Short Story 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?'

Maria Bustos
Instructor: Ms. Cowart
English 102
February, 4, 2015
Short Story Essay #1
“Where are you going, Where have you been”

The short story about Connie deals with the experience of a young girl that is haunted by her good looks and cryptic behaviors. Inspired by a Life article of a serial killer, Oates created the story to: “It was not the number of murders that intrigued me, but the disturbing fact that a number of teenagers –from “good” families—aided and abetted his crimes” (Oates 68). Her interpretation of the murder of Alleen Rowe closely resembles the storyline Oates portrays. “The parallels between “Where Are You Going?” and the Rowe account are so numerous that Oater’s borrowing is unquestionable” (Coulthard 506). Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been is a short that touches upon feminism, sexual identity and teenage social behavior.
Connie seems to be a typical teenage girl, or at least that is how the author Oates seems to portray her.
Nevertheless, upon further analysis, Connie sets forth precedent to the type of attitude that was unacceptable during the 60’s. While her behavior seemed absolutely normal for a teenager, Connie was anything but a normal teenager. Her curiosity of beauty, her own and that of people surrounding her, made her obsess with physical looks above all. This can particularly be witnessed upon her perception of the two boys that where waiting for her outside her house; her obsession with looks make her imagine something that is not there. “Ellie turned for the first time and Connie saw with shock that he wasn’t a kid either-he had a fair, hairless face, cheeks reddened slightly as if the veins grew too close to the surface of his skin, the face of a forty-year-old baby” (Oates
239).
Perhaps the most notable example of feminism is the story comes at the expense of Connie’s mother that rejects any notion of having self-identity. That Connie should act as her sister does and not as how Connie sees fit. She constantly reminds her that her sister is better because she helps clean and cook. She is also a secretary as women should be. Nevertheless, Connie did not want to be like her sister, she wanted to be able to express herself and explore her sexual desires. “And her mind slipped over onto thoughts of boy she had been with the night before, and how nice he had been, how sweet, gentle, how sweet it always was” (Oates 235).
The article about the serial killer that inspired the story comes much later; when Connie is alone at her house and the guys that she had seen at the mall earlier drive up to her house. The subtlety of the so-called Arnold Friend stirs up Connie’s curiosity and sexual desires. She pretends like she does not want to let Arnold and his friend into the house, yet she continues to draw the idea of the possibility to let them in. Will she really call the police? Connie seems hesitant to call the police, perhaps because she is still pondering at the possibility of letting the guys in. Her character is undoubtedly indicating that she wants her sexual desires to prevail. Furthermore, it is unclear whether her intentions to let them in at the end are entirely for the protection of her family. She wants her carnal desires to be fulfilled and Arnold Friend is willing to fulfill them.

Coulthard, A.R. “Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” As Pure Realism.” Studies in Short Fiction 26.4 (1989): 505. MaterFILE Premier. Web. 2 Mar. 2015.
Oates, Carol J. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been Commentary” Rutgers University Press, 1994. Web. 2 Mar. 2015.