Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Internal Events

In her short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Joyce Carol Oates gives the internal events of her short story the sense of excitement, suspense, and climax usually associated with external action. This is accomplished by providing the thoughts of Connie to the reader; showing the effects of the setting on Connie; and Connie’s final realization of her fate. She connects this to the idea that Arnold Friend is the demonic adversary who convinces Connie to cross the threshold into adulthood and lose her innocence by shear persuasion and threatening undertones.

Throughout the story Joyce Carol Oates give the reader insight into the thoughts of the main character, Connie. From her daydreams of the perfect boy “…sweet, gentle, the way it was in movies and promised in songs…”, (Oates 492)to her racing heart and mind at the realization of who Arnold friend really is “at this knowledge her heart began to pound faster.”(Oates 496). These internal events feel external in that the reader feels as though they are watching Connie’s thought process; as if she were transparent and the reader is just a curious passerby.

Over the

From the way Arnold dressed to the way he talked, everything he did was part of his strategy to persuade Connie. “Connie liked the way he was dressed, which was the way all of them dressed…”(Oates 494) this made Connie feel more comfortable wich kept her in the doorway talking to Arnold. As time progressed and Connie continued to deny Arnold he became threatening, telling Connie things like “Soon as you touch the phone I don’t need to keep my promise and can come inside. You won’t want that.” (Oates 499) this continued until Connie agreed to cross the threshold into adulthood and lose her