An Analysis Of Joyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

There are some stories and media featuring dangers and injustices that one would hope become less relevant as the years go by; indicating a safer world for all as progress is made. Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where are you going, Where have you been?” is not one such story. The threats Connie, the protagonist, faces from men like Arnold Friend are just as present now, in 2017, as they were in 1960 at the time this story was written. Connie is a beautiful 15 year old girl who is depicted as being excessively preoccupied with her appearance and likes traditional adolescent activities such as boys, her friends, and going to the movies. Connie sees a stranger, Arnold Friend, one night in passing while out with on a car ride with a boy. The next day, she stays home alone while her family goes out to a family barbecue.

He begins by looking and acting like everything Connie values, but as his dialogue with her becomes more threatening her uneasiness grows. By the time she realizes how much danger she’s in, he’s manipulated her into surrendering to him seemingly of her own free will. An Analysis of Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where are you going, Where have you been?” through the feminist lens suggests that the author is portraying Connie without a concrete identity and in order to demonstrate that the traits that make women most vulnerable to predators are those they are universally pressured to perform for society, while simultaneously presenting Arnold with a crafted identity and specific manipulation techniques to illustrate how Arnold and the danger he embodies is a creation and extension of the culture Connie lives and breathes because of her