Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Summary

Comparison Paper In Joyce Carol Oates, “Where are you going, Where have you been?”, the author depicts a short story about a typical teenage girl, Connie, in the 60’s whose young mind is untouched by the reality of the world. As such, she enjoys living a blissfully unknowing and slightly careless life as she regularly goes to the mall and diners to flirt with guys and go off on her own with in. Nevertheless, the reality of the world suddenly sets in during her encounter with Arnold Friend after she nonchalantly allows herself to be drawn into his trap. Her abrupt, and quite frankly late, realization thus results in a state of shock. An article by Marie Mitchell Olesen Urbanski, “Existential Allegory: Joyce Carol Oates 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?’” analyzes this helpless nature of Connie as a result of Arnold’s alluring tactics. However, many readers may indeed question why she reacted in such an incapable and naive manner, resulting ultimately in her abduction. Although her state of shock is sudden, her response is an accurate and natural depiction of the bewildering state she was put in under these tactics. From the start of the story, we get insight into

Although her thoughts still seem scattered and frantic as it says, “She thought, I have got to think. I have got to know what to do,”(par 153) at this point she realizes that sitting on the floor and screaming won’t save her. But as he continues to talk to her a newfound panic and fear set in, as she hangs onto every word. Urbanski’s analysis also examines this instance, as she states that Connie is “experiencing the inevitable realization of her insignificance and powerlessness while Friend…is merely the catalyst.”(par 11) This backs up the fact that in the end Connie isn’t just realizing the danger she is actually it, but also the minimal extent of ability to do anything about