Annoying Husband
"Where Are You?" by Joyce Carol Oates presents a typical view of a dictatorial husband. A
husband with hearing impairment gets into the habit of calling out to his wife constantly and
repeatedly for petty reasons and even displays paranoia when she is absent from his sight; this
annoyed and frustrated the wife to the point where she lost her life incidentally. Being deaf is not
problematic to anyone, but this husband wants to be the center of his wife's life which annoys his
wife.
The husband has the attitude of a typical controlling husband. Due to his selfish nature, he
refused to wear his hearing aid at home since it was only his wife. Instead, he rather impatiently
calls her to attend to him like a slave if he wishes to make remarks or observe something. "he
would continue to call her, as if he had not heard and with an air of strained patience: "Hello?
Hello? Where are you?" (Oates, 1). He also burdened her with his insecurity when she was not
around adding that her presence is not enough "Where were you? I worry about you when you
don't answer." (Oates, 1). In addition, he is rude to her, blaming her for not even being there.
“And he retorted, "No, you were not. You were not. I was here, and you were not here" (Oates,2).
Alternatively, the wife experiences frustration and annoyance due to his constant and abrupt
interruption of her daily routine for petty reasons. "she screamed, "What do you want? I have
told you, I am here" (Oates,2). Furthermore, she was frustrated by his calling, and she rushed to
him and lost her footing on the stairs, resulting in her death. "And finally, the wife had no choice
but to give in, for the husband was sounding vexed and angry and anxious" (Oates,2).
Oates, Joyce. “Where are you”. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/books/flash-
fiction/where-are-you. Accessed January 6, 2022.
"Where Are You?" by Joyce Carol Oates presents a typical view of a dictatorial husband. A
husband with hearing impairment gets into the habit of calling out to his wife constantly and
repeatedly for petty reasons and even displays paranoia when she is absent from his sight; this
annoyed and frustrated the wife to the point where she lost her life incidentally. Being deaf is not
problematic to anyone, but this husband wants to be the center of his wife's life which annoys his
wife.
The husband has the attitude of a typical controlling husband. Due to his selfish nature, he
refused to wear his hearing aid at home since it was only his wife. Instead, he rather impatiently
calls her to attend to him like a slave if he wishes to make remarks or observe something. "he
would continue to call her, as if he had not heard and with an air of strained patience: "Hello?
Hello? Where are you?" (Oates, 1). He also burdened her with his insecurity when she was not
around adding that her presence is not enough "Where were you? I worry about you when you
don't answer." (Oates, 1). In addition, he is rude to her, blaming her for not even being there.
“And he retorted, "No, you were not. You were not. I was here, and you were not here" (Oates,2).
Alternatively, the wife experiences frustration and annoyance due to his constant and abrupt
interruption of her daily routine for petty reasons. "she screamed, "What do you want? I have
told you, I am here" (Oates,2). Furthermore, she was frustrated by his calling, and she rushed to
him and lost her footing on the stairs, resulting in her death. "And finally, the wife had no choice
but to give in, for the husband was sounding vexed and angry and anxious" (Oates,2).
Oates, Joyce. “Where are you”. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/books/flash-
fiction/where-are-you. Accessed January 6, 2022.
