EXPRESSIVENESS OF THE STORY

    The style of the story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been" may be described as journalistic as Carol Oates tries to express the flowing of the story in the detailed and objective way but still some expressive means and stylistic devices are used by the author to reveal the idea of the story.

    The age and the social status of the main character Connie we may guess not only by description and by her actions but also by her speech. Using colloquial and slang vocabulary ("Oh, that dope", "Who the hell do you think you are?") in Connie's speech and dialectical forms in Arnold's speech ("Toldja I'd be out, didn't I?", ""Don'tcha like my car?", "Can'tcha read it?") the author conveys the atmosphere of free informal conversation which seems to be very realistic.

   A lot of stylistic devices expresses the mood of the story. For example, describing Arnold, the author uses a simile "...he hadn't shaved for a day or two, and the nose long and hawklike, sniffing as if she were a treat he was going to gobble up and it was all a joke..." showing his devil passion toward the girl.  The simile "His eyes were like chips of broken glass that catch the light in an amiable way." also expresses his cruel nature.