In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Joyce Carol Oates illustrates an adolescent 15 years old girl called Connie. A typical teenager who thinks she has the world in her hands, converting this girl in the perfect prospect for a murder. Critic Clifford J. Kurkowski finds this a “significant issue in literary criticism because it questions Connie’s values and morals, and the author’s intent.” It was easy for these girls to be a victim of a forced sexual encounter or a violation because they were immature, innocent, and their parents did not pay attention to them. Making Connie the perfect victim for the murderer Arnold Field
Introducing herself as a teenager, Connie is looking for attention and love regardless of the consequences this may bring. By behaving and dressing like an adult woman she walks around creating sexual attention in the light of older men. This leads her to be part of this number of girls who try to find love and attention on the hands of the wrong person. Apparently Connie is becoming increasingly alienated from her family. “Her parents and sister were going to a barbecue at an aunt's house and Connie said no, she wasn't interested” (340). This shows the relationship between Connie and her family, it was very unstable; there were lack of love, and a contribution to the fact that her parents did not care about their children. This shows how Connie contributed to her own demise because she was not even trying to spend quality time with her family and giving love to them. She was a now putting herself in depression, which would eventually contribute with her idea of ruining her own life.
As most of the teenagers, Connie felt distanced from the relationship between her sister and mother. She believes that they were jealous that she has the virtue of being beautiful and charismatic and they do not. Connie's mother showed a strong preference towards her sister, and Connie could perceive this. . Connie’s mother states, "If June's name was Mentioned her mother's tone was approving, and if Connie's name was Mentioned it was disapproving" (340). Connie's mother was always complaining of the lack of help that Connie was showing in her house. “Why don't you keep your room clean like your sister?” (337). This shows Connie’s mother preferences between the girls and the constant comparisons that she made them. Connie also felt a strong disunity with her mother and she wanted that one day everything will be over and finally she will be happy.
In addition, to the struggle that their parents did not care about their children, Connie's father showed no interest about what their children felt or did. He was a father who did not talk to their daughters. Then Connie could keep two personalities because of the lack of interest that her parents had toward her. "Everything about her had two sides to it, one for home and one for anywhere that was not home" (338). So she could be a normal teenager at home, but on the street be a sexual attraction, looking likes a 20 year old lady. Then Connie was not completely clear with her preferences in life as if it takes two different roles. The only moment she was completely comfortable with herself, it was when she listen to her music because she felt that she could be in a different world where everything was easy and relax.
But Connie's life completely changes one afternoon when she met Arnold Field. An older man, who represented the wildness, and who said all the right words for a girl of the age of Connie could easily fall into his arms. Connie's life completely changed one afternoon when she met Arnold Field. An older man, who represented the wildness, and who said all the right words for a girl from the age of Connie could easily fall into his arms. Arnold met Connie Field in front of her house, in some way Connie was waiting for this to happen. This boy was with a friend who symbolizes the shadow of Arnold Field; also it represents his follower or a slave. They try to seduce Connie, inviting her to take a ride into a wild and fun life. But Connie was apparently afraid to make this decision. Arnold Field does not give up with this answer; so he was trying to show her that he was the right person and that they both had a passion for the same music and equals point of view about life. Arnold Field could make Connie feels some respect by showing that he had the power and he knew everything about this girl's life.
This narrative is an example of how the life of a fifteen year old went from no problem taking a life decision. Critic AR Coulthard states "Oates based his story on real life Charles Schmid and his murder of Alleen Rowe" (Coulthard). It was a journal that had a serial murderer who seduced and murdered teenage girls. Girls like to receive accolades, however, love get noticed and be commended for the boys. Very true Taking minds thoughtless and girl, teenage girls make easy targets for mass murderers. Sweet talking and being attractive men makes girls melt into their hearts. The murderers themselves can knowledge on what the girls are interested in, for example, which has the same interest in music taste, food, sports that's how girls mind twisting. This technique works well because it shows the "interest" to call the murderers have for them.
This story in some way reveals the bad influence that some people can be. Critic Gillis, Christina Marsden states, “Arnold must symbolize Satan and Connie must be raped and murdered”. It can practically be said that Connie knew the dark side at the precise moment she first looked at Arnold Field. Joan Wislows calls the story “An encounter with de Devil.” Although could be said that Arnold is the reincarnation of the devil in this story, I believe it is a bit more complex than this idea. The two Connie´s personalities represents the good girl, and the other one the dark and the wild one. This means that maybe in some sense this wild personality was waiting for this to happen, because she dreamed it every day.