Oates' "Where Are You Going"

Joyce Carol Oates’ short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is filled to the brim with tension and discomfort. The first indication that Oates gives us that this story is going to take a wrong turn is the discovery early on that our main character, Connie, is stuck in a strained relationship with her parents. Her mother’s criticisms of her and general teen angst lead Connie to seek out impulsive behaviors in order to escape from her home identity. Even in the plain, midwestern setting that we’re given, the discomfort between Connie and her family indicate to us that not everything is how it appears to be. Also, the idea that Connie can only escape her reality at night (in the dark) creates an air of mystery and suspense, especially considering that she behaves more recklessly than she would normally. The introduction of Arnold Friend into the story is eerie and confusing; he exhibits disturbing, predatory behavior in the parking lot where Connie first sees him and seems to disappear from our view until we meet him again in the afternoon that Connie finds herself home alone. In this afternoon scene, the story goes from tense to completely terrifying. First, the setting is completely in the light, indicating that nothing is hidden from us as readers and that our characters (namely Connie) cannot hide anything, either. It’s also a hot summer afternoon, giving us some sensory imagery that creates more tension for what’s to come. The image we’re given of Arnold is not clear, and it isn’t apparent if he is even human. His threatening words mannerisms send us and Connie to the brink by the story’s climactic scene in which she accepts her fate and follows Arnold out of the door into the unknown. This story absolutely shocked me. Even having read it a week ago, I still get the chills thinking about it.