Adolescent Independence and Societal Influences in 'Where Are You Going and Where Have You Been'

Movies and films are a human explosive expression that touches every bit of life, however, themes of education and cultural belongingness open doors to cultural, social, economic, and political intellectual activities, accommodation, apprehension, continuity, and survivability. Where Are You Going and Where Have You Been is a Hollywood film that was directed by Jacob Turrentine, starring Amy Letcher, Maximillian McNamara, and Christian Gehring among others. The film, produced in 2017 is based on the original book of Joyce Carol Oates, book "Where Are You Going and Where Have You Been", which was written in 1966. Oates was born on June 16th, 1938 in America. Joyce Oates in 'Where Are You Going and Where Have You Been'' has considerably acted on fantasy and reality.

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Although her detailed explanation of fantasy and reality is blurred, it gives a sensational touch and understanding of the story. Connie's struggle to portray a being of experience and maturity is crashed when she meets Arnold. Her longtime game with men through her clothing style, hairstyle, and general behavior portrait is all a fantasy she had created. The author's ability to bring out the reality of adulthood in the songs that Connie listens to is seen in the choice of music which is different from the reality of adult sexuality. The author skillfully rolls out realism when she writes about the forceful adult entry of Connie, which she had feared, by Arnold's friend when he took her forcefully. She abandoned childhood fantasies to the realities of womanhood.

Oates's display of a fight for independence is touching. She wanted the reader to understand that Connie's actions were a result of her fight for freedom. Connie's conflicts with her family and the desire for sexual attractiveness are part of her independence search. Connie's life revolves around two people, her mother, and her sister. Her dad is a figure that does not constitute much to Connie's life. Arnold's friend tells Connie to put the phone down because Daddy is not coming. Her creation of the sexy appearance to entice boys in the diner shows her new self and new world exploration attempt.

The author creates an alley and the diner as a dependent haven for Connie. She again brings out the search for freedom which depicts a stream of consciousness, which is met with brutal outcomes when Arnold's friend takes Connie to maturity. Oates masterfully narrates the one-way ticket to adulthood where Connie's interaction with Arnold's friend is irreversible with no one to rescue her bringing out the realism of the real-life situation where once mistakes are made, they can only be corrected but can never be erased. In the expression for independence, the author brings out Arnold's friend as an ambiguous and strange character who drives doubt, fear, and confusion about adolescent independence. She brings Arnold's callousness and the independence theme. She points out from the film that Arnold's friend's speech is complex for an adolescent seeking independence, therefore, creating an independence hardship theme that politically revolves around teenagehood and growth and maturity. The film shows that the road to independence is hard, and sometimes, you may never get it and you may not be able to go back to where you came from.

Oates's description of Arnold's car rejuvenates the film's consciousness but kills the realism. The gold car description with its flashiness and the sticker "man the flying saucers" on the front splash guard giving Connie a clue is somehow exaggerated. In my understanding, flashy things correspond with quality and are not dangerous, but in Oates's description; she believes that the sticker and the car color reinforce Connie's sense that Arnold is not genuine. I believe a person's authenticity should not be rated or measured by what he drives or the stickers he puts in and on his car. For instance, the fact that Arnold did not answer immediately when Connie asked about his age doesn't mean he was lying. The author should have explained more about how Connie found out that Arnold was lying about his age rather than simply saying he was not convincing.

Oates brings out the consequences of adolescent independence, morality, and societal influence. Societal views of adolescence must be upheld to bring out open-minded young adults who can face life decisively. The stream of consciousness displayed in the film with different literal styles describing the characters' behaviors and societal engagements shows that morality patches society and adolescence together and therefore with a good road map the three absolutes a desirable life enabling an even transition of childhood to adulthood.

Conclusion

Summarily, art, which includes movies, films, portraits, music, photography, and many others, is a depiction of our natural being only explained through themes and styles. The more intensely one focuses their emotions and eyes on the art, the more one can see what is going on and how it relates to real life. From the film above, the reflection of change inevitability through adolescence independence cannot be foregone unless with parental guidance and societal responsibilities apprehension. As modernity kicks in, so does change, right from the dress codes, gender duties, behavioral reflections, social standing, and even economic balance.

Bibliography

Oates, Joyce Carol. Where are you going, where have you been? Rutgers University Press,1994.

Oates, Joyce Carol, and Tobias Wolff. Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Difusión,Centro de Investigación y Pubicaciones de Idiomas, 2013.