Introduction
She is called Connie and she is not like many girls of her time. She constantly fights with her family and is in a huge rush to mature. Her race to maturity is the aspect that is emphasized in Joyce Carol Oates' "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been.". This does split Connie into two personalities, one for home and the other for other places away from home. She changes a great deal once she is out of her home. The child is concealed and a seductive young lady emerges. Connie has a habit of constantly checking herself on the mirror. She is so obsessed with her appearance. Connie long hair signified her splendor and egotism. She does miss her family function so as to clean her hair. Interestingly, when Arnold Friend come to her home, Connie first checks her hair. Soon after, when she is asked to go for a drive, she is afraid that her hair will not be in its place.
Connie's fascination with looks
Connie’s fascination with looks is uncharacteristic. She is absorbed in the norms of the society she resides in. In this era, mothers favor the pretty daughters and hence being good-looking is very important to a female. Even though it plays a role in the events that led to her death, self-absorption is the trademark of young adults everywhere. In this era where Connie grew up, there was no higher authority. Her parents, who are supposed to be her guidance, do not monitor her or instill some rules (Easterly 6). Her father never acknowledges his family whereas her mother is interested in mere and jealous criticisms and gossip. Connie, therefore, is able to conceal her double life, where she experiments with boys, away from home. The father of her friends does not think of asking the girls what they have been doing in the mall when he goes for them.
Connie's assertion of independence
This absence of authority causes Connie to start affirming her willpower and autonomy. She does cross the freeway to dates with old boys, is not truthful about her actions and disobeys her mother by staying at home. She develops a different persona as he asserts her independence. She experiments with her growing sexuality. All these combined contributed highly to her events that led to her death. Arnold Friend saw Connie in the mall and that is where he got obsessed with her. It seems he secretly monitored her and her family and knew many details about her (Oates and Elaine 23). Perhaps her secret life where she liked boys led her to meet Arnold who in turn got obsessed with her and he symbolized her death. Another thing also is that if Connie had agreed to go with her family to the events instead of staying home to wash her hair, Arnold would not have found her alone. Her weakness was her obsession with beauty and it seems Arnold Friend knew that way. He knew very well that the family was not around and that Connie would be home alone. Even though teens are known to be obsessed with looks, it was sad that in Connie case, it would lead her to her death.
Religion and music
Religion which is an established basis of authority is not present in Connie’s life. Connie and her family do not go to any church. Rather music is her worldly religious conviction. The eatery where she does listen to pop music is a consecrated place in her adolescent thoughts Consequently, she does experience something similar to spiritual elation when she listens to songs in her room. Similar to his victim, Arnold Friend has a close connection with music. His speech is depicted as being musical. When he talks it seems like he is reciting phrases from a song. When Connie spies on him, the shopping mall is full of music. In their driveway, the music as well can be loudly heard; in fact, Arnold and Connie are tuned into the same radio station.
Music and their connection
Their mutual appreciation of the same radio station results in Connie initially trusting Arnold hence permitting her to ensnare her. Music links Connie to Arnold and the wider culture. Her concepts of love and sex emanate from the music that she plays (Coulthard 507). Connie does not desire certain boy but for a sugary visualization of romance. Although she becomes conscious of her sexuality, she does not know the specifics of sex. As Friend confronts her with explicit dialect, for instance, he states that he is her lover and that he wants to come inside her, she starts panicking.
Connie's innocence destroyed
Afterward, Connie did experience something similar to sexual assault when she falls down by the phone. She is breathing as if a person is stabbing her. This seems to symbolize a sexualized mystic assault by Friend. Initially, he had threatened to go into Connie’s residence if she calls the police. Maybe the psychological rape that she encounters is the outcome of Friend gratifying his pledge. Despite the consequences, Connie’s innocence is destroyed. Friend does promise to hold her back so she shall not pretend to try to run away, implying that she yearns for explicit sex he is giving. Indeed, Connie is inquisitive about sex and originally buttered up by the interest from an older boy (Coulthard 507). She finds Arnold friend’s attire striking. The interest is dispelled when Friend divulges the sexual plans hidden in that attractive body and smile. Connie is afraid and not excited. Connie’s rush to maturity and interest in sex d caused her to be intrigued by older boys. This led to perhaps Arnold friend drawing her attention. Maybe if Arnold friend has not revealed his sexual plans first, Connie would have gone with him willingly wherever he wanted even if it was to her death. Her fascination with older boys was perhaps her own undoing.
Conclusion
Connie’s destiny, seems befitting for the chauvinist society she lives in. Females are perceived as objects for male satisfaction. Arnold Friend says to her that there is nothing she can do apart from sit pretty and give in. When Friend look at her with hawk eyes, Connie realizes it is an expression similar to other boys she had encountered, however, this is would eventually turn out to be fatal encounter. The lack of authority in Connie’s life, her obsession with boys as well as the experimentation of her developing sexuality and rush into maturity contributed a lot to the events that led to her death. Maybe if she had not been obsessed with her hair and gone with her parents to the family events, Arnold Friend would not have found her alone. Additionally, if parents had been involved more in her life perhaps things would have turned out different.
Works Cited
Coulthard, A. R. "Joyce Carol Oates's" Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" as Pure Realism." Studies in short fiction 26.4 (1989): 505.
Easterly, Joan. "The Shadow of a Satyr in Oates's" Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?"." Studies in short fiction 27.4 (1990): 537.
Oates, Joyce C, and Elaine Showalter. "where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?". New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers Univ. Press, 1994. Print.
