A young Girls Choice
"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" has been interpreted in many different ways since it was written in 1970. The story is based on a beautiful fifteen year old girl that spends her summer vacation listening to music, hanging out with friends, and daydreaming about boys. Joyce Carol Oates portrays the themes of love and lust, through the character of Connie, who confuses lust and obsession with love. She finds out life is a lot more complicated then she thought it would be. The climax of the story begins when Connie is left home alone, and is faced with making a choice that will have an affect on her life forever. This leads all readers to question whether or not Connie opened the screen door because she wanted to escape her life at home and go to a fantasy world, or did Connie give in to the temptation of the devil? Connie grew up in a very dysfunctional household that often left her feeling very alone at times. To escape these feelings, Connie spent a lot of her time daydreaming about what the future had in store for her. She imagined what it would be like to have the freedom to talk to boys, and discover what being in love was like. Whether it was real or imagined her involvement with boys was sweet, gentle, and the w
She has no inclination of who he is, but still continues to open the screen door to converse with him. When Connie went out with her friends she acted and dressed older then she really was. Eating where she knows all the older teens will be hanging out shows her eagerness to grow up and be someone she's not. Although, Connie and her mother communicated with each the relationship they had was no better then the relationship she had with her father. She wanted Connie to follow in her sisters foot steps for fear that she would grow up and become a pregnant teenager like she herself did at that age. Connie's ultimate goal was to develop into an independent grown woman. Also having the same voice as the DJ made it easier and more comforting for Connie to trust and talk to him. When talking with friends one day Connie tells them that her mother "makes me want to throw up sometimes" (Oates 3). Not once did he use any type of physical force on her. She was happy to see that she was growing up and developing into a grown woman. There is a fine line between love and lust. "Gonna get you baby" (Oates 7), was the first thing Arnold Friend said to Connie when he went to her house. After examining his character, one might suggest he resembles Satan. She opened that screen door for a reason. Connie clearly gave into the temptation of the devil.
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Acceptance Essays
