Joyce Carol Oates's "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" takes place in the early 1960's and tells the tale of fifteen year old Connie who is stalked and evidently abducted by a man who calls himself Arnold Friend. The short story is based on a true story however in this retelling the open ending allows readers' to interpret the meaning individually. One theme out of several in the book is clearly "initiation" as Connie is an innocent teenager on the cusp of becoming an adult who is seduced by way of her own vanity. Separating from and rebelling against parental authority is part of the passage from girl to woman in our culture. While endeavoring to create an identity as an adult Connie adopts a mature image when out with her girlfriends. Connie faces some tough decisions regarding her stalker, Arthur Friend, and goes through a kind of transformation, which in this case is both moral and sexual. This essay will look at the "coming of age" theme as it plays out in Connie's search for her independent self. .
One of the themes is clearly "initiation" as Connie is an innocent teenager on the cusp of becoming an adult who is seduced by her own vanity. Connie equates her self-worth with her physical beauty which leads her to mock her sister, fight with her mother, and engage in the "habit of craning her neck to glance into mirrors or checking other people's faces to make sure her own was all right."(505) Connie's behavior is typical teenage angst, she has two sides to her personified in her appearance and attitude at home versus when she is out. These two sides of her symbolize the fact that she is in the transition girl and woman. The author introduces us to the character Connie, as a naive fifteen-year old who is out explore what the world has to offer. She is interested in boys and music and does not want to stay under her parent's control.
