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Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? [casebook]
part of series, Women Writers: Texts and Contexts. This casebook includes an introduction by the editor, a chronology of Oates’s life, an authoritative text of “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” an essay by Oates on Smooth Talk, the original Life article about the serial killer, ten critical essays (including two about the film), and a bibliography.
178 pages, Paperback
Published November 1, 1994
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About the author
Elaine Showalter
77 books142 followersElaine Showalter is an American literary critic, feminist, and writer on cultural and social issues. She is one of the founders of feminist literary criticism in United States academia, developing the concept and practice of gynocritics.
She is well known and respected in both academic and popular cultural fields. She has written and edited numerous books and articles focussed on a variety of subjects, from feminist literary criticism to fashion, sometimes sparking widespread controversy, especially with her work on illnesses. Showalter has been a television critic for People magazine and a commentator on BBC radio and television.
(source: Wikipedia)
She is well known and respected in both academic and popular cultural fields. She has written and edited numerous books and articles focussed on a variety of subjects, from feminist literary criticism to fashion, sometimes sparking widespread controversy, especially with her work on illnesses. Showalter has been a television critic for People magazine and a commentator on BBC radio and television.
(source: Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 180 reviews
August 19, 2023
3.5 stars
"Where are we going?" -- Connie
"Just for a ride, Connie sweetheart." -- 'Arnold Friend'
The work that first garnered Joyce Carol Oates attention in literary circles, Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? - originally published in 1966 - still is effective as a foreboding short story involving a teen girl quietly stalked by an alarming admirer. However, while it IS a well-written piece it also suffers a little from the last 55+ years worth of real-life serial killers, crazed stalkers, and other obsessed folks who have increasingly made the front page and/or became the lead story in the news media. (In other words, such activities have sadly become almost commonplace.) Fortunately, this edition also includes the LIFE magazine article text - a story entitled 'The Pied Piper of Tucson,' about a James Dean wannabe-type who killed three teenagers in 1965 - that first provided Oates with some inspiration, as well as an essay by Oates in which she discusses her story plus its film adaptation in 1986, re-titled Smooth Talk, which was the first starring role for a young Laura Dern.
"Where are we going?" -- Connie
"Just for a ride, Connie sweetheart." -- 'Arnold Friend'
The work that first garnered Joyce Carol Oates attention in literary circles, Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? - originally published in 1966 - still is effective as a foreboding short story involving a teen girl quietly stalked by an alarming admirer. However, while it IS a well-written piece it also suffers a little from the last 55+ years worth of real-life serial killers, crazed stalkers, and other obsessed folks who have increasingly made the front page and/or became the lead story in the news media. (In other words, such activities have sadly become almost commonplace.) Fortunately, this edition also includes the LIFE magazine article text - a story entitled 'The Pied Piper of Tucson,' about a James Dean wannabe-type who killed three teenagers in 1965 - that first provided Oates with some inspiration, as well as an essay by Oates in which she discusses her story plus its film adaptation in 1986, re-titled Smooth Talk, which was the first starring role for a young Laura Dern.
July 3, 2007
I read this second semester of my freshman year of high school. It was when I was running for Miss Lenexa and we were selling candy to raise money for the Legler Barn. I ate almost all of my own Milky Way bars, and to this day, every time I read one of the short stories from this, I can taste a Milky Way.
May 8, 2023
In this frightening story, a sinister stranger called Friend preys upon Connie, a 15-year-old teenager who is left home alone. Connie falls into Friend's predatory clutches not through his aggressiveness (his physique is described as "bony"), but through Friend's cleverness with words. The satanic figure seduces her in spite of his frightening appearance; in spite of his unkempt hair and bony physique. Despite his delusions, he argues relentlessly, incessantly, and this barrage of possessive, entitled assertions is enough to break her will to assert her own boundaries. Friend argues:
1. The screen door, if locked, can easily be smashed: "Why lock it? It's just a screen door, It's just nothing."
2. The parents - only several streets away at a neighbourhood BBQ - are disposed and inaccessible "They ain't coming."
3. He has her favourite music in the car, and she will enjoy the ride
4. he is (already!) her lover... she just doesn't know it yet: "you washed your hair and you washed it for me. It's nice and shining and all for me. I thank you sweetheart."
5. her indecisiveness is a cause of embarrassment: "Connie, don't fool around with me. I mean - I mean, don't fool AROUND," he said, shaking his head incredulously."
By the time she goes out to be embraced by Friend, she is a zombie. The story ends with the sight she sees from the car window: "so much land that Connie had never seen before and did not recognize except to know that she was going to it".
Friend's delusional arguments represent patriarchal entitlement in its extreme form: the abduction and rape of women. At the time of writing, the world was coming to terms with the notion of a serial killer, and the murder of women with a sexual motive. The rationale of Friend reflects a presumption of ownership, of overwhelming self-confidence which women can feel powerless to counter in the context of society's tacit acquiescence. What is particularly creepy is how Friend's speech is scattered with the corny language of popular songs: an indication by Oates that the story is not mere true crime, but an allegory for mainstream views.
The prelude to Connie's actual meeting with Friend seems to establish Connie as a regular suburban girl. She follows the rules, happily. Her character is true to adolescence, on the brink of adulthood.
Some of the critical essays included in my edition have pointed out there is something heroic about Connie's sacrifice. I find this interpretation difficult to reconcile with her zombified attitude at the end of the story: "....so much land...."
If it was a sacrifice, who was saved? Friend drives a gold car. He is so inconspicuous that he might have stepped out of a fairy tale. The threat to the family is not credible; the visit happens in broad daylight; she has a lock between she and him; even if the lock had been forced she could have run and jumped fences. She could have screamed and screamed again. I think that she is quite simply brainwashed, and Carol Oates, a feminist, wants us to take the story allegorically: a message about predatory male sexuality and female submission to its glib, underhanded language.
1. The screen door, if locked, can easily be smashed: "Why lock it? It's just a screen door, It's just nothing."
2. The parents - only several streets away at a neighbourhood BBQ - are disposed and inaccessible "They ain't coming."
3. He has her favourite music in the car, and she will enjoy the ride
4. he is (already!) her lover... she just doesn't know it yet: "you washed your hair and you washed it for me. It's nice and shining and all for me. I thank you sweetheart."
5. her indecisiveness is a cause of embarrassment: "Connie, don't fool around with me. I mean - I mean, don't fool AROUND," he said, shaking his head incredulously."
By the time she goes out to be embraced by Friend, she is a zombie. The story ends with the sight she sees from the car window: "so much land that Connie had never seen before and did not recognize except to know that she was going to it".
Friend's delusional arguments represent patriarchal entitlement in its extreme form: the abduction and rape of women. At the time of writing, the world was coming to terms with the notion of a serial killer, and the murder of women with a sexual motive. The rationale of Friend reflects a presumption of ownership, of overwhelming self-confidence which women can feel powerless to counter in the context of society's tacit acquiescence. What is particularly creepy is how Friend's speech is scattered with the corny language of popular songs: an indication by Oates that the story is not mere true crime, but an allegory for mainstream views.
The prelude to Connie's actual meeting with Friend seems to establish Connie as a regular suburban girl. She follows the rules, happily. Her character is true to adolescence, on the brink of adulthood.
Some of the critical essays included in my edition have pointed out there is something heroic about Connie's sacrifice. I find this interpretation difficult to reconcile with her zombified attitude at the end of the story: "....so much land...."
If it was a sacrifice, who was saved? Friend drives a gold car. He is so inconspicuous that he might have stepped out of a fairy tale. The threat to the family is not credible; the visit happens in broad daylight; she has a lock between she and him; even if the lock had been forced she could have run and jumped fences. She could have screamed and screamed again. I think that she is quite simply brainwashed, and Carol Oates, a feminist, wants us to take the story allegorically: a message about predatory male sexuality and female submission to its glib, underhanded language.
June 14, 2023
Girls transitioning into women- not a new subject, but Oates covers it in a way that took me back to when I was wearing my tight blue jeans, trying to get the older boys’ attention, dancing around the living room to MTV and thinking about the handsome man who would come take me away from it all. Ugggh, a fantasy born from music, books, movies, and teenage angst.
Oates covers a very dark side of this fantasy for one young girl Connie. Connie is going through that push/pull with her mother, trying to prove she is independent and grown. She goes with boys from school into the alley and snickers with her girlfriends over it. All very innocent , until its suddenly not and Connie is ill equipped to deal with the 2 evil visitors that come into her life. Connie views the details of this very dark scene as through a fever dream. Very great descriptions of Connie’s views of the 2 visitors.
…be nice to me, be sweet like you can because what else is there for a girl like you but to be sweet and pretty and give in?...
Oates covers a very dark side of this fantasy for one young girl Connie. Connie is going through that push/pull with her mother, trying to prove she is independent and grown. She goes with boys from school into the alley and snickers with her girlfriends over it. All very innocent , until its suddenly not and Connie is ill equipped to deal with the 2 evil visitors that come into her life. Connie views the details of this very dark scene as through a fever dream. Very great descriptions of Connie’s views of the 2 visitors.
…be nice to me, be sweet like you can because what else is there for a girl like you but to be sweet and pretty and give in?...
March 31, 2024
I was remembering this story recently. When I first read it I was a teenager and didn’t realize that this disillusionment appears so often. Now more than a decade later I really recognize the pattern in the story. The disillusionment that comes with attraction - especially when someone is trying to attract you to them. Attraction, hiding behind masks, finally the dropping of masks, when the reality comes out. How often this happens: people pretend to be someone they are not and you realize it only after some time spent getting closer to them.
You see someone who is so attractive, cool and magnetic that you walk right up to it. You get closer and closer, drawn to that image. Then you get close enough and suddenly see beneath the mask. In this story it happens quite literally, she can see the placement of the wig and realizes this man is wearing a disguise designed to lure her in. All the illusions come apart quickly but only when it is too late.
You see someone who is so attractive, cool and magnetic that you walk right up to it. You get closer and closer, drawn to that image. Then you get close enough and suddenly see beneath the mask. In this story it happens quite literally, she can see the placement of the wig and realizes this man is wearing a disguise designed to lure her in. All the illusions come apart quickly but only when it is too late.
August 26, 2015
I've been mulling over this short story for a couple of days and I'm still not sure how I feel about it. I didn't feel the story was *creepy* like some have said, although I can understand why some would feel that way. Mostly I was just irritated that she didn't say no and slam the door or go running into the yard screaming at the top of her lungs. And that no one had taught her to do that. I gather this was supposed to be a sort of psychological illustration or interpretation of Alleen Rowe being lured by Charles Schmid but I don't feel I understand her decision or reaction any better for having read this. It is well written and disturbing but I can't say I'm glad to have read it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2019
Super disturbing but still intriguing!!
February 5, 2013
Oates has been known and acclaimed for her unique show-and-tell narrative style. In this story, she demonstrates the truth in this. Where are You Going, Where Have you Been? tackles the simple themes of beauty and ugliness. The narrative creatively explores their dark sides through a beautiful teenager, Connie, and a stalker, Arnold Friend, who lures and threatens Connie with the simple use of words. There are very few narrative/declarative parts in this story. In fact, you will mostly read dialogues between two people. And yet – and here is where Oates genius lies – nothing can be more descriptive of the characters and their situation. Through simple dialogues, Oates managed to convey the terror of a girl trapped by a man who covets her for her good looks. Skillfully presented and explored without crime actually happening, only a promise of what it will be, the conversation between Connie and Arnold gives a new perspective on beauty, of how it can be a blessing – and a curse.
July 26, 2017
This is a fabulous source for anyone who teaches the now infamous and widely anthologized story by Joyce Carol Oates or for anyone who is as obsessed with the story as I am.
April 28, 2022
this was insane!!! i loved it!! it started off sweet and simple. just a teenage girl with some mommy issues. then BAM shit hit the floor real quick. My heart was beating so fast and my skin was crawling. i LOVED it!!! its kinda sad that this shit is a little realistic and that stuff like this happens to people. overall, such a good story. I recommend to people who love a little thrill or honestly anyone. it kinda had perfect blue vibes kinda but not really. i definitely see myself rereading this when i need to get out a slump or when i want something short and simple to read.
update: sam and i are discovering new information and possibilities of what happened
update: sam and i are discovering new information and possibilities of what happened
May 26, 2023
A story of childhood innocence and the danger of trying to grow up too soon.
I wasnt familiar with JCOs work until now but i was powerfully gripped by this haunting tale.
It can be a beautiful world but also an ugly one and reading this really gets all aspects of your being into motion. My heart was racing with fear for this little girl. I was baring my teeth at the pages in protection for her. Hoping to keep the evil away.
The writting style is fabulous and the message is loud and clear. What a writter. She really grabs your full attention and keeps it.
I wasnt familiar with JCOs work until now but i was powerfully gripped by this haunting tale.
It can be a beautiful world but also an ugly one and reading this really gets all aspects of your being into motion. My heart was racing with fear for this little girl. I was baring my teeth at the pages in protection for her. Hoping to keep the evil away.
The writting style is fabulous and the message is loud and clear. What a writter. She really grabs your full attention and keeps it.
January 20, 2019
Connie é uma adolescente insuportável, rebelde ,que adora brigar com a mãe, caçoar da irmã e dos mais velhos. Um belo dia toda sua família vai a um churrasco e ela fica sozinha em casa. O dia promete : ficar sozinha , curtir , ,aproveitar o sol e lavar o cabelo. Um verdadeiro céu! Só que de repente um carro buzina à sua porta com dois jovens dentro..Não tinha como melhorar o dia mas melhorou! só que mal sabe ela que essa visita será um verdadeiro encontro com o diabo.
March 12, 2016
So... JCO is a genius. She is. Not all of us see it, because her narrative cleverness is delivered in the less pretentious way possible, but the way she describes without describing, with emotions portrayed mostly by dialog, I think it's rare. And genial.
February 6, 2017
Joyce Carol Oats packs a powerhouse of psychological fear in this classic short story, a fear more menacing than any gun, knife or weapon. The main character is pretty fifteen-year-old Connie, who longs to break free from the chains of her jealous mother, emotionally absent father and boring, steadfast older sister. She does so by daydreaming, listening to music, sneaking away to a drive-in restaurant with her friends and experimenting sexually with boys.
The psychological terror begins one Sunday afternoon when Connie refuses to accompany her family to a barbecue and is home alone. Two boys in a convertible gold jalopy pull into her driveway. She recognizes one of them from the drive-in restaurant the night before, Arnold Friend. Friend invites her to take a ride with him. At first, Connie is flattered by his attentions. But she grows increasingly afraid when she realizes there is something wrong with him—he wears a wig and has trouble walking in his boots—and is much older than he claims. When she threatens to call the police, he threatens to harm her family upon their return. Connie then feels she has no choice but to leave with him—at her own peril. Connie sacrifices herself for the family she once disdained.
The psychological terror begins one Sunday afternoon when Connie refuses to accompany her family to a barbecue and is home alone. Two boys in a convertible gold jalopy pull into her driveway. She recognizes one of them from the drive-in restaurant the night before, Arnold Friend. Friend invites her to take a ride with him. At first, Connie is flattered by his attentions. But she grows increasingly afraid when she realizes there is something wrong with him—he wears a wig and has trouble walking in his boots—and is much older than he claims. When she threatens to call the police, he threatens to harm her family upon their return. Connie then feels she has no choice but to leave with him—at her own peril. Connie sacrifices herself for the family she once disdained.
July 21, 2020
I would like to read this actual book, which contains the story plus a lot more material about it. I only read the story itself, but it's a doozy! One of the creepiest little tales I have ever read, and I did not expect that at the beginning! And it has so much more going on than the actual events depicted, I feel like this story alone could be the basis of a whole women's studies college class. And, it is dedicated to Bob Dylan! I couldn't think why as I read. It mentions music frequently, but nothing in particular. Then after I finished it I googled the story and read that it was inspired by real-life murders but also, Oates was inspired to write it after hearing the song "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue." Interesting!
July 5, 2023
A great Joyce Carol Oates story, which had been selected for inclusion in the Best American Short Story anthology in 1967, gets the full treatment. Loved the format: An introductory essay establishing the context; the story; the magazine article the story took as a source; an essay about the story by its author; six critical essays that fillet the story; two essays take issue with the movie version; and a smallish bibliography. Fun to see a story dissected and analyzed from so many angles. Excellent teaching resource
January 1, 2020
Just finished re-reading this for a Master's thesis-- it is amazing and layered. The first time I read it, I was so distraught that I told my teacher that no one should ever read it, especially not high school kids. On the second read, I knew everyone needed to read it, especially high school girls.
February 26, 2015
I was panicking throughout the whole thing. I'm not feeling too good about the subject but we can't pretend evil isn't out there. Four stars for good portrayal of bad reality.
September 15, 2015
This short story was a bit disturbing but kept me intrigued the entire time.
February 11, 2022
this made me so uncomfortable but I love the way it was written and if you think about the context, is actually super sad.
October 1, 2025
read this for ap lit. had me on the edge of my seat. really appreciated the attention to detail and enjoyed the characterization of connie. liked the contrast between her and arnold as she seemed to get younger and younger and he older and older. made me a bit uncomfortable (content and writing style), and as my teacher told me, all good writing should. my class was fixated on arnold being the devil. i can see it i think. they also speculated that it was all just a dream, which i do not agree with. all in all, beautiful yet haunting piece of literature.
November 1, 2014
Definitely every girls horror!
April 3, 2018
I don't think this story was meant for me. That being said it was still a lot of nothing until the end, when clearly *something* happens, but I don't know what the point of it was or what it meant.
March 29, 2015
Choices, throughout our lifetime we must all make them. Can you remember how difficult it was to choose an outfit during the emotional hurricane known as adolescence? Joyce Carol Oates’ Where are you going, where have you been?, depicts a teenager’s hormonally distorted views of sexuality, vanity, and the dangers that come with it. For many of us, we can relate to the main character, Connie, as she slowly strays away from the moral path in search of excitement. I found this short story enjoyable and excels in questioning the morality of the choices youth makes.
Connie, an attractive 15 year old, is constantly scolded for not being more like her homely sister June. Feeling trapped in suburbia, she secretly yearns for the companionship from the opposite sex. She meets teenage boys at a hamburger shop, but seems more interested in the idea of being with a boy than the actual boy himself. Skipping church one Sunday, Connie meets Arnold Friend. Arnold is a smooth talker, who drives a beat up gold colored car, but all is not what it seems. Accompanied by his friend Ellie, Arnold attempts to convince Connie to join him for a ride. After her initial refusal, Arnold’s polite invitations turn into threats of physical harm to Connie and her family and seems to possess an almost mystical power over her.
Raised in a Catholic home, Oates bring religious moral undertone to the story. It proficiently questions the morality of today’s youth and the ease to fall into temptation which might bring dire consequences. The title Where are you going, Where have you been?, questions if the path that one takes is the morally correct path. Another example of dangerous choices, is when Arnold first arrived Connie’s home. She looked at herself in the mirror, concerned about her appearance, then stood at the doorway with “her bare toes curling down off the step”. She stood at the threshold of the safety of her home, not caring of the possible danger that lurked outside.
Oates’ short story effectively questions today’s youth and the decisions they make as they stand in the moral crossroads of life. It tackles the subject of vanity, sexuality, and the ability to influence youth. This short story makes the reader question some the choices her or she made during adolescence and warns present day teens of the possible dangers in society today.
Connie, an attractive 15 year old, is constantly scolded for not being more like her homely sister June. Feeling trapped in suburbia, she secretly yearns for the companionship from the opposite sex. She meets teenage boys at a hamburger shop, but seems more interested in the idea of being with a boy than the actual boy himself. Skipping church one Sunday, Connie meets Arnold Friend. Arnold is a smooth talker, who drives a beat up gold colored car, but all is not what it seems. Accompanied by his friend Ellie, Arnold attempts to convince Connie to join him for a ride. After her initial refusal, Arnold’s polite invitations turn into threats of physical harm to Connie and her family and seems to possess an almost mystical power over her.
Raised in a Catholic home, Oates bring religious moral undertone to the story. It proficiently questions the morality of today’s youth and the ease to fall into temptation which might bring dire consequences. The title Where are you going, Where have you been?, questions if the path that one takes is the morally correct path. Another example of dangerous choices, is when Arnold first arrived Connie’s home. She looked at herself in the mirror, concerned about her appearance, then stood at the doorway with “her bare toes curling down off the step”. She stood at the threshold of the safety of her home, not caring of the possible danger that lurked outside.
Oates’ short story effectively questions today’s youth and the decisions they make as they stand in the moral crossroads of life. It tackles the subject of vanity, sexuality, and the ability to influence youth. This short story makes the reader question some the choices her or she made during adolescence and warns present day teens of the possible dangers in society today.
May 27, 2025
One of my professors in college told me about this short story and it has lived rent-free in my brain ever since. The critical essays in this were fascinating — I liked O’Daly’s take the best.
I haven’t made up my mind as to what Arnold Friend is, exactly. Since it’s based on a true story that happened in the 60s, I think the details about the wobbly boots and his uncanny valley appearance are merely sticking close to the source material. I don’t think Oates intended for those details to translate into “So he’s the literal devil with cloven hooves instead of feet, and that’s why he wobbles when he walks!”
There are just so many different interpretations of this story, and that’s why it’s stayed with me for so long. The uncanny valley appearance, the outdated slang he uses, the wobbly boots, the numbers painted on the car that add up to 69, the fact he knows where her family is and what they’re doing? It makes sense to argue that he’s a sexual predator trying to appeal to teenage girls & exploit their emergent sexuality. Maybe he had been stalking her and that’s why he knows things he seemingly shouldn’t.
At the same time, there’s an equal argument to be made that there’s something supernatural about him; that he’s meant to be a human-like manifestation of evil. His appearance and knowledge of her family makes sense if he’s a supernatural being disguised in a human form. The numbers on the car could be a reference to Judges 17:19, which is a gruesome story about assault and contains this quote: “…the old man asked, ‘where are you going? Where did you come from?’”
I’m not sure which camp I fall into, but I think Oates intended for it to be purposefully ambiguous, and have both of these possibilities bleed into one another. What I DO know is that this story is so damn brilliant!
I haven’t made up my mind as to what Arnold Friend is, exactly. Since it’s based on a true story that happened in the 60s, I think the details about the wobbly boots and his uncanny valley appearance are merely sticking close to the source material. I don’t think Oates intended for those details to translate into “So he’s the literal devil with cloven hooves instead of feet, and that’s why he wobbles when he walks!”
There are just so many different interpretations of this story, and that’s why it’s stayed with me for so long. The uncanny valley appearance, the outdated slang he uses, the wobbly boots, the numbers painted on the car that add up to 69, the fact he knows where her family is and what they’re doing? It makes sense to argue that he’s a sexual predator trying to appeal to teenage girls & exploit their emergent sexuality. Maybe he had been stalking her and that’s why he knows things he seemingly shouldn’t.
At the same time, there’s an equal argument to be made that there’s something supernatural about him; that he’s meant to be a human-like manifestation of evil. His appearance and knowledge of her family makes sense if he’s a supernatural being disguised in a human form. The numbers on the car could be a reference to Judges 17:19, which is a gruesome story about assault and contains this quote: “…the old man asked, ‘where are you going? Where did you come from?’”
I’m not sure which camp I fall into, but I think Oates intended for it to be purposefully ambiguous, and have both of these possibilities bleed into one another. What I DO know is that this story is so damn brilliant!
March 8, 2020
Joyce Carol Oates is probably one of the most prolific writers alive today. She has published over 50 novels and 400 short stories. Her stories are typically dark, depressing, and violent in nature. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” is no exception. The story is perhaps one of Oates most famous and has been included on many college syllabi, being well known for what Oates terms “psychological realism” or “realistic allegory.” The story is based upon a real life psychopath, Charles Schmid, nicknamed the “Tucson Pied Piper.” In the early 1960’s, Schmid abducted, raped and murdered a number of young girls, shocking the small, Southwestern city of Tucson Arizona. Tucson was then considered a quiet, sleepy desert town (“What do people do in Tucson? They do each other’s laundry”). What added to the shock value was that Schmid was the son of a successful family and he was aided and abetted in his murder spree by local young people. Oates was prescient to write a horror story based on these lurid events prior to the Charles Manson cult murders later in the decade. Oates’ story became a frontal assault on the so-called “American Dream” – all was not well in mainstream America. The short story is only 23-pages of this 162-page book. The remainder consists of ten critical essays analyzing Oates’ allegory. Most of the analysis were fascinating, however they became somewhat tedious and repetitive after about the fifth critique. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” is a harrowing tale, one that will no doubt continue to haunt the middle class American psyche for decades to come.
June 28, 2015
Cold Chill for a Hot Summer!
“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” tells the story of Connie and her desire to be older. When adulthood comes to her door, though, she finds the idea of leaving her house terrifying. Oats takes you out of the mind and into the real world. Connie is a typical 15 year-old: self-absorbed and knows much more than her parents. While her parents think she’s spending her Friday nights at her friends, they’re actually out in town trying to pick up boys. One afternoon, Connie is left alone at home when one of the guys she has seen in town come by his house. He introduces himself as Arnold Friend the 18 year-old tries charming Connie into coming along with him and his friend. As he gets closer to the door, though, Connie is able to tell he is much older and begins to feel afraid. Connie’s backed into a corner and you feel like you’re beside. The reality of the situation is what gets you, and you can easily find yourself in Connie’s place – this narrative was inspired by four real murders.
“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” tells the story of Connie and her desire to be older. When adulthood comes to her door, though, she finds the idea of leaving her house terrifying. Oats takes you out of the mind and into the real world. Connie is a typical 15 year-old: self-absorbed and knows much more than her parents. While her parents think she’s spending her Friday nights at her friends, they’re actually out in town trying to pick up boys. One afternoon, Connie is left alone at home when one of the guys she has seen in town come by his house. He introduces himself as Arnold Friend the 18 year-old tries charming Connie into coming along with him and his friend. As he gets closer to the door, though, Connie is able to tell he is much older and begins to feel afraid. Connie’s backed into a corner and you feel like you’re beside. The reality of the situation is what gets you, and you can easily find yourself in Connie’s place – this narrative was inspired by four real murders.
October 1, 2016
Some spoilers ahead.
This masterpiece was published in 1966 a time where women were supposed to cook and be told what to do. In this story we meet the naive, vain, and young 15 year old Connie. Connie cares about herself, wishes she was dead, but let's it be known how attractive she is. She has some issues within herself and when she wishes she was dead it is sort of a foreshadow of what is to come.
When her family decides to go out she stays home where we are introduced to another character, Arnold Friend. If you remove some letters, Arnold Friend turns into "A Fiend" and that's exactly the vibe that this dude gives. The story shows you how, young girls, if not taught how to stand up for themselves can become a victim. He simply tells Connie that if she doesn't come out she will kill her family, he doesn't really do anything, just talks to her.
This short story is creepy. I liked it because Arnold is very articulate and destroys Connie with his words. I am not good at giving reviews because I feel that I give to much away. This story needs to be a requirement in schools to teach young kids not to trust and believe what people say.
This masterpiece was published in 1966 a time where women were supposed to cook and be told what to do. In this story we meet the naive, vain, and young 15 year old Connie. Connie cares about herself, wishes she was dead, but let's it be known how attractive she is. She has some issues within herself and when she wishes she was dead it is sort of a foreshadow of what is to come.
When her family decides to go out she stays home where we are introduced to another character, Arnold Friend. If you remove some letters, Arnold Friend turns into "A Fiend" and that's exactly the vibe that this dude gives. The story shows you how, young girls, if not taught how to stand up for themselves can become a victim. He simply tells Connie that if she doesn't come out she will kill her family, he doesn't really do anything, just talks to her.
This short story is creepy. I liked it because Arnold is very articulate and destroys Connie with his words. I am not good at giving reviews because I feel that I give to much away. This story needs to be a requirement in schools to teach young kids not to trust and believe what people say.
March 28, 2014
2.75 Stars out of 5 Stars
Somewhere between indifference and likeness is where I lie with this story. I do feel bad that I have been posting such neutral ratings as of late but I will digress for a moment to explain. Perhaps I am just hard to please when it comes to short stories. No matter how developed, I usually feel like I always come up a little short when reading a short story (all but for a few cases; e.g. The Happy Man by Jonathan Lethem and Pheonix by Chuck Palahniuk). It's not that the story is necessarily missing something, I just feel that there were parts I wish were glossed over and not expanded upon, and parts that I felt should be expanded upon and not glossed over. As you may be able to tell, for what ever reason, I usually am not wowed by short stories.
And unfortunately, as this story was well written, I was not wowed. Maybe it was my dislike for the main character, but whatever the case I was neutral towards the story. Sure I liked it enough, but loved I did not.
Somewhere between indifference and likeness is where I lie with this story. I do feel bad that I have been posting such neutral ratings as of late but I will digress for a moment to explain. Perhaps I am just hard to please when it comes to short stories. No matter how developed, I usually feel like I always come up a little short when reading a short story (all but for a few cases; e.g. The Happy Man by Jonathan Lethem and Pheonix by Chuck Palahniuk). It's not that the story is necessarily missing something, I just feel that there were parts I wish were glossed over and not expanded upon, and parts that I felt should be expanded upon and not glossed over. As you may be able to tell, for what ever reason, I usually am not wowed by short stories.
And unfortunately, as this story was well written, I was not wowed. Maybe it was my dislike for the main character, but whatever the case I was neutral towards the story. Sure I liked it enough, but loved I did not.
January 13, 2018
Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been is a short story by Joyce Carol Oates available free online at https://www.cusd200.org/cms/lib/IL010.... While her bald-headed daddy, her ever-critical mommy and her good-example older sister, June have gone to a Sunday BBQ, fifteen-year-old Connie, restless and rebellious, has stayed home to wash and dry her hair. Bold as you like, Arnold Friend and his little mate, Ellie drive right up the driveway. Arnold is insisting Connie come out for a drive. Connie hangs back behind the screen door, considering. Arnold is persuasive, almost hypnotic. But Arnold feels dangerous. Arnold says shocking things. Connie is surely not going to take the risk? A quick read that packs quite a punch.
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