Exploring Women's choices when confronted by male energies in "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" by Joyce Carol Oates and in the myth of Persephone by Homer.

Essay by glengemUniversity, Bachelor's March 2003

download word file, 4 pages 4.5 1 reviews

Downloaded 159 times

Connie's state of mind is that she is young with not many women role models to look up to. Her mother is a constant nag, whom she says she wants to kill, sees herself reflected in Connie. Connie realizes this fact and because of her contempt for her mother seizes every opportunity in acting differently outside the house thus overcoming what she perceives as her mother's attempt at living vicariously through her. This is quite noticable in the opening paragraphs as she describes her mother as being once beautful if you can believe the old photographs. She describes almost as if her mother was jealous of her. Her father is almost non existant with only a quick mention in the beginning of the story. This quick mentions serves only one purpose and that is to set up the story for a long drawn out battle over between the predator which is men over women.

The only person who notices her is her mother whom she despises. Her mother cares for her while her father doesn't make a dent in her life. His part or non part in Connie's life affects her because she doesn't learn how to protect herself from attackers. The role of the father is to teach self protection skills to his sons or daughters. Persephone in greek myth is the daughter of Demeter who is God who takes care of the earth. Persephone who is personified as being the light of the world named Core, or moon. She is young, innocent young girl much like Connie who is preyed upon an older man. That man Arnold Friend does a lot of work to figure out how to manipulate Connie. From finding out about the comings and goings of each family member and her friends. Her weakness is...