted gloves, why didn’t you say so?”. The narrator thinks, “I wanted to steal, but not to buy,” but she doesn’t tell her mother. wanted to steal, but not to buy,” but she doesn’t tell her mother. Consequently, her next act of rebellion is even more drastic. Consequently, her next act of rebellion is even more drastic.

Plot Summary

In a partial and disorganized set of notes for an essay for her In a partial and disorganized set of notes for an essay for her English class at a private school, a sixteen-year-old girl tells the English class at a private school, a sixteen-year-old girl tells the story of a set of events that lead her to a house of correction and to story of a set of events that lead her to a house of correction and to an opportunity to contemplate her life and begin over again. an opportunity to contemplate her life and begin over again. Though the details are not presented in chronological order, the Though the details are not presented in chronological order, the full story does emerge upon careful reading.full story does emerge upon careful reading.

At fifteen years old, the narrator, the child of wealthy parents in one At fifteen years old, the narrator, the child of wealthy parents in one of Detroit’s suburbs, escalates her habits of stealing and of Detroit’s suburbs, escalates her habits of stealing and vandalizing by shoplifting a pair of gloves from an “excellent” vandalizing by shoplifting a pair of gloves from an “excellent” department store and gets caught. Her parents react by hushing department store and gets caught. Her parents react by hushing everything up and smoothing it over, and she never gets whatever everything up and smoothing it over, and she never gets whatever attention she was craving. Her mother just wants to know why “if attention she was craving. Her mother just wants to know why “if she wanted gloves, why didn’t you say so?”. The narrator thinks, “I she wanted gloves, why didn’t you say so?”. The narrator thinks, “I wanted to steal, but not to buy,” but she doesn’t tell her mother. wanted to steal, but not to buy,” but she doesn’t tell her mother. Consequently, her next act of rebellion is even more drastic. Consequently, her next act of rebellion is even more drastic.

Important Characters

Clarita : A woman of Clarita : A woman of indeterminate age (between indeterminate age (between twenty and thirty-five), she is twenty and thirty-five), she is an addict and a prostitute. She an addict and a prostitute. She has “an odor of tobacco about has “an odor of tobacco about her,” and has “unwashed skin, her,” and has “unwashed skin, gritty toes, hair long and gritty toes, hair long and falling into strands, not falling into strands, not recently washed.” She has been recently washed.” She has been living on the streets since she living on the streets since she was about thirteen years old.was about thirteen years old.

Narrator : Only fifteen years old when she runs away and ay and ends up in the house of ends up in the house of correction, the narrator, who correction, the narrator, who never gives her name. She never gives her name. She lives in her parents’ large and lives in her parents’ large and comfortable suburban home in comfortable suburban home in the suburbs of Detroit, but her the suburbs of Detroit, but her rebellious and self-destructive rebellious and self-destructive impulses lead her to impulses lead her to shoplifting, prostitution, and shoplifting, prostitution, and ultimately the house of ultimately the house of correction. She is ambivalent correction. She is ambivalent about her affluent background about her affluent background and describes her parents and and describes her parents and all of Bloomfield Hills with all of Bloomfield Hills with scathing sarcasm. scathing sarcasm.

Simon : He is the drug addict Simon : He is the drug addict and pimp who seduces and and pimp who seduces and uses the narrator after Clarita uses the narrator after Clarita brings her to him. He is “said brings her to him. He is “said to have come from a “home to have come from a “home not much different” from the not much different” from the narrator’s, but he has narrator’s, but he has descended completely into the descended completely into the junkie’s life of desperation and junkie’s life of desperation and crime. Despite how badly he crime. Despite how badly he treats her, she craves his treats her, she craves his touch and affection. Even a touch and affection. Even a year later, she confesses that year later, she confesses that she would go back to him. she would go back to him.

Dr. Coronet : Isabelle Coronet Dr. Coronet : Isabelle Coronet is the psychiatrist that the is the psychiatrist that the narrator’s parents send her to narrator’s parents send her to twice a week after her return twice a week after her return from the house of corrections. from the house of corrections. The narrator describes her as The narrator describes her as “queenly,” but surprisingly “queenly,” but surprisingly “normal for a woman with an “normal for a woman with an I.Q. of 180 and many advanced I.Q. of 180 and many advanced degrees.”degrees.”

THEMES

LOVELOVE

Love is the engine that drives all of the girl’s behavior in the story. Love is the engine that drives all of the girl’s behavior in the story. She may be misguided, self-destructive, and immature, but the She may be misguided, self-destructive, and immature, but the narrator’s actions all derive from her desire to be loved. Despite narrator’s actions all derive from her desire to be loved. Despite their generosity, the girl’s parents seem unable to give her the their generosity, the girl’s parents seem unable to give her the attention and unguarded affection that she craves. attention and unguarded affection that she craves.

THEMES

CLASS and RACE CONFLICTCLASS and RACE CONFLICT

The contrast between Sioux Drive and Detroit on which the story The contrast between Sioux Drive and Detroit on which the story depends points to a deep and troubling divide between white depends points to a deep and troubling divide between white suburbia and the minority-inhabited inner city. The circumstances suburbia and the minority-inhabited inner city. The circumstances and inequities that created and sustain this division.and inequities that created and sustain this division.

GENRE and NARRATION

Postmodernism Postmodernism ; ; any of a number of trends or any of a number of trends or movements in the arts and movements in the arts and literature developing in the literature developing in the 1970s in reaction to or 1970s in reaction to or rejection of the dogma, rejection of the dogma, principles, or practices of principles, or practices of established modernism, established modernism, especially a movement in especially a movement in architecture and the architecture and the decorative arts running decorative arts running counter to the practice and counter to the practice and influence of the International influence of the International Style and encouraging the use Style and encouraging the use of elements from historical of elements from historical vernacular styles and often vernacular styles and often playful illusion,decoration, playful illusion,decoration, and complexity.and complexity.

Metanarrative ; Metanarrative ; (in postmodernist literary (in postmodernist literary theory) a narrative about a theory) a narrative about a narrative or narratives.narrative or narratives.

Examples  of  MetanarrativesExamples  of  MetanarrativesFreudian  theory  holds  that  Freudian  theory  holds  that  human  history  is  a  human  history  is  a  narrative  of  the  repression  narrative  of  the  repression  of  libidinal  desires.of  libidinal  desires.Many  feminists  hold  that  Many  feminists  hold  that  the  patriarchy  has  the  patriarchy  has  systematically  oppressed  and  systematically  oppressed  and  subjugated  women  subjugated  women  throughout  history.throughout  history.

HISTORICAL CONTEXTUrban Decay

The late 1960s and early 1970s in America was a period marked by The late 1960s and early 1970s in America was a period marked by huge and permanent economic and demographic changes. huge and permanent economic and demographic changes. Particularly hard hit by these sweeping changes were many of the Particularly hard hit by these sweeping changes were many of the country’s large industrial cities. country’s large industrial cities.

One of the most insidious aspects of this demographic shift is the One of the most insidious aspects of this demographic shift is the racial segregation that it causes. The population that moves out to racial segregation that it causes. The population that moves out to the suburbs is primarily white, while those that stay in the city are the suburbs is primarily white, while those that stay in the city are primarily people of color.primarily people of color.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT Racial Tension and Violence

Not surprisingly, the demographic configurations and the Not surprisingly, the demographic configurations and the economic and social disparities involved of major United States economic and social disparities involved of major United States cities resulted in escalating tensions between the races. In the cities resulted in escalating tensions between the races. In the summers of 1967 and 1968 race riots erupted in major cities summers of 1967 and 1968 race riots erupted in major cities across the country. across the country.

The civil rights movement in the south had awakened black The civil rights movement in the south had awakened black radicalism in northern cities as well, and black power movements radicalism in northern cities as well, and black power movements such as the Black Panthers gained considerable popular support such as the Black Panthers gained considerable popular support among minorities and inspired fear and terror in most white among minorities and inspired fear and terror in most white people. ( e.g The assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in people. ( e.g The assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the spring of 1968 caused anxiety in the society. )the spring of 1968 caused anxiety in the society. )

HISTORICAL CONTEXT HISTORICAL CONTEXT Women's Liberation MovementWomen's Liberation Movement

The women’s movement of the 1960s sought to liberate the The women’s movement of the 1960s sought to liberate the suburban housewife. Almost exclusively a white, middle-class suburban housewife. Almost exclusively a white, middle-class movement, women’s lib, as this phase of feminism was known, movement, women’s lib, as this phase of feminism was known, exposed the myth of the happy consumer housewife and implored exposed the myth of the happy consumer housewife and implored women to seek fulfillment in other areas of their lives.Of course, women to seek fulfillment in other areas of their lives.Of course, many housewives and mothers resisted the radicalizing many housewives and mothers resisted the radicalizing temptations and stuck firmly to the ideals they had inherited from temptations and stuck firmly to the ideals they had inherited from their mothers. their mothers.

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