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

Teenagers have always had it harder than the rest of the age groups. Whether it is the frustration of having old-fashioned parents or the annoyance of being too young to experience nearly everything, the minds of those under eighteen become a never-ending fantasy of being an adult. The seemingly carefree lifestyle of older kids seems to be impossible to wait on. 15-year-old Connie is no exception to this way of thinking. In a hurry to grow up, Connie, in Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”, naively executes the perfect role as an eager, under aged adolescent who lets her insecurities, dissatisfaction, and curiosities land her in irreversible danger.
Most teenage girls in America are obsessed with their looks. If this shirt does not fit right or that lipstick does not match, then more than likely a girl’s entire day is thrown off. Throughout the story, Connie more than proved this theory by constantly checking how she looked. It was as if her appearance was her most prized possession; without looking great or turning heads, who was she? “Her heart began to pound and her fingers snatched at her hair, checking it, and she whispered, "Christ. Christ," wondering how bad she looked” (Oates 2). This conceited
Living in a world where no one seems to truly understand and everyone else is basically inferior, Connie developed a sense of discontent. Fed up with her plain mother, faultless sister, and expressionless father, she sought after the thrills and excitement of the outside world. “… Connie's mother kept picking at her until Connie wished her mother was dead and she herself was dead and it was all over” (Oates 1). In one of the most horrible sentences in the narrative, Connie reveals just how truly miserable she is at home. Feeling incomplete and hopeless, with no one else to turn to, Connie found amusement where the experience would literally take her breath