Summary Of Short Story 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?'
In a world where the presence of technology can be seen everywhere, it is impossible for teens to stay disconnected from social media for long. Every day teens and adults alike can connect to their accounts instantly by using apps on their cellphones. In addition to the increased use of social media apps, the popularity of dating apps has greatly increased in recent years. These dating apps are sometimes misleading and can lead to potentially dangerous meetings. In the short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates, the protagonist, Connie, often meets up with older boys and lies to her mother about her whereabouts. Many teenagers utilize dating apps and act similarly to Connie. Teens who ‘hook up’ with acquaintances
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Throughout the story Connie meets up with older boys without her parents’ permission. She lies to her mother and pretends she is spending time with a friend (2). With the added privacy of passcodes on cellphones, teens today are also easily able to hide their activities from their parents. On one occasion Connie goes out with a boy named Eddie, and reveals that they spend much of their time together in an alley. Due to her promiscuous behavior, she catches the attention of a man in a gold convertible who tells her “Gonna get you, baby” (2). This interaction is similar to what some teens experience on dating apps. Teens often meet up with strangers from these apps and receive unwanted attention from others. Connie and other teens may attempt to portray themselves as sexually mature women, but they are really only young girls. The consequences of Connie’s actions and secretive ways are revealed when her family goes to a barbeque. The man in the gold convertible, Arthur, has seemingly stalked her and appears at her home. He knows all about her and her family and says “I know my Connie” (4). Despite all this Connie continues to talk with him. Arthur could symbolize the predators that lurk on dating apps. Many older men target teenagers on these apps and may use false pictures or a false age. Arthur tells Connie he’s eighteen, even though he is clearly over thirty years old. He then becomes
Throughout the story Connie meets up with older boys without her parents’ permission. She lies to her mother and pretends she is spending time with a friend (2). With the added privacy of passcodes on cellphones, teens today are also easily able to hide their activities from their parents. On one occasion Connie goes out with a boy named Eddie, and reveals that they spend much of their time together in an alley. Due to her promiscuous behavior, she catches the attention of a man in a gold convertible who tells her “Gonna get you, baby” (2). This interaction is similar to what some teens experience on dating apps. Teens often meet up with strangers from these apps and receive unwanted attention from others. Connie and other teens may attempt to portray themselves as sexually mature women, but they are really only young girls. The consequences of Connie’s actions and secretive ways are revealed when her family goes to a barbeque. The man in the gold convertible, Arthur, has seemingly stalked her and appears at her home. He knows all about her and her family and says “I know my Connie” (4). Despite all this Connie continues to talk with him. Arthur could symbolize the predators that lurk on dating apps. Many older men target teenagers on these apps and may use false pictures or a false age. Arthur tells Connie he’s eighteen, even though he is clearly over thirty years old. He then becomes