Fan Fiction: A Short Story

by evil and sin. Arnold Friend first attempts to coax Connie out of her house for a joyride by

In the story Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? It talks about a man and a woman whose names are Connie and also Arnold friend. Arnold is suppose ably Connie’s friend who seems to just be Connie’s conscious speaking to her to tell her to do the thinks that she does.

This thought, however, ignores the insecurities she has and the decision she has already made in her mind. After all, Connie did know that Arnold Friend was dangerous, she was wary of him when he first showed up and when she makes out his age she gets put on her guard even more and eventually threatens to call the police on them. Then, Arnold says words that ring through the mind of Connie: “…I promise it won’t last long and you’ll like me the way you get to like people you’re close to. You will. It’s all over for you here…”. These short sentences echo through her mind as they remind her of the relationships she has in her life. Connie realizes that will never be intimate with Arnold Friend because she cannot have a relationship like that with anybody. Because of her insecurities, Connie thinks she deserves this ending. She will go with Arnold not because she wants to, but because nothing can hold her, back she wanted to explore and have an adventure, but the adventure was thrust upon her too

"Death," and he has come to take Connie away from the real world where she feels she doesn’t

A psychological thriller that keeps its reader’s on edge, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” intoxicates the reader with spine chilling description’s of Arnold Friends character. This passage from the work is our first introduction to Arnold Friend, and a foreshadowing of what is to come. Joyce Carol Oates, the author of “Where Are You Going, Where have You Been?”, does an impeccable job at using this passage to draw the reader in and give underlying clues as to what we think might happen in this story. It is not till after re-reading this short story that one can realize the significance of these three sentences.

As Connie was leaving the restaurant with Eddie, she noticed this strange guy in which he made a threatening gesture. Connie did not think too much of anything until one Sunday evening; when her mother, father, and sister left her home alone to attend a family cookout at a close relative home. This unusual fellow pulls up into her garage in a gold-colored vehicle, and was joined by a friend. The driver presents himself as Arnold Friend and approaches Connie to go along with him for a ride. As her and the guy was communicating, Connie realizes that Arnold may be a harmful person to be around. Arnold's tone begins to get to be all the more sexually straightforward and fierce, and he threatens to harm her family in the event that she calls the police. Connie takes another chance to call the police, however she freezes and is not able to decide. At last, she goes out and joins Arnold. At the end of the story Connie is raped by Arnold

Towards the end of the story, Arnold Friend 's tune turned a bit more aggressive. He eventually got his way by making Connie his puppet; she moved on on cue with every string he pulled. As Connie got closer to the door, she saw herself leaving, as if she were officially being torn apart from her old ways. She did not recognize anything, her front yard was a foreign landscape to her. Connie knew that by going to Arnold Friend she would never see any of her family again, nor her house with the music still playing in her room. In the beginning of the story, Connie mentioned to her friends how she wished that she could just kill her mother and sometimes herself, just to end it all. At the very end of the story, she places her now relaxed hand over her heart just to notice for the first time that it was not even hers, but

Connie’s thoughts in this quote painted a clear picture of the type of relationship she had with her parents, and despite the point of view in third person, I got a sense of Connie’s attitude towards the life she was living and the people involved in her life. However, I wonder if the story would have been told in another perspective other than Connie’s if we would have been given so much insight of her view of the type of person she is. Additionally, I think it would have been quite a unique point of view from Arnold, because although we had several details about him, it would have been interesting to see what exactly he thought about Connie. There is so much unanswered about Arnolds character, such as if Arnold had seen her more than that one time she was on a date with the boy from the dinner, or why at the end of the story he referred to Connie as, “‘My sweet little blue-eyed girl’” (par 161). Because the story was told in third person limited, I felt it lacked clarification on Arnold’s character, but simultaneously the lack of clarification on this character leaves an opening for the reader to interpret what it is they read and form many different conclusions. Overall, the narration gave the readers so much insight into Connie’s real world and fantasy world, moreover really demonstrating how she was on a journey searching for her real identity that was the cause of her two worlds clashing.

Her mother is constantly in a state of disapproval, always favoring Connie's sister June who is more mature. Connie is mostly concerned with how pretty she looks, while her mother scoldes her for it "Stop gawking at yourself, who are you? You think you're so pretty?". Her father mostly works and when he came home, he is too tired to talk and only went to bed. Connie's mother made her want "to throw up sometimes" (361). The father of one of connies friends drops her off and some friends at a shopping plaza, so that they could go see a movie and hangout. However, they would often spend their time else where, usually a drive-in restaurant and meet boys. One night, she is invited by a boy named Eddie to have some dinner. Connie accepts and goes out with him leaving her friend behind at the drive-in restraunt. After spending some time eating, Connie looks up and meets the eyes of a man in a gold convertable, the man grin's and says "Gonna get you, baby" (362), Eddie didnt notice anything. The next morning, since it was summer vacation, Connie was back to spending time around the house with nothing to do. Her mother would drag her from her day dreams and give her something to do around the

Connie’s parents ask if she wants to go to a barbecue at her aunt’s house and “Connie said no, she wasn’t interested, rolling her eyes to let her mother know just what she thought of it” (484).With her being so young and having no way to protect herself, she should not have stayed home or even been allowed to by her parents. Connie hears a car coming up the driveway, “a car she didn’t know” (484). Even though she does not recognize the car, she goes outside anyway. This is a big mistake that shows her immaturity. Instead of calling her parents to tell them an unknown vehicle is at their house, she decides to go find out herself and let the men know she is home. By the time Connie gets to the phone, Arnold Friend is already threatening her family’s lives and it is too

The theme of heroism is as well expressed using tone. Oates attitude towards Connie is apparent when the tone is set to a dreary self-sacrificing manner. “moving out into the sunlight where Arnold Friend waited” (Oates). Connie gives herself up to Arnold and accepts what is yet to

In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” there are three main symbols that support growing up and how losing one’s innocence is difficult, confusing, and a painful process of becoming an adult. These show the path that Connie has taken and the consequences for her decisions. The first of the three is Arnold Friend's car, his car is a representation of Connie’s freedom. The car is a decision that Connie has to make that could change her fate, if she gets in she leaves behind her family and risks a life that she doesn't know or staying and her family being killed.

Regardless, after the incident Connie’s will is broken and she is overcome with feelings of emptiness. After Connie denies to go with Arnold; “This is how it is honey; you come out and we’ll drive away, have a nice ride. But if you dont come out we’re going to wait till your people come home and then they’re all going to get it”(Oates 12). Arnold threatens Connie with her Family which makes her scared and the fear going through her body makes her react devoted and she then gives herself up for the sake of her family. Connie was motivated to stay a live

As the story progresses, it is Sunday morning and her family is getting ready to attend a family bar-b-queue. However, Connie insists on not attending and is left alone at home. As she is washing her hair, she hears an unfamiliar car driving up to her house and her heart begins to pound for she does not want the visitor to see her undone. When Arnold Friend, a man she has seen at the restaurant before, but has never spoken to, shows up on her doorstep, she is someone curious as to why he is visiting her. Throughout the scene, he is attempting to persuade Connie into taking a ride with him and his friend Ellie. The more he speaks to her, he reveals to her that he knows many things about her such as her friends, her name, and family and where they are currently at. As the scene develops, Connie no longer has interest in Arnold for she now is scared and is fearful of what his intentions are.

     Does she take the chance on calling the cops? Or should she get in the car with Arnold Friend? Either way I think she knew that the outcome was going to be death. The story ends with Connie on her way out to the car. She put out her hand against the screen. She watched herself push the door slowly open as if she were back sage somewhere in the other doorway, watching this body and this head of long hair moving out into the sunlight where Arnold Friend waited. (164) Why does Connie make this decision? The story does not say, but as the reader I think that Connie was thinking if she stayed that he would harm her and her family, but if she went with