The Pied Piper of Tucson - 1489 Words

The Pied Piper of Tucson On March 4th, 1966, Life Magazine published an article titled The Pied Piper of Tucson that captured the worlds attention. The article written by Don Moser was based on a true story happened in Tucson, Arizona. Charles Schmid, the main character of the article, was a serial killer in Tucson who killed three teenage girls. Mosers article not only managed to turn a local crime story into an international news, it also inspired Joyce Carol Oates who often based her stories on news to write a story about the murders. About 20 years later, this short story was brought to the silver screen by Joyce Chopra. Smooth Talk is an adaption of Oates short story, however, more details were added into the movie in order†¦show more content†¦She was a misfit when she attended a private school- she cut classes, was suspected of stealing, and got into trouble with juvenile authorities for attempting to steal at a liquor store (Moser 84). However, Connie was not as bad as Gretchen as described by Oates. The only misbehaving things she did in the story was she fought with her mother a lot and went to places with her friends that were meant for adults. Charles Schmid laid his eyes on Gretchen at a public swimming pool. He then followed her home and knocked on the door, and Gretchen answered it by saying, Dont I know you? (Moser 84). They talked for an hour and that was how their relationship started. In the story, Arnold Friend set eyes on Connie at Speedway. He watched her as she walked out from the restaurant, and said to her, Gonna get you, baby (Oates 210). He went to Connies house a few days later when she was home alone while her family was out to a barbecue at an aunts place. They talked as Arnold tried to sweet talk Connie into getting into his car. And when sweet talking did not quite work out, he then threatened that he would harm her family if she did not follow what he said. Inspired by Alleens murder, Arnold Friend had an accomplice, El lie, who stayed in the car the whole time when Arnold was seducing Connie. In the article, Alleens neighbor and friend, Mary French tricked Alleen into going out for a drink so Charles Schmid and John SaundersShow MoreRelatedNotes On The Novel Fences And Pied Piper Of Tucson 1080 Words   |  5 Pagesinformational and literary texts to engage and intrigue readers. First, students read short stories and poetry, including a close reading of Joyce Carol Oates’ short story, â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?† and Mara Bovsun’s article, â€Å"Pied Piper of Tucson;† they identify and describe ways authors ‘hook and hold’ readers with specific choices. Next, students read the play Fences by Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson and analyze the role of stories within in the story to create tension andRead MoreThe Characteristics Of The Arnold Friend1436 Words   |  6 Pageswith the nickname â€Å"the Pied Piper† by Don Moser, a writer for Life Magazine who wrote a piece on the killer in 1966. The nickname suited Charles Schmid well, considering his tactics were similar to the character of an old story about the Pied Piper of Hamelin (Buvson). The story tells of a man who was hired by townspeople to chase away the vermin that had overrun their village, but after doing so, was cheated out of his payment. The man later came back, dressed as a pied piper, and lured all the childrenRead MoreAnalysis Of Where Are You Going, And Don Moser s The Piped Piper Of Tucson ``1365 Words   |  6 Pagesfictional in earlier reality. Throughout the modern times, monsters unanimously appear in â€Å"the real world.† Angela Carter’s â€Å"The Fall River Axe Murders,† Joyce Carol Oa tes’ â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,† and Don Moser’s â€Å"The Piped Piper of Tucson† all have parts relating to reality. Moser’s and Carter’s stories are completely nonfiction. It looks as if they are in competition with Oates’ story, in a sense of determination of whether fiction appears to be more forthcoming to truth thanRead MoreAnalysis Of Joyce Carol Oatess Short StoryWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been?1256 Words   |  6 PagesBeen?† 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 cha nges, however, the character of Connie and her creepyRead MoreWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been By Joyce Carol Oates1032 Words   |  5 Pagesup in her usual flirtatious antics to notice how awkward Arnold actually stood. In addition, Connie soon realized that Friend had pancaked makeup upon his whole face. Likewise, Schmid would smother his face in pale makeup. In the article, â€Å"Pied Piper of Tucson: Twisted 1960s Killings by Charles Howard Schmid, Jr.† it says, â€Å"...he bragged non-stop and wore freaky makeup and oversized cowboy boots, which he stuffed with socks, rags, and crushed tin cans to add inches.† This indicates how Schmid portrayedRead MoreAnalysis Of Fences By August Wilson1179 Words   |  5 PagesWriting Task How does the short story â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?† use facts, dialogue, and character interactions, to create suspense, tension, and mystery in this unresolved story? Pied Piper of Tucson: Twisted 1960’s Killings by Charles Howard Schmid, Jr. â€Å"Pied Piper of Tucson: Twisted 1960’s Killings by Charles Schmid, Jr.†: In this 2009 New York Daily News profile, Mara Bobson describes the Arizona murders of teen girls committed by Charles Schmid, on whom Oates based theRead More An Analysis of Joyce Carol Oates’ Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been1902 Words   |  8 Pages Zombie, a 1995 novel, is loosely based on the Jeffrey Dahmer serial killings (Seltzer 288). The highly acclaimed short story Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? draws its inspiration from the case of an Arizona serial killer, the Pied Piper of Tucson (Johnson 99). Oates subject matter reflects the violence in society. Her writing is violent, but it has to be to reflect American culture today. Some detractors argue that there is enough violence in life; literature does not need to celebrateRead MorePsychological Analysis Of Charles Schmid And Arnold Friend2127 Words   |  9 PagesPsychological Analysis of Charles Schmid and Arnold Friend While doing some research on psychological criticism, I found that Arnold Friend in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been by Joyce Carol Oates and notorious murderer Charles Schmid of The Pied Piper of Tucson by Don Moser have characteristics of being a psychopath, motive for killing, similar comparisons of innocence taken by an evil mind, and how Oates wrote her story based upon Schmid’s personality. Psychological criticism as explained in RetellingsRead MoreWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Essay2193 Words   |  9 Pagesan American novelist and short story writer. â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?† first appeared in the Fall of 1966 in Epoch Magazine. This particular work of fiction was inspired by the four Tucson, Arizona murders committed by Charles Howard Schmid, Jr., also known as the Pied Piper of Tucson. Charles Schmid stood at about 5’3† yet he wore oversize cowboys boots that he filled up with balled-up socks and rags t o add inches. He wore freaky pancake makeup and died his hair jet black, yet heRead More Delivering Moral Messages in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been and A Good Man is Hard to Find1516 Words   |  7 PagesConnie’s spirit. In fact, Arnold Friend is based on a serial killer know as â€Å"The Pied Piper of Tucson.† As Oates reports, this â€Å"tabloid psychopath† specialized in â€Å"the seduction and occasional murder of teenage girls† (Wesley). The Pied Piper was in his thirties; yet, he managed to counterfeit teenage dress, talk, and behavior. He also stuffed rags into his leather boots to give him height. These elements of the Pied Piper’s behavior are very obvious in Oates’s portrayal of Arnold Friend (Johnson