Character Analysis Of Connie In 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been'

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Oftentimes, a tense situation is all that is needed to completely transform one’s mental state. In the short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”, the protagonist Connie is a rebellious individual who desires independence. She participates in normal adolescent activities while possessing a rather optimistic outlook on life. However, she eventually falls victim to Arnold Friend’s advances while she is home alone. In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” by Joyce Carol Oates, Connie possibly meets a violent end as her energetic and unruly persona quickly turns into one of anxiousness and irrationality when confronted with a dangerous situation. At the beginning of the plot, Connie takes on the character of a typical American …show more content…

She desires independence from her parents, believing she is mature enough to make her own decisions. After Connie rejects her parents and is left home alone, a man named Arnold Friend arrives, claiming to be her lover. Connie swiftly rejects Aronld: "’Shut up! You're crazy,’ Connie said. She backed away from the door” (Oates 3). She upholds her skeptical personality, rebuffing Arnold in spite of his advances. However, as Arnold continues approaching, Connie becomes increasingly irrational. “Something roared in her ear, a tiny roaring, and she was so sick with fear that she could do nothing but listen to it—the telephone was clammy and very heavy and her fingers groped down to the dial but were too weak to touch it.” As Connie begins to take action against Arnold Friend’s advances and threats, she enters a state of confusion and fear, contrasting with her confident, independent persona she maintained. Connie gives in to Arnold Friend and allows herself to enter his captivity, possibly facing a bad fate.“She was hollow with what had been fear but what was now just an emptiness. .

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