Summary Of 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?'

I. SUBJECT
“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates centers around the rebellious teenager Connie and the events that transpire one fateful summer night. One day fifteen-year-old Connie refuses to go to a family barbeque. She thus left home alone, where she finds herself at peace until a suspicious gold convertible shows up in her driveway.
She sees a man outside this car, and though she tries to show no interest, she goes outside to her driveway. The man attempts to lure Connie into taking a ride with him. Despite feeling scared and uncomfortable with the situation, she finds herself curious about the identity of this man. He reveals himself to be Arnold Friend and relays personal details about her life, but does not tell her how he knows this information. As their conversation progresses, Arnold begins to embody a predator, which causes Connie to feel paranoid. She runs inside her house and threatens to call the police, but in response, Arnold threatens to hurt Connie and her family if she does. This leaves Connie too frightened to call the police, and despite being she is scared, she gets into Arnold’s car and they drive off.
II. THEME
In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Oates demonstrates that despite an individual’s attempt to gain control in their life, this control can be

stripped away from them at a moment’s notice. This is shown through Connie, who feels that in order to gain control in her life she must disobey and disregard her mother’s authority. This gives Connie the feeling of independence, but it also allows Arnold take complete control over her life.
To escape from her family, Connie and her friend often go the mall to meet up with boys. “The father of Connie’s best girl friend drove the girls the three miles to town and left them off at a shopping plaza, so that they would walk through the stores or go to a movie, and when he came to pick them up . . . he never bothered to ask what they have done” (Oates 297). Her trips to the shopping plaza allow Connie to act in way that she is unable to at home. This allows her to exercise control over her life, which gives her an illusion of independence. She is allowed to explore herself both sexually and emotionally on these trips leading her to believe that she has complete authority over her actions and situation. As soon as she gets in in the car to return home, she feels that she loses all control. Though she view the plaza as a place where she is in charge of her actions, at home she feels that she is governed by an oppressive mother who will never be satisfied with her daughter.
Connie runs into her house to escape Arnold’s threats and to regain control of the situation by calling the police. “She rushed forward and tries to lock the door. Her fingers were shaking. ‘But why lock it’ Arnold Friend said gently, talking right into her face. ‘It’s just a screen door. It’s just nothing’” (308). Connie thinks that she can gain the upper hand by calling the police, but Arnold points out that even if she does call the police, she cannot escape him. He states that the only thing separating them is the flimsy screen door. He remarks that he can take complete authority over Connie just as easily as he can knock down the flimsy screen door. This makes it clear to Connie that no matter what she does she will eventually have to submit to him because she has no preventing him from taking control over her.
At the end of the story Connie resigns to her fate and drives off with Arnold. Right before she walks over to his car he states “[t]he place where you came from ain’t there anymore, and where you had in mind to go is cancelled out. This place you are now – inside your daddy’s house – is nothing but a cardboard box I can knock down anytime” (312). She finally gives into his demands because she realizes that she has lost all power over her situation. Arnold compares control to a cardboard box and stresses that just as he can destroy the box, he is also able to take total command over Connie’s life. Seeing that she has become completely submissive to him, she accepts her horrific fate and gives into Arnold and his desires. By surrendering to him she loses all control over her life and is left to rely on the mercy of her captor.
III. DICTION
Oates uses vivid imagery to show the reader what Connie saw, so they can better understand her mental state. Arnold is portrayed as a mysterious yet alluring man who frightens, yet also interests Connie. “He looked as if he probably did hard work, lifting and carrying things. Even his neck looked muscular. And his face was a familiar face, somehow: his jaw and chin and cheeks slightly darkened, because he hadn’t shaved for a day or two, and the nose was long and hawk-like, sniffling as if she were a treat he has going to gobble up and it was all a joke” (303). Oates provides an extensive description of Arnold to show his predatory nature. He is said to have a “hawk-like” nose, which relates to his personality and how he stalks girls only to prey on them. This description allows the reader to understand the fear and anxiety of Connie later in the story. It also shows the savage nature of Arnold, revealing his view that Connie is merely another girl to prey upon.
Idiolect is used throughout the story to add an element of reality to the characters. The use of idiolect can be seen by how Connie communicates. “She [Connie’s mom] makes me want to throw up” (297). The way that Connie chooses to speak about her mother shows her rebellious teenage spirit. It emphasizes the stubbornness and the disregard for their parents that teenagers have. It is this very hatred of her mother that allows Connie to abduct by Arnold.
In the beginning of the story Oates uses the narrative to progress the plot. “She sat on the edge of her bed . . . and listened for an hour and a half to a program” (300). She uses the narrative to show longer periods of time in which little action occurs. When the action becomes more intense the plot is moved by dialogue. “I’m going to call the police” (308). Dialogue is used to show the quick secession of events that take places. The quick pace of the dialogue between Connie and Arnold also show the increasing intensity of the situation and mimics the fast-beating heart rate of Connie, which allows the reader to feel her fear increasing as her conversation with Arnold continues.
Throughout “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” the diction upholds the theme that though an individual can attempt to gain total control in their life, they never possess complete authority over their life because it can be taken away at a moment’s notice. This is shown when Arnold states “[t]his is how it is, honey; you come and we’ll drive away, have a nice ride” (310). Arnold is able to take all control that Connie thought she had over herself and the situation by luring her into his car. When she leaves with Arnold, she loses her identity and becomes just another one of his victims. The diction also upholds the subject of the novel by painting a picture of Arnold as someone who is both creepy and fascinating. The language he uses suggests that he can easily manipulate his prey with flirtatious banter, which hides his malicious intent.
IV. TONE
The tone of “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is sympathetic.

In the beginning of the story the reader feels sympathy for Connie and her broken relationship with her mother. Later in the plot Arnold is able to use the fear that Connie feels in order to take over her life. She is unable to do anything to stop him, so she accepts her doom and drives away with him. Connie’s inability to avoid her tragic fate causes the reader to feel pity for her. Oates leaves her fate ambiguous, allowing the reader to conjure up his or her own ending to this story. This increases the sympathy for Connie, for the reader will imagine the worse case

scenario.
V. SYMBOLISM
Connie’s mother is symbolic of the opposition of the feminist movement. She is constantly hounding Connie for her rebellious ideas and wishing she were more like her traditional sister Jane. She states, “Why don’t you keep your room clean like your sister? How’ve you got you hair fixed – what the hell stinks? Hair spray? You don’t see you sister using that junk!” (296). Her mother’s attitude towards Connie’s rebellious spirit is the same attitude of those who opposed the rebellious ideals of the feminist movement. She prefers the ideals of the traditional women, like Jane, who always did what they were told and lived conservative lives. Connie is the exact opposite of this traditionalist view, which causes strain in her relationship with her mother. This parallels the tension brought upon by the opposition to the feminist movement.
Arnold’s car represents the character of Arnold and becomes an extension of him. They both attempt to hide their true evil natures by exhibiting the spirit of a rebellious teenager. In Arnold’s case it is the way he dresses, and in the case of the car it is the flashy gold paint with the outdated phrases written on the side of the car. “[T]he car, which was painted so bright it almost hurt her eyes to look at it. . . . [U]p at the front fender was an expression that was familiar – MAN THE FLYING SAUCERS. It was an expression kids . . . didn’t use this year. She looked at it for a while as if the words meant something to her that she did not know yet” (304). It is the car that initially alerts Connie that Arnold is a sketchy character and allows her to see through he façade. Like Arnold, the car disguises itself as something young and beautiful, but in actuality is something ugly and harmful. The car play a key role in Arnold’s take over of Connie’s life, and thus it can be seen as indirectly stripping all control away from her.
Arnold’s abduction of Connie represents man’s oppression of women. Arnold forces Connie to obey his commands just like how many men expected women to conform to their wills. “I ain’t made plans for coming in that house where I don’t belong but just for you to come out to me, the way you should. Don’t you know who I am?” (310). Arnold intimidates Connie and threatens to harm her if she did not submit to his will. This is similar to how men oppressed women and did not allow women to act on their own initiative. In both cases the female would face great repercussions if they obeyed, but also if they disobeyed. This made the women and in the case of the story, Connie, feel as if they could do nothing but accept their fate and submit to the man.