Oates Blog

Honestly, Oates creates tension in this story from the very first line. The attitude behind "Her name was Connie." immediately throws the reader into a confusion and startles them with a tension between the speaker and Connie. The creation of tension in the first paragraph between Connie and her mother is one of almost jealousy between the mother and Connie. Oates presents the mother as jealous and sick of her daughter's beauty. Later on, Oates also presents tension between Connie and her sister, June. She does a good job of presenting situational and emotional tension without showing true occurrences. Just seeing how Connie's mother treats her creates an uncomfortable air for the reader, also implementing tension between the reader and Connie's mother.

Later in the story, the introduction of Arnold Friend creates even more tension in the story. In today's day, this situation is super tense and dangerous and the thought of it puts the reader in yet another uncomfortable situation. Knowing Connie's personality and seeing how Friend slyly coerces her into things creates a tension between who Connie actually is and who she wants to be. As Connie steps out further into uncertainty and more risky situations, the tension of the story rises, as the reader waits for a breaking point or for something dramatic to happen.

Oates does a really good job of implementing tension throughout the story, especially through situations. The reader becomes involved in Connie and her life, increasing the mystery and suspense of the story.