“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” by Oates

Connie’s characters showcase the quintessential teenage protest and self-discovery. She argues with her mother. She is enraged that her older sister is always set as an example. Connie does not want to be obedient and agreeable, but seeks to look older, communicating more with boys. However, deliberate adolescence seems a bit worn out. Perhaps in this sense, the character of Connie is more likely used as a symbol than as a reflection of real teenage life.

Reader tension escalates in the scene where Connie is at home trying to figure out how to react to Arnold’s words and decide what to do. Feeling of overwhelming dizziness and vulnerability prevents Commie from making rational decisions and reasoning sensibly. She could have avoided the situation if she could logically assume that not everything Arnold says is true. He is not omnipotent and does not have control over her. If that were so, she would have figured out how to call for help and protect herself. However, Connie cannot even understand whether Arnold is honest about his age, saying that he is her age. The lack of ground underfoot makes her an easy and trusting victim, who eventually comes to its tormentor.

The last scene is the logical conclusion of the events in the house. Like a lost kitten, Connie no longer looks like an adult as she wanted to appear at the beginning. Arnold calls her brown eyes blue underlining the feeling of illusoriness that Connie experiences, even not recognizing her appearance. Connie’s fantasies about her maturity break down, and there is a collision with reality, in which she appears as a helpless child, caught in the trap of a maniac.

Work Cited

Oates, Joyce Carol. Where are you going, where have you been?. Rutgers University Press, 1994.

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StudyCorgi. (2023) '“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” by Oates'. 15 March.

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StudyCorgi. "“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” by Oates." March 15, 2023. https://studycorgi.com/where-are-you-going-where-have-you-been-by-oates/.

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StudyCorgi. 2023. "“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” by Oates." March 15, 2023. https://studycorgi.com/where-are-you-going-where-have-you-been-by-oates/.

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