Compare And Contrast Where Are You Going And Where Have You Been

Oates builds a tension that is released when Connie is forced to choose between her freedom and her safety through her descriptions of Connie's character, her encounters with Arnold Friend, and her choices. Connie's craving for independence and her susceptibility to Arnold Friend's scheming is understood by Oates, who highlights the need to make a responsible choice and the dangers of acting on instinct. Oates creates a strong contrast between these two forces via symbolism, imagery, and personality, finally leading Connie to face her mortality and the effects of her naivete.

Connie lives in a world where men enjoy exploiting women, so she doesn't see much of it. Connie respects Arnold's savage and forceful attitude as typical. Connie's house is like a cardboard box in the story. " In this location, inside your father's house, I can smash down any cardboard box."

Although the attacker may have not known about her motherly instincts of protecting her children from all evil in the world, it can be agreed that we put our family above ourselves just like Connie did. By going with Arnold Friend, Connie possibly saved her family from what most likely would have been their deaths. Friend is a psychopath that wanted nothing more than Connie and would probably do anything he had to too insure that he got her. Arnold Friend has gone through many drastic measures to lure Connie into his trap, at this point, nothing should be a

Oates explains how Connie is always “dreaming about the boys she had met” and all the boys “dissolved into a single face…” which portrays her creating the perfect boy (Oates 2). Arnold knows Connie is desperate for love and he is willing to give it to her if she comes with him. Clifford J Kurkowski says in his article that Connie is “joining someone who… cares about her more than either of her parents or her sister has” which displays the isolation and neglect Connie had in her life (Kurkowski 5). Clearly, Arnold was the not the only one who had made Connie a victim. Her parents have prevented Connie from ever having that sense of care in her life and was always insulted and compared.

Arnold knows that she will be an easy target to corrupt and to pass his evil agenda along to. When Arnold shows up to her house, she fixes her hair; she’s on a date with the devil. Connie can’t help but to succumb to his desires due to her lack of support from her family; her hunger for being needed; and her lust for

Connie is insecure and hyper-aware of herself and how others perceive her. Considering the fact that Connie is unhappy about aspects of herself, she judges other people to make herself feel better. According to Oates, “They would lean together to whisper and laugh secretly if someone passed who amused or interested them.” (Oates 1). This passage reveals Connie’s judgemental nature.

Connie's choice of life style and attitude shows her lack of morals. Connie constantly has conflicts with her family. She is beginning to break away from them. Because the mother is jealous, she likes to put Connie's self esteem down: " Stop gawking at yourself. Who are you?

Joyce Carol Oates states, "She was fifteen and she had a quick, nervous giggling habit of craning her neck to glance into mirrors or checking other people’s faces to make sure her own was all right" (Oates #). This description shows the reader how Connie only cares about her physical appearance. An appearance that is imposed on the reader on who Connie is from the beginning of the story. The reader is never given a true insight into Connie's true personality other than her physical appearance and action. This statement also sets the tone to be ominous due to the lack of connection between the reader and the author.

You don’t see you sister using that junk” (988). Connie does this so that way she can see what she likes and what she does not like. Connie’s actions also coincide with her being fifteen. Connie is exploring these new ways to express herself at too young of an age. “Everything about her had two sides to it. . .”

Suddenly, Oates allows Arnold’s malicious side to peak through ever so slightly after Connie tells him that he and is friend better leave, and Arnold replies “We ain’t leaving until you come with us.” (6) In the beginning of the story, the author writes that Connie has two different sides and now she is showing that Arnold has two different ones as well. At this point, Arnold begins to threaten to come in the house if Connie tries to call for help. He even indicates that if she doesn’t go with him before her family returns he will harm them.

The short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates can be interpreted in a multitude of ways due to its ambiguity. A psychological lens, however, provides the most accurate viewpoint for analyzing the story as it clarifies certain obscure scenes and actions of Connie. One psychological issue of Connie that is easily inferred from the beginning of the story is her insecurity about her looks. Connie constantly worries about the way that she looks and takes any opportunity to do so, “craning her neck to glance into mirrors or checking other people's faces to make sure her own was all right” (1).

Reluctantly, her parents allow her to stay home alone. A few hours later, a familiar gold jalopy pulls up to her house. The driver announces to Connie that his name is Arnold Friend. His unusual physical appearance, his tone of voice, and what he may symbolize frighten the Connie.

“But now her looks were gone and that was why she was always after Connie.” (Oates ). Also, there is another opportunity for friendship within the family, between Connie and her sister, however, that is lost in their rivalry and hostility. “Her sister was so plain and chunky and steady that Connie had to hear her praised all the time – by her mother and her mother's sisters.” ( ).

Connie’s first encounter with Friend was at a diner when he stated to Connie, “Gonna get you, baby”(pg.1142). Because Connie was use to this type of attention, she did not view it as strange that an older man was calling her in such away. However, if Connie had seen Friend as dangerous instead of just another man, her kidnapping might have been prevented. Later in the story when Friend showed up as Connie’s house, she walked outside and talked to him instead of questioning how he knew where she lived or calling the police. Oates described Connie's interaction with Friend by stating,“Connie liked the way he was dressed, which was the way all of them dressed: tight faded jeans stuffed into black, scuffed boots, a belt that pulled his waist in and showed how lean he was, and a white pullover shirt that was a little soiled and showed the hard muscles of his arms and shoulders”(pg.1145).

Through the duration of their “conversation”, Arnold was able to make her completely give up her free will to him. Connie gives up everything she had ever owned to him, even her “pounding heart [is] nothing that [is Connie’s]” after Arnold takes control of her. (Oates 11). Willingly doing whatever someone says regardless of consequence is enough to classify someone as a victim on its own. But not only was Connie doing whatever Arnold said, she was even giving herself to him.