Analysis Of Joyce Carol Oatess Short StoryWhere Are You...

Coming of Age Joyce Carol Oatess short story, â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?† was written in 1966 and twenty years later was made into a movie entitled Smooth Talk by Joyce Chopra, winner of the 1985 U.S. Film Festival for best dramatic picture. The writing by Oates is loosely based on a true story known as â€Å"The Pied Piper of Tucson.† The most significant differences based on the story and movie are the father-daughter relationship with Connie and Chopra’s changing the mother’s attitude toward her. Even with these changes, however, the character of Connie and her creepy stalker Arnold Friend remain the same. In the beginning of the story Connie is scolded by her mother, disapproving of Connie looking at herself through†¦show more content†¦In the movie and short story Connie’s mom was rude to her and constantly comparing her to June. Connie’s mother’s tone was filled with annoyance and aggravation whenever she talked to Connie. There was nothing positive that came out of her mom’s mouth. In Oates’s short story, the mother seems not to care about Connie because she is jealous of Connie’s good looks. In the film, there is a sense that though Connie’s mother does care, Connie continually pushes her away. This difference is part of what makes the film differ from the short story. Even Oates says in the film review that Smooth Talk is about Connie and her mother instead of just about Connie. She also declares in parentheses that Connie’s mother doesn’t have the same jealousy as she does in the short story. Another key ch ange from short story to film is the conversation about the Pettinger girl. In the short story, Connie simply says, â€Å"’Oh, her. That dope’† and moves along. After this, the reader learns that Connie’s mother is very simple and asks few questions. However, in the film, this scene involves the mother continually interrogating Connie until Connie lashes back and is met with a sharp strike on the cheek from her mother. Perhaps, Chopra changes this aspect of the mother’s character so her ending the film with reconciliation would make more sense. Another relationship that transformed Connie is the relationship she has with her father. Though Connie’s father is rarely mentioned in the story, he