Being a teenager is a difficult period in one's life. A teenager is no longer a child but not yet an adult. This state of turmoil makes the teenager's role in both family and society unclear. Joyce Carol Oates portrays a relatively typical teenage girl as the main character in "Where are you going? Where have you been?" At fifteen Connie exhibits traits common in teenage girls such as confusion, rebellion, and egocentrism. However, her confusion has a negative effect on her choices in life and ends up increasing her helplessness. Joyce Carol Oates establishes the character of Connie as a typical teenage girl through detailed descriptions of Connie's physical appearance and personality, which aids the reader in understanding Connie's vulnerability to Arnold Friend.
             From the very first paragraph in this short story, the reader gets an immediate sense of Connie. She is described as having, "...a quick nervous giggling habit of craning her neck to glance into mirrors or checking other people's faces to make sure her own was all right" (336). Joyce Carol Oates describes Connie's physical appearance, "Connie had long dark blond hair that drew anyone's eye to it, and she wore part of it pulled up on her head and puffed out and the rest of it she let fall down her back" (337). Her insecure vanity is highly apparent throughout the story as she is described constantly looking into mirrors and contemplating her beauty. This is a trait commonly seen in teenage girls who are stereotyped as being highly preoccupied with their looks.
             Another trait central to Connie's character is rebellion. Connie rebels by going to town with her girlfriends and then sneaks off with a boy. She either lies or omits the truth as to where she has been. When June asks her how the movie was that she supposedly saw the night before she replies, "So-so" when she really went off with Edd...