Connie's adventure with Arnold Friend
             In this short story "Where are you going, where have you been?" Carol Joyce presents Connie as a rebellious fifteen-year-old girl. Connie lives in an existential world; the environment she lives in is meaningless for her. Connie finds her escape in music and in daydreaming about all the boys she meets over summer. Connie's lack of maturity, prevents her from avoiding the event with Arnold. She has a split personality; thus, she always acts in two different ways. She has no relationship with her parents, and she conflicts with her mother constantly. Also, Connie seeks out the company of young men, and she likes to flirt around. It is this seductive behavior that drew Arnold's attention in the first place.
             Connie is illustrated as having a split personality. "Everything about her had two sides it, one for home and one for anywhere that was not home"(446). Connie is torn between growing out of her childhood and growing into being a woman. She still has a certain amount of child-like behavior but tries to be more adult. Therefore, she cares only about her outfit and young boys. Connie dresses differently and walks more like a lady when she is away from home. Additionally, she wares a makeup when she goes out "her mouth, which was pale and smirking most of the time, but bright and pink on these evenings out"(446). Her facial expression and even her laugh are different "her laugh, which was cynical and drawling at home but high-pinched and nervous anywhere else, like the jingling of the charms of her bracelet"(446). Moreover, she is confident about her self "she knew she was pretty and that was everything" (446); although, sometimes she is insecure and has low self-esteem.
             Mainly, she is insecure because her parents offer her no direction; as a result, there is an emotional dryness in Connie's life. Her father is absent ...