Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown versus Oates Where Are...

Written two centuries apart, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† by Nathaniel Hawthorne and â€Å"Where Are You Going; Where Have You Been† by Joyce Carol Oates are two seemingly different stories. However, if looked at closely, several elements can be tied together. Each story has a similar point of view, but the story is told from two different perspectives. Several themes are unique to the stories, but deep within similarities can be found. The authors conclude their stories in two different ways, but the endings are somewhat the same. These two stories contain elements that are obviously contrasting, yet comparable at the same time. Having each story been written in a third-person narrative form, the reader knows the innermost feelings of the†¦show more content†¦The antagonists of the stories, who are seemingly evil characters, are interpreted differently because of the narration, thus creating ambiguity in the nature of the antagonists. In â€Å"Where Are You Goi ng,† the appearance of characters and situations is told by the narrator from Connie’s perspective. However, in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† the narrator speaks from an objective stance, while Brown reveals the appearance of people and situations through dialogue. A theme of â€Å"Where Are You Going† is appearance vs. reality (Themes and Construction: Where). This theme can also be found throughout the story of â€Å"Young Goodman Brown.† After Eddie takes Connie out for awhile one night when Connie and her friends went out on one of their usual nightly visits to town, she became even more prideful of her ability to attract boys and flirt. Already, she was â€Å"craning her neck to glance into mirrors or checking other people’s faces to make sure her own was alright†¦ she knew she was pretty and that was everything† (Oates 1). Her appearance was everything. Once Arnold Friend unexpectedly arrives to Connie’s house,  "her fingers snatched at her hair, checking it, and she whispered, ‘Christ. Christ,† wondering how bad she looked† (3). Connie thought she recognized the mysterious man in the driver’s seat, the kind of guy she is used to attracting. She saw his hair as