Thesis
People are social creatures that require affection that is first received when being an infant. People’s mentality changes if a child or a person does not receive affection especially from their families. In a short story titled “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” written by Joyce Carol Oates which presents a protagonist who does not receive much affection from her mother compared to her sister. While the antagonist shows some sort of affection to the protagonist, her decisions are impacted by how her family treats her. It is not the protagonist fault of her decisions made during the incident, but the mothers.
Summary
In “Where are you going, where have you been? Introduces Connie a teenager who is fifteen years old. While out with her friends at night at the plaza she runs across the highway to a restaurant. She enjoys the attention she receives from guys leading to one being the antagonist. Later on the antagonist reveals himself to be Arnold Friend to Connie and is trying to get Connie to go with him for a ride. She later realizes after talking
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In an article named “The Sting of Lack of Affection” written by Michele S. Berk and Susan M. Andersen states, “We may long for a display of affection from a parent or spouse or for positive feedback from a dear friend or colleague” (393). Connie may only be a teenager not old enough to be married or have a job, however, she wants her mom’s affection whether she realizes it or not. This leads her to seek affection from other people, which leaves her vulnerable when making contact with strangers especially men. The most important experiences to a person are the close relationships one has towards somebody (Michele S. Berk and Susan M. Andersen 393). If Connie had a healthy relationship with her mother she wouldn’t be making the bad decisions in wanting the attention from the opposite