Analysis Of Joyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been

One of Connie “trashy daydreams” “Where are you going, where have you been” is a short story written by Joyce Carol Oates in 1966 about a young girl 15 year-old girl named Connie. In the story Connie is boy crazy and very into her looks. She is young and beautiful and because of this her relationship with her mother is strained with jealousy. She is left home alone one day while her family goes to a barbecue and a man by the name of Arnold Friend pulled into her very long driveway and tries to convince Connie to get in the car with him. After saying no, Arnold continues to push her and say disturbing sexual things and eventually she goes with him, because if she doesn't then he will kill her family. “Where are you going, where have you been” struck

There is a plefuria of coincidental weird incidents that occur through the story making it more like a dream then reality. Arnold Friend is never seen by any other character except for Connie, which if it was reality would be hard to believe because connie's family lives in a small town where everybody knows each other. Connie also explains his car, giving it very unique and unrealistic factors that would not go unnoticed in a small town in the year of 1966. This is not the only unlikely thing that happens within the story that leads people to see that this is infact one of Connie's “trashy daydreams” as her mother would’ve called it (Oates 1034). For example, Oates goes on to tell more creepily coincidental incidents,“Connie began to hear the music. It was the same program that was playing inside the house” This music was coming from the unique car of Arnold Friend (1037). Why would Arnold have the same music playing if it