Introduction
The story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is about a teen, Connie, attempting to understand her transition from childhood to maturity. She tries to appear older than she is to get the attention of boys. Joyce Oates describes Connie as fascinated with men in the story to represent how her fixation and egotistical attitude may make the danger seem unreal. Oates states that “everything about her had two sides to it, one for home and one for anywhere that was not home” (Oates 2). The transition stage begins when the protagonist, Connie, is confronted with a terrifying predicament after two men, Arnold and Ellie, attempt to kidnap her, which is her epiphanic moment.
Connie is consistent in her behavior as she refuses to perform the role of daughter. Moreover, she fosters her sexuality, which blossoms when she is away from her family. The story employs both direct and indirect presentation in demonstrating the experiences of its characters. The life transition faced by the protagonist helps develop the themes of fantasy, reality, and loss of innocence.
Character Analysis of Connie
Connie is quite self-conscious about her appearance, and accepting her appearance is part of Connie’s character development. Despite this, Connie’s beautiful blonde hair and overall good looks give her a lot of confidence, and she relishes the control she has over boys her age. Her mother would make sentiments like, “Why don’t you keep your room clean like your sister? How’ve you got your hair Fixed- what the hell stinks? Hail spray?” (Oates 1). Meanwhile, her home environment overwhelms her because Connie detests her mother’s efforts to rein in her attitudes and the constant, invidious comparisons she tends to make with June, her older sister. Hence, Connie’s appearance and habits, which are constantly criticised by her mother are the traits that she learns to accept as she transitions to adulthood.
Connie is a typical adolescent who wishes to mature and date, which are parts of her transition to adulthood. She prefers pop music, which has generally influenced her perspectives on intimate relationships and life. Connie and the other teenagers in her life are linked by and immersed in music, often reconstructing or contrasting events in their lives, particularly those involving romance, as song lyrics. Music appears to be in the background, if not the center, of their life and is one of their main topics of conversation. Connie walks as if she’s “hearing music in her head” (Oates 2). The youth listen to music incessantly due to easy access to transistor radios, which can cause conflict between preoccupied teenagers and their parents. Connie pays “close attention herself, bathed in a glow of slow-pulsed joy that seemed to rise mysteriously out of the music itself” (Oates 3). While listening to the music again, she feels a tremendous rush appearing to emanate from the music as a whole.
When confronting Connie, Arnold Friend infiltrates her world through music, making himself appear much younger than he is, which helps her recognize herself as an adult. He appeals to Connie through music, a ruse that proves successful, as her initial sense of familiarity with Friend stems from hearing “the same program that was playing inside the house” (Oates 4). Connie is on the verge of becoming a sexual adult, showing her innocence loss. She is fascinated with her appearance when the story begins, and she is constantly checking to see how she looks. Connie feels superior to her sister June because she is “so plain and chunky and stead” (Oates 1), and she even believes their mother likes Connie because of her appearance. Connie, 15 years old, is inspired by romantic music lyrics and thinks impressions are more vital than anything else.
Conclusion
The protagonist, Connie, has been used in the story to represent the ordinary youth and what they experience in life while growing up. Connie is a typical adolescent who wants to mature and date; she also likes pop music, which influences her views on intimate relationships and life. Music appears to be in the background, if not the center, of their lives and is a frequent topic of conversation. Arnold Friend uses music to appear much younger than he is to entice Connie, who is not ready for mature sexual relationships, let alone the predatory ploys of a sexual pervert like Friend.
Work Cited
Oates, Joyce Carol. Where are You Going, Where Have You Been? Rutgers University Press, 1994.