Arnold Friend Maturity

Teenagers have always been very rebellious, independent, and felt the need to mature faster than they’re supposed to. These traits were very frequent in Connie from Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been. Connie continued to disobey her mother and go out in town to try and prove to herself that she is mature. She is a typical teenage girl trying to explore her sexuality through her looks, boys, and her friends. Since Connie was very rebellious and trying to become independent, she came to realize that she is not as grown up as she thought she was. She was acting very far out of her maturity level and she was brought into the reality of adulthood harshly when a horrifying event occurred with the first person that treated her as a mature
She was not being cautious and allowed a creepy man to take advantage of the situation. If she did not go outside of her comfort zone to experiment with her maturity, then Arnold Friend might have never noticed her and taken advantage of her. As a teenager, you are very vulnerable and need to be very careful about who you hang out with, especially as a female in this day in age. Connie got too wrapped into her experimentation that she was unable to see a threat when it stood in her face. Arnold Friend gave off a very creepy aura when they first met in the plaza “He wagged a finger and laughed and said, ‘Gonna get you, baby,’ and Connie turned away again without Eddie noticing anything,” (319). She completely brushed this situation and did not think anything of it. If anything, she liked the attention that Arnold Friend gave her because he was an older man. Since Connie was so young, she hasn’t experienced anything threatening in her life. Therefore, when Arnold Friend came up to the driveway at Connie’s house, she wasn’t scared, she seemed interested about how this random guy is giving her this much attention. This is proved by how Connie is reacting in the beginning of their conversation at the house when the author says, “Connie blushed a little, because the glasses made it
Teenagers are about to leave the house in a few years to start their own lives and most teenagers will have a really strong urge to get out of the house sooner than they’re ready. Connie’s rebellious and independent traits grew throughout the story but, eventually gave her the realization that she was not mature as she always thought she was. Arnold Friend gave her a taste of reality and showed her that she was still a child and shouldn’t have talked to an older guy. When she realized that she wasn’t as mature as she thought she was, it was too late. Arnold Friend brought her from her childhood ways into the life as an adult by treating her like she wanted to be treated before they met. Connie grew up a great deal towards the end of the story. She realized that she should’ve been cautious while experimenting with her sexuality and to not be interested in strange men showing her