Where_Are_You_Going_Where_Have_You_Been__

WHERE ARE YOU GOING' WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN' In this story, Joyce Carol Oates, speaks about a fifteen year old girl named Connie and also about her life which was totally unknown to her family throughout the story. Connie is shown to be the type of girl who is very beauty-conscious, and according to her mom, “thinks too much of herself”. She had a very bad relationship with her mother, which might have been the reason why, Connie believed that “she was always after Connie” (Oates, 468). Connie had a sister named June, who was 24 years of age, and was often a gauge to measure the weaknesses of Connie. Connie was always shown to be far from reality, being always a dreamer, “who’s mind was all filled with trashy dreams” (Oates, 469). Throughout the whole story, Connie is depicted as a person who finds comfort in the company of her friends. Even though Connie’s mom favored her first child more, the only good thing was that, June would often go places with her friends, and that meant Connie had a legitimate reason for wanting to go out with her friends. Connie was someone who exhibited a sort of split personality, as she was one person in her house, with her family, and she was a whole different person once she stepped out of her house. She tells her family that she is going out to see a movie, but most of the time she would just cross the highway to a restaurant, shaped like a big bottle, and wait there to meet boys that are her age. One night, sitting in the restaurant, as her normal routine, a boy name Eddie, came over to talk with Connie and her friend. After some time, Connie and Eddie left the restaurant, to go out to eat, while leaving Connie’s friend behind. Eddie stated “that she [Connie’s friend], wouldn’t be alone for long” (Oates, 470), indicating that she was cute, and she would find company very soon. Excited and enthusiastic, Connie got out of the restaurant and she drew a great big breath of air, for the pleasure of being alive. It was at that point, her eyes took notice of a face, a few feet away. “It was a boy with shaggy black hair, in a convertible jalopy painted gold” (Oates, 470). There was something about him that made Connie repeatedly look behind her shoulder, at him. But then the very last time she looked back at him, he wagged his finger and said “gonna get you, baby” (470). Three hours later, Connie came back to the restaurant, she found her friend talking to a boy and when asked how the movie was, she impishly said “you should know”. Then they both rode off home with her friend’s father, who dropped them off at the mall, earlier. Since it was summer vacation, Connie had to spend most of the time in the house, getting in her mother’s way, thinking and dreaming about boys she had met before. Though Connie’s relationship with her mother was never peaceful, she knew that her mother was simple and kind enough to believe anything that Connie said. Much of Connie’s double-sided nature was received from her mother, as her mother would complain about one sister to another and then call up the other sister to complain about the first one. Connie also drew conclusions in her mother’s tone which was approving when the addressed issue was about June, and rather hostile when it came to Connie. Connie also thought that this was because June was prettier. One Sunday when Connie got up , she found that her family was getting ready to go to a barbecue at an aunt’s house but Connie said that she wasn’t interested and said that she wanted to stay home . soon her dad , mom and June made their way to their aunts house and Connie just sat in the back watching them as they drove off. Out in the sun , Connie lay there thinking about the boys she had been with the previous night and how sweet it was . Connie went inside the house and turned the radio up when the heat from outside got to her . after that Connie was relaxing while listening to fast shrieking songs that she was singing along with in the radio when she heard a car coming up the driveway. At first she thought it was her father but then after taking a closer look she found out that it was a car she didn’t recognize . her superficial teenage nature came into play as “she whispered “Christ , Christ ” wondering how bad she looked” (471). Then she heard four short taps on the horn like it was some sort of a signal for Connie to go out . She approached the kitchen door and peered outside the screen door to find two boys sitting in a car . She immediately recognized the driver to be the guy she had seen when she was out with Eddie. It was then , that the guy asked Connie “ I ain’t late , am I '”(471) as if they were former acquaintances . At first Connie played the comment off , then the guy introduced himself as “ARNOLD FRIEND”, showed Connie some of the things painted on his car and gradually asked Connie if she needed a ride. But Connie refused . Evidence from the story suggest that Arnold was a rather lean , muscular kind of person and was also the kind that Connie liked . Well while she was in a bit of a confusion as to whether she should go with him or not , Arnold started to tell her stuff he knew about her and her family ,also looking unto the vicinity to say what her family was doing at the barbecue party . He even gave her a heads up on who she had been with the previous night . Slowly but persuasively Arnold tried to lure Connie into going with him . As his monotone began to get worse she got intimidated and told him that she was going to inform the police . Arnold’s reply was simple “soon as you touch the phone , I don’t need to keep my promise and can come inside . You wont want that ”(477). He talked to her rather gently , often calling her ‘honey’. when she tried to lock him out he told her that anyone could come in through a screen door or even wood and also added that if the place were to go on fire then Connie wouldn’t have anyother choice but to come out to Arnold . His tone of voice gradually began to change , from a polite tone to a rather threatening one . For example he says “ but if you don’t come out then we are gonna wait till your people come home and then they are all gonna get it” (478). That is the part of the story where Connie has to give in . at the end , she goes with Arnold . Quotes : 1)“who’s mind was all filled with trashy dreams” ( Oates 469) 2)“It was a boy with shaggy black hair, in a convertible jalopy painted gold” (Oates, 470). 3)“ but if you don’t come out then we are gonna wait till your people come home and then they are all gonna get it” (478). Personal connection : To be honest , there isn’t much I can compare myself to Connie with because I had a totally different setting growing up . Teenagers and especially girls were never let outside the house after dark, so the question of a late night movie was out of the question. Girls meeting up with boys, even in broad daylight was strictly prohibited . And in my case I wasn’t even allowed to use public transportation with my friends as I was taken to school and brought back by my driver . The idea of a guy ( a total stranger like Arnold ) saying things to a girl as in the story s in one way creepy but on the other hand I strongly feel that if Connie had a big brother like me ( thank God ) then guys wouldn’t be messing with her nor would she have gone for the movies that often . But I do realize that the girl was terrified by the incident and the only reason why she went with him was because she didn’t want to get her family involved . But there is also another thing , I have heard before on TV that if a guy is nice to a girl [ for example on a date] and if he I rude to the waiter or bus boy then his basic character is very harsh , and such people should be kept away. Maybe Connie felt vulnerable , maybe she felt scared …. Vocabulary 1) mock : to ridicule , make fun of 2)lilting :A cheerful or lively manner of speaking, in which the pitch of the voice varies pleasantly. 3) languidly: lacking vigor or vitality ,slack or slow .