In the short story titled “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”, Joyce Carol Oates introduces us to Connie, a narcissistic, rebellious, and naïve fifteen-year-old girl coming into a world of sexuality and adulthood she thinks she’s ready for. Unknown by her parents, she regularly spends the evenings exploring her individuality and freedom by flirting with teenage boys at her local diner. One evening, she catches the attention of a creepy and strange boy named Arnold Friend, who later shows up at her house unannounced with the intention to take her away. Needless to say, any person reading this will not be prepared to witness the ending of the story, or of a young woman’s loss of innocence and life. Although “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” has been interpreted many ways by scholars and writers alike, I believe the interpretation that best fits this narrative is Connie’s search for independence that eventually leads to a brutal outcome. Connie’s search for independence increases as she nears her transition into adulthood, beginning with the changes in her persona. She rejects the role of sister, daughter and nice girl to cultivate her sexual persona needed for attracting the attention of older boys. For example, “everything about her had two sides to it, one for home and one for anywhere that was not home” (Oates). Her personality, clothes, hair, the music she listens to, the way she talks, walks and even the way she laughs are all different examples of her