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Victimization In Where Are You Going Where Have You Been

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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.
To start, they refer to Connie as the family's white swan in this section of the passage. However, she is the black swan. The author discusses how these thoughts Connie has been normalized in her household on account of being abused by her mother, exploring the physical and emotional abuse from …show more content…

Connie’s mother would frequently pick on her. She never expresses kind gestures to Connie, and in return, Connie does not see her mother as an affectionate parent. Oates defines the relationship between Connie’s mother as a love-hate relationship. It is stated in the story, “Connie wished her mother was dead, and it was all over” (Oates p. 492). As formerly mentioned, Connie is a victim of her mother’s mistreatment. To wish death upon her mother is normal for a teenage girl. By the statement, “it was all over”, she wished the constant abuse would end. Connie is filled with distressing emotions towards her mother many times. Yet, many readers held Connie accountable for what had happened to …show more content…

Earlier in the story, it is noted the guy has been seen glancing peeks and attempting to strike up a conversation with Connie. In this section, Oates is showing the outcome of an intentional action planned by predators altering their appearance to capture their prey. It analyzes masculinity and hostility. At first, Connie is enticed by the mysterious men who appear at her doorstep. Arnold, being older, captivates Connie’s teenage heart so that he will sweep her off the ground away from her sickening family. Things escalate when Arnold is revealed to be older than Connie had suspected. “At this knowledge, her heart pounded faster” (Oates p. 500). According to the quote, for the first time, Connie is terrified. She had never experienced this route in her entire life, amidst being mentally abused by her

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