Review Of Joyce Carol Oates 'Where Are You Going Where Have You Been'

The Stranger

In the beginning of “Where Are You Going Where Have You Been” Joyce Carol Oates reminds the reader of how carefree it is to be a teenager without any responsibility. One can quickly see that Connie is like many teenagers of today behaving to much like a grown woman. Connie appears to be growing up to fast before our eyes. She is in a stage of teenage rebellion, acting on things too fast. She herself doesn’t realize it until it’s too late. This character is very naïve and it is going to get the best of her.

To start Oates guides the reader to empathize with Connie by showing us how her mother speaks to her in a way that is emotional abuse. For instance, in the book it states “her mother who noticed everything and knew everything and who hadn’t much reason any longer to look at her own face scolded Connie about it” “stop gawking yourself who are you?” You think you’re so pretty she would say” (Oates, 389). From this statement we can quickly review that Connie’s mom obviously has a jealous reaction to Connie’s appearance. She is threatened by

Like most teenagers she is thinking only in the moment and what is going to please her. Basically Connie and her friend go to a restaurant and this creepy guy named Eddie came in to talk with them, obviously Connie isn’t thinking straight and she leaves the restaurant with this stranger Eddie. Leaving her friend behind. In the book she states “I just hate to leave her like that” (Oates, 391). She feels bad leaving her friend at the restaurant, but that doesn’t stop her from leaving with a stranger. That’s when she meets another creepy stranger in the parking lot in his car a few feet from her “it was a boy with shaggy black hair; In a convertible jalopy painted gold” (Oates, 389). Who turns out to later be her