Introduction
“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates is a compelling narrative that can be interpreted as a loss-of-innocence story. The protagonist, Connie, a fifteen-year-old girl, embodies the archetypal innocence of youth with her self-absorption, burgeoning sexuality, and naiveté about the darker aspects of the world. The story follows her encounter with Arnold Friend, a mysterious and malevolent figure who can be seen as a serpent-like tempter, reminiscent of the biblical story of the Fall (Oates).
Is Where Are You Going a Loss-Of-Innocence Story?
The theme of loss of innocence can be found in the way Connie’s interactions with Friend reveal the stark contrast between her sheltered life and the potential for evil and manipulation in the wider world. While not idyllic, her home life is a safe space where she can indulge in her daydreams and flirtations. Her excursions to the shopping plaza and the diner with her friends, where she first catches Arnold Friend’s attention, represent her tentative steps towards independence and adult experiences.
The encounter with Arnold Friend is the pivotal moment that shatters her innocence. He is insinuating and coercive, and his knowledge of Connie’s life is unsettlingly thorough. His words and actions are laden with sexual threats, and as the story progresses, Connie’s realization of the danger she is in grows. The sense of menace culminates in the ambiguous ending, with Connie stepping out of her home and into an uncertain, potentially perilous fate.
The story can be read as a modern echo of the Edenic narrative, with Arnold Friend as the serpent figure who disrupts Connie’s innocence in the world. Her decision to leave her house can be seen as an expulsion from the ‘garden’ of her childhood, an irreversible step into the complexities and corruptions of adulthood.
Furthermore, the story’s setting in the 1960s, a time of significant social change and the questioning of traditional values, can be seen as a backdrop to the broader loss of innocence in American society. Connie’s personal experience is a microcosm of this more significant cultural shift.
Conclusion
In conclusion, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” can be interpreted as a loss-of-innocence story. The narrative captures the transition from the safe confines of childhood to the threatening realities of the adult world, echoing the timeless theme of the loss of innocence experienced in the Garden of Eden.
Work Cited
Oates, Joyce Carol. Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Selected Early Stories. 1993.