Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Character Analysis

2. The Connie’s character, in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” is a fifteen year old, naïve girl. She has two sides to her personality, “everything about her had two sides to it, one for home and one for anywhere that was not home” (1). At home she would act childlike and away from home she would act older, making her sexual appeal stand out. Like most teenagers, Connie didn’t get along with her family and is in constant battle with her family.

In the story the girls go to a restaurant to listen to music; they refer to this restaurant as sacred. “Glow of slow-pulsed joy that seemed to rise mysteriously out of the music itself” (in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been.”). The music in the story functions as a sort of contemporary culture. The ideas and pictures that Connie created about love throughout the story were all derived from the songs she listened to. This is important to the story because it’s how Arnold Friend exploits Connie.

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been is a short story written by Joyce Carol Oates, centered on the protagonist 15 year old Connie. In this short story Oates sets the frame-work for religious allegory- the seduction of a young woman coming to terms with the hand she has been dealt as a result of her choices [you need to something here] similar to that of Eve (Urbanski, 1978). In the first paragraph, we are introduced to Connie who is an eccentric, and spoiled fifteen year old with middle class parents. We become aware of the fact that Connie has an unhappy home life, the story states that her father “was away at work most of the time," and he "didn't bother talking much to them,"(422); as a result, Connie never received any form of love

The beginning of the story, as indicated by Oates, the reader is not only introduced to Connie, but her disingenuous ways as well. Connie, like many typical teenage girls works hard to portray herself as an experienced knowledgeable woman. Consequently, she takes pride in her looks in which she had a, “…habit of craning her neck to glance into mirrors, or checking other people’s faces to make sure her own was all right.” (p. 452)

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.

For example, Connie listened to the music that made everything even good, “ the music was always in the background like music at a church service, it was something to depend upon”. And, it is music that lures Connie, just as many teens of Dylan 's era were lured by his lyrics and music, although Ms. Oates does not perceive Dylan 's as subversive or dangerous. Interestingly, however, to deceive Connie, Arnold Friend mimics Dylan in the

A novel by Joyce Carol Oates, "Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?" explores the concept of victimhood and victimization towards an adolescent named Connie. In the course of the novel, Joyce Carol Oates describes Connie's reactions to various situations and conflicts in her life, such as the situation with Arnold and his friend. Because of her mother's unfairness, Connie is in the position she is in today. Thus, we should never blame the victims.

In Joyce Carol Oates' "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?", the protagonist, Connie, embodies the dual nature of adolescence as she navigates the line between a desire for independence and the consequences of her vulnerability. Connie's preoccupation with her appearance, rebellion against her family, and attraction to boys

Connie is seen as a sex object, which shows how women are dominated by men during this time. In this shortstory, Joyce states, “Gonna get you baby” which shows how women are more than likely to be approached when they are by themselves and men tend to think they can talk to a woman any way they please which is a sign of pedaphinilia when there is such a huge age difference. Arnold Friend thinks he can approach Connie in that manner because

The short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates is about a teenage girl named Connie who is in the mist of her adolescent rebellion. She wants to prove her maturity to others and herself. In the story, Oates describes that Connie always lets her mind flow freely in between her daydream. She even creates and keeps dreaming about her ideal male figure in her mind to make her happy and satisfied. Oates allows the reader to step into Connie’s “dream world” through the appearance of Arnold Friend.

The main character in the story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” written by Joyce Carol Oates, is a fifteen-year-old girl named Connie. This character appears to be a typical teenager who feels misunderstood by her family. The relationship with her family causes her to live two different lives “Everything about her had two sides to it, one for home and one for anywhere that was not home.” (86) Connie’s dual lifestyle and inability to communicate with her family will eventually lead to her demise.

In Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, Connie is a fifteen-year-old girl, who does not necessarily get along with her family. During the week, she often times goes to a shopping plaza with some of her friends. However, they sneak across the highway to go to a popular diner where the older crowd hangs out at. At home, Connie is often times arguing with her family. One day her family is invited to her aunt's barbecue but Connie refuses to go.

“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 contributes to listening to music that fills her head with ideas about how her life should be lived, rather than deciding for herself. the music has a compelling factor which leads Connie to temptation and allows her to partake in dangerous, misleading

“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” is about a teenager named Connie who is trying to come to terms with her transformation from childhood to adulthood. Through this process, Connie attempts to act older than she is an tries to gain the attention of boys. In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” Joyce Oates portrays Connie as obsessed with men to symbolize how one’s obsession and narcissistic attitude can cause danger to seem surreal. In the short story, Carol Oates describes Connie as having two different personalities, one being a narcissistic attitude.