Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? is a short story by Joyce Carol Oates. It was based on the story of an American serial killer who committed crimes against several girls. The story almost entirely retells the killer’s life, but it is presented as an allegorical work. Oates examines the collision of a brutal reality in which a teenage girl only has to realize her attractiveness and how many people are willing to attempt to kill her (â15 Famous Authors Ask Joyce Carol Oates Anythingâ). The main character, Connie, sincerely aspires to act and dress like an adult, but she cannot yet accept the sexual reality of being an adult.
The image of Connie is a collective about all young girls who do not yet understand how to cope with their growing sexuality. Oates describes her as fun and flirty, who reveals this part of her personality away from her parents (Oates 1). Connie is a beautiful girl who knows this and tries to use it to get boys’ attention. Connie does not want to conform to her age, so young guys a few years older than her are interested in her. However, this leads her to find herself in a difficult situation from which she cannot get out. She probably could have avoided it or overcome her desires, but Oates’ story is an allegory for a real story, so Connie’s fate does not end well.
One day, Connie gives up her trip to a barbecue, deciding to stay home and dream about love and relationships. It becomes the turning point in the story when the girl encounters adult men who have chosen her to fulfill their desires (Preston). Connie does not find the two men too strange and engages in a dialogue with them. Gradually she notices a strange sign in their behavior, such as that Arnold Friend knows all about her family or the stickers on his car. The mystery of the number code “33, 19, 17” remains unsolved until the end of the story, but perhaps these numbers can be linked to the real story of the serial killer (Oates 3).
Connie notices all these signs and wants to leave but finds herself trapped, unable to defend herself against two grown men. Her trust in strangers and her desire to act like an adult causes her self-preservation instincts to fade. Connie probably feels responsible for her behavior and would like to do something about it, but the psychological pressure is too much for her to handle.
One of the difficult parts of the work is Connie’s admission of her mistakes in striving for independence and sexuality. Assessing the girl’s image from someone older than her, one judges impulsiveness and even some insolence. The desire for freedom clouds her view of her safety, and Connie believes it will always be so. One could say that the interpretation of Connie’s behavior is victimization because the girl is guilty of her carelessness. However, the men who attacked her must also be considered. They are the prototypes of the serial killer, acting as tempters or even the devil who destroys children’s identities. Connie becomes a victim of temptation because she doesn’t know how to resist due to her age. Her desire to be independent, sexually open, and adult leads her to an adult problem that is unresolved by any freedoms and rights.
Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? is a complex allegory for growing up and undergoing emotional dissonance. In addition, the story’s author points to the imperfection of the child’s psyche, which may not be ready to overcome obstacles in the form of pressure from adults. Strivings for independence and freedom are ordinary in adolescence, but a careless attitude toward safety can generate conflict. It is Connie who becomes the teenager who faces a harsh reality and cannot cope with its emotional burden.
Works Cited
â15 Famous Authors Ask Joyce Carol Oates Anythingâ, Dragon, 2021. Web.
Oates, Josey Carol. âWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been?â Epoch magazine, Fall, 1966. Web.
Preston, Barta. âPortraits of Ladies on Fire: âSMOOTH TALKâ and âGIRLFRIENDSâ Share More in Common than a Home at Criterionâ, Fresh Fiction, 2021. Web.