Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been by Joyce Carol Oates

boys to live out her childish delusions of romance and allows herself to be swept away by this

In, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”, by Joyce Carol Oates and “Eveline”, by James Joyce, two characters prove to be completely different but share few similarities as well. In both short stories, the main characters, Connie in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” and Eveline in “Eveline”, are both teenage girls who face problems at home. Connie and Eveline who are both caught up in their own cultures in different times are Both girls seem like they have it all going for them but what they conclusively share in common is their final decision bringing them to their downfall. The theme in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” and “Eveline,” possess and unyielding insecurity which stems from their family lives. Everything had two sides to it, one for one home and one for the other. Each of the girl 's home lives was oppressive and restraining. Making them both have to grow up faster.

As someone who was very pretty in her own youth, but then had to grow up, she knew that beauty fades and it is not what is truly important in life. It seems as though the mother wants Connie to understand that as well, but does not know how to convey her message and so it comes out in other ways. “ "Stop gawking at yourself. Who are you? You think you're so pretty?"[...] "Why don't you keep your room clean like your sister? How've you got your hair fixed—what the hell stinks? Hair spray? You don't see your sister using that junk."” (Oates) She always compared Connie to her sister, June.

Not every story is 100% original. Many stories are inspired by older stories, fairy tales, archetypes, real life events, etc. There are thousands of stories in the world, so newer stories will likely be like at least a few of them. One such story is “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates. In this story, a man who calls himself Arnold Friend tries to victimize another character, who is a 15-year-old girl named Connie. The inspiration for this story is clear. Arnold Friend is very similar to The Big Bad Wolf from 2 different fairy tales, “The Three Little Pigs,” and “Little Red Riding Hood.” for various reasons, including threats, acting, and disguises. Evidence of this is interspersed throughout the story.

At the beginning of the story Connie is personified as a self-centered, attention-seeking, teenage girl. She is also very narcissistic, like described in an Overview “Connie takes solace in the knowledge that she is attractive and desirable to the boys she associates with at school and in town” (Overview 3). It has also been put that Connie is an, “uneducated working-class [girl] striving incoherently for something better, yet stifled by [her] environment” (Knudsen 2). Though, Connie’s way of striving for something better, is by seeking attention from others. Connie puts her appearance above all things, which keeps her attention on looking

The characterizations of Connie’s family members have great effects on Connie. And Connie’s mother’s characterization is the main motivator for Connie’s rebellion. She always compares Connie with June, who is the “ideal daughter” in her eyes, and blames Connie for some little things, such as improper dressing and not having a tidy room. Oates suggests that the reason for Connie’s mother prohibiting Connie to dress up like an adult is that “ Her mother had been pretty once too” (Oates 1), but now “her looks were gone and that was why she always after Connie” (Oates 1). Therefore, she is jealous about Connie’s beauty and feels uncomfortable when seeing Connie wear beautiful outfits. Meanwhile, she likes June so much because June is obedient and plain, which makes her feel that she is dominant in the relationship. In the short story, Connie’s father is not given much description by the author, but

The abduction of Persephone through Hades mirrors that of Arnold Friend. Joyce Carol Oates, Author of “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is a short story with themes that consist of search for self as well as identity. Through the use of imagery, dialogue, and characterization Oates displays similarities between the Greek myth, “Persephone and Demeter” to “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”.

Analyzing Connie, the female protagonist in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” reveals the character’s journey of rebellion, a search for identity, and the protagonist’s psychological problems. Connie appears to be a seemingly normal teenage female during the first few sentences: fifteen years old, physically beautiful, and appears semi-narcissistic. As one reads on, underlying psychological issues begin to unearth themselves. Connie has a habit of needing to know that she is beautiful; she is continuously “…craning her neck to glance into mirrors…checking other people’s faces to make sure hers was alright.” (Perrine’s 487) Being a somewhat typical habit of teenage girls, always wanting to look at themselves, whether it is out of admiration or self-judgment, Connie is constantly aware of herself and appearance, despite her mother’s nagging. In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” this appears to be an indication of a present insecurity, a lack of a sense of who Connie is. In the first paragraph, Connie describes beauty as “being everything” (Perrine’s 487); we are able to interpret the fact that without her beauty, Connie would be nothing. She continuously attempts to establish her own identity; she tests the boundaries with her parents, develops a separate persona when she is away from home, and searches out approval from older boys at the drive-in. This lack of self eventually plays a part in leaving with Arnold Friend, at the end of the story.

As seen throughout the story, those who are younger are portrayed as powerless and looked down upon. This is mostly defined in Connie as she struggles to reach maturity. At home, she is viewed as a young, immature child who cannot do anything. “’Why don’t you keep your room clean like your sister? […] you don’t see your sister using that junk’ […] Connie had to hear [June] praised all the time by her mother and her mother’s sisters” (Oates). As shown, Connie is viewed as a child in the eyes of her family. Her mother constantly assumes dominance over her by berating her. “Connie wished her mother was dead and she herself was dead and it was all over” (Oates). As a symbol of youth in the house hold, she resents her mother and sister because they symbolize the figure of power and maturity that she desires. Not only is this lack

It is disappointing that Connie’s behavior could not be controlled. Unfortunately, she did not have a good adult figure in her life that could have helped her to establish better morals and values. Connie’s mother was constantly scolding her and comparing her to her sister June:

Throughout the story Connie and her mother didn't get along very well. Connie felt neglected because her mom would always brag about her sister and never seemed to speak nicely about Connie. Connie actually wished her mother was dead and so was she so it could all be over ‘He didn't bother talking much to them, but around his bent head Connie's mother kept picking at her until Connie wished her mother was dead and she herself was dead and it was all over. "She makes me want to throw up sometimes," she complained to her friends. She had a high, breathless, amused voice that made everything she said sound a little forced, whether it was sincere or not.’ Despite their fall out, Connie still calls for her mom with her attempt to get away from this older man realizing that she is not a mature adult and still needs her mother by her side.

Some of the best literature of all time comes from experience. Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” is one of her many very famous short stories. “Where Are You Going…” was taken from the inspiration of a serial killer named Charles Schmid. It is obvious in this case that the authors work was reflected on her biography and life experiences. While Joyce Carol Oates experiences’ growing up in the 1950’s may have inspired her work, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” was mainly influenced by the American serial killer Charles Howard Schmid.

Ciculla, Joanne B (1998) Imagination Fantasy wishful thinking and truth/ Ruffin Series on business ethics

Whereas Connie is considered beautiful, June is seen as “plain and chunky” (496). Regardless of their differences, both girls have one thing in common, they both love to spend time with friends and Connie uses this to her advantage. On several occasions, a friend’s father has left them off at the mall, however once they arrive, Connie travels across the street “ to a drive-in restaurant where older kids hung out” ( 497). It is here that she comes into contact with her future assailant, but at the time she ignored his attention.

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