Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Theme Essay

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A troublesome pre-teen girl struggling to be herself. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates is an eyeopening story about Connie who encounters a man who wont leave her alone and will not take no for an answer. Connie becomes conflicted throughout the story due to this man, Arnold Friend. Connie’s actions have consequences and they also impact every aspect of the story causing the ending to be such a cliffhanger. This story looks deeper into the character, Connie depicting her rebellious attributes. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” conveys Connie’s character, the plot taking a dramatic turn, and the theme of sexuality. Oates begins the story by introducing Connie as someone who is obsessed with their appearance, “she had a quick nervous giggling habit of craning …show more content…
Connie is always being criticized and compared to her older sister, June, who are the complete opposite by her mom causing Connie to be fed up and “wishing her mother was dead.” (Oates, 312) Connie is beautiful, flirtatious, yet rebellious. She doesn’t get much love nor attention from her family, her mother is always bickering at her and her father is always at work and didn’t bother to talk to them much. So Connie resorts to the attention from boys who she knows she will receive without a doubt, her long dark blond hair already draws everyone’s eyes to it. Connie lives a double life, retaining double personalities, “one for home and one for anywhere that was not home.” (Oates, 313) Her walk, mouth, and laugh are very different depending on where she is. This clearly represents that she is trying to be someone she is not and hasn’t found her true inner self. Once Arnold Friend appears gazing and gawking at Connie the story truly begins. “Gonna get you, baby”, one simple line that begins it all. She doesn’t think anything of this since this is an encounter she is used to. Arnold is described as having shaggy, shabby black
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