Joyce C ar ol Oate s

Ea rly Lif e Born June 16, 1938 outside of Lockport New York Born into a working class family She had a younger brother and sister Fred and Lynn Ann. Lynn Ann was extremely autistic. Raised Catholic among a rural setting on her grandmothers farm Found an early interest in reading and story telling Her Grandmother, Blanche, gave Oates her first book and typewriter.

Ed ucation and Ma rria ge For the beginning of her education, Oates attended a one-room school house in Erie County. She eventually transferred to several larger schools and graduated from Williamsville High school in 1956. She won a scholarship to Syracuse University and graduated as Valedictorian in 1960. After Syracuse she attended University of Wisconsin-Madison and received her M.A. in 1961. While Studying at University of Wisconsin-Madison Oates met her husband, a fellow graduate Raymond Smith. They married in 1961.

Ca reers a nd Later L if e Oates taught at the University of Detroit between 1961 and 1967 In 1967 Oates and her husband moved to Canada to teach at the University of Windsor, where together they founded the Ontario Review, a literary magazine on which Oates served as associate editor. In 1980, Oates and Smith founded Ontario Review Books, an independent publishing house. Oates described her relationship with her husband as a marriage of like minds. They were both very into the literary scene and worked many partnerships. Smith died unexpectedly of complications with pneumonia in February 2008. Oates was devastated and refrained from writing. She told an interviewer she had little energy and less motivation

Sig nif icant M ile st ones Oates inadvertently encountered one of her own stories in Margaret Foley's anthology Best American Short Stories. This discovery prompted Oates to write professionally. Where are you going, Where have you been? was Oates first big hit and kick started her career.

Th e Pie d Pip er of Tu sc an born July 8, 1942 Charles Schmid was to an unwed mother, He was adopted by Charles and Katharine Schmid who were very wealthy. When Schmid tried to meet the woman that gave birth to him, she angrily told him never to come back. He did poorly in school but was described by many as good-looking, intelligent and courteous. In his senior year he was caught stealing from shop class and was suspended. He never returned to school He lived in a house on the edge of his parents property. He was given 300$ allowance every week and usually spent it on his cars, drinking with his friends, or his dates.

Charles was well known and liked in the community. He was looked up to and easily approachable by those who didnt exactly fit in because he was older and knew what he was doing. He was five feet four inches tall, but a added an extra three inches by stuffing his boots Fairly handsome Arrogant and narcissistic, he came from a wealthy family, so he used the niceties he could buy to impress young high school girls. He hung around the local high schools, luring girls into his cars. Dubbed The pied piper for his ability to get girls to fall for him.

Th ree Mu rdered

Many girls went out with him, three never returned. On May 31, 1964, Charles Schmid murdered Alleen Rowe. She was fifteen years old and had refused a date with one of Charles friends, John Saunders. Charles and John finally lured her onto a date, took her to the desert, smashed her head in with a rock, and buried her in the sand.

Two Sist ers..

In July of 1964, Charles noticed a 16-year old girl at a swimming pool near Speedway, her name was Gretchen Fritz. They became a couple, but Charles was dating two other girls on the side. Charles confided in Gretchen and told her how he had murdered Alleen. When he tried to break it off with her she threatened to tell the police. On August 16, 1965 Gretchen and her thirteen year old sister Wendy went out to see a movie. Gretchen found out Charles was having a party and the two girls headed to his house. There was no party and the couple began fighting. Charles ended up strangling them both and burying them in the desert.

Lite ra ry W orks In 1963 she published her first volume of short stories, By the North Gate. Oates's first novel With Shuddering Fall (1964) Where are you going, Where have you been (1966) A Garden of Earthly Delights (1967) Expensive People (1967) Them (1969) Wonderland (1971) Do with Me What You Will (1973) The Assassins: A Book of Hours (1975) She wrote over thirty novels, over twenty short stories, over twenty poems, and numerous plays.

Lite ra ry Aw ards 1968: Rosenthal Award, National Institute of Arts and Letters 1970: National Book Award- Them 1996: Boston Book Review's Fisk Fiction Prize - Zombie 2006: Chicago Tribune Literary Prize She received nine other smaller awards through out her career.

St yle of W rit ing Symbolism and Imagery Point of view often third person Structure

Th eme s Gothic estrangement with high social observation. unconscious forces seduction incest violence rape

Where are yo u Go in g, Wh ere have yo u been?By: Joyce Carol Oates

Plo t

Connie is a fifteen-year-old teenager growing up in suburbia in the 1960s She is very concerned about her looks, and hangs out with her friends in restaurants, movie theaters, and shopping malls During these summertime social ventures, she and her friends try to attract the attention of the older high-school boys. One evening, while on a date, Connie notices a boy with black hair standing in front of a beat-up sports car staring at her. He laughed at her and said Gonna get you, baby One Sunday while her parents and sister attend a family barbecue, Connie convinces them to let her stay home While in the kitchen she hears a car pull up in the drive way and goes to meet her visitor It is the same beat up car from the restaurant but she doesnt recognize it at first

Plo t.. There are two men in the car, and Connie watches them from the screen door. She now recognizes the driver as the one who had stared at her at the restaurant Connie makes small talk with him while deciding whether or not she likes him. He introduces himself as Arnold Friend, the other boy as Ellie, He invites her to go for a ride. Arnold Friend seems to know many things about Connie, including the fact that her parents are gone She realizes that, although he wears the right clothes and talks like all the kids, he seems older and out of place. He claims to be eighteen but she suspects he is around thirty. Connie realizes something is wrong and tells them to go away. Arnold refuses to leave without her. Connie threatens that her father will return, but Arnold knows that he will be at the barbecue all afternoon

Plo t... She threatens to call the police, but Arnold, who has pledged not to come in the house, threatens to come in after her if she touches the phone. Arnold tells Ellie to shut up and urges Connie to come outside. He threatens to harm her whole family if she does not cooperate In fear, Connie stumbles her way to the phone but is unable to dial; she simply screams into the receiver. When she stops, Arnold is standing by the door. Her fear is replaced by emptiness, She approaches the screen door and walks out where Arnold waits, assuming a mocking gesture of welcome.

Ch ara cters Connie- typical teenage girl, pretty, curious, adventurous, interested in older boys June- Connies homily sister used to extenuate Connie's beauty and popularity Connies Friends- go out with her, friends dad drives them to the mall Arnold Friend- older, creep, smooth talker, stalker, persuasive Ellie- Arnolds friend who sits in the car

Sym bols Connie- typical teenage girl Arnold Friend- stalker, murderer, creep Arnolds Car- mysterious Music- luring, enticing

Th eme s Appearance vs. Reality Victim and Victimization

St ory Quest io ns1. 2. Oates calls this story a realistic allegory. What are the allegorical elements in this story? Describe the characterization of Connie. Is she a typical Teenage girl of her time and place? What techniques does Oates employ to make her an individual, three-dimensional character? Why is Connies sister June included in the story? How does her characterization serve to highlight Connies own? Do the descriptions of Arnold Friend-his face, his clothing, his dialogue- have symbolic meaning? Is his name symbolic?

3. 4.

St ory Quest io ns1. 2. 3. 4. Discuss the symbolic importance of music in the story. Why is music so important to Connie and the story as a whole? What is the significance of the title Does it point to an allegorical interpretation? Describe the ways in which the story generates suspense. At which points is an increase of suspense particularly noticeable? Why does Connie agree to go with Arnold friend? Is she motivated by altruism and a love for her family, or simple fear and hysteria? What is her ultimate fate?