The Way the Past Possesses the Present in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”

The boundaries between reality and imagination are a blurred line; humans, throughout the ages, have tried to find their place on the spectrum and, whether successful or not, the results are dependent on the individual. The relationships between humans and mythology are a result of both societal influence and one’s individual concept of ‘real’. Though time has changed the form of many myths, their meaning and emotions they portray remain constant and relatable.

 I believe one of the reasons Oates was able to tie in Greek mythology as flawlessly as she did was because, at their core, the Gods were human in their behavior. They lie, they love, they throw temper tantrums, and they get petty revenge. Greek society cast these beings as all powerful, yet beings that require sacrifice and gifts to suit their benevolence are hardly as separate as humans make them. The Gods were no more powerful or important than man; man cast them that role quite willingly. Because of this, displacing the myth of Hades and Persephone into modern day wasn’t as impossible as it seemed. Oates cleverly alluded to the situation and put it into a believable modern context, but it was the personality and emotions of the characters that really made the story come alive.

Myths stay alive within stories. “Where Are You Going” has a definite undercurrent of narcissism that clearly ties it to “Little Snow White”. Not only is the fabled mirror mentioned within the first few sentences, the Queen can easily be seen in both Connie and her mother – at the height of her reign and in the shadow of her stepdaughter, alive both past and present. Again, even though the myth is displaced, the accompanying human emotions remain eternal.

What was in the past considered reality has become myth. However, human nature remains the same. Humans have, both past and present, willingly cast their troubles onto a ‘higher power’ to shift the blame. For Connie the source is unclear; perhaps God, her mother, her sister, or the societal expectations of the time all played a part. In all, though it has twisted and disguised itself forms, myth remains very much alive.