"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" Questions

Group 1 Question 3

Connie is the main character of “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” She carries the storyline from the beginning to the conclusion. Joyce Oates paints a picture of Connie’s life and shows how it becomes tainted by the appearance of sinister Arnold Friend. Her emotions control the tone of the story; especially the fear she gains after realizing Arnold is not a man with good intentions. The story is left off with the reader wondering what Arnold is going to do to her.

Group 2 Question 1

Connie’s identity, like the house she lived in, was a work in progress. Day in and day out her mother would make attempts to fix the house, to no avail. It needed repairs and fixings in just about every area. How the house would look like in the end, no one will ever know since it was never finished. Like the house, Connie’s mother was always trying to fix her. She was an adolescent girl who was still learning who she was. The end of the story was left off and it is assumed that she never returned home. Therefore, her identity, like the house, was never fully developed.

Group 3 Question 2

The family Connie belonged to was not one that contains close bonds. Her mother is a woman who has started to become insecure about herself as age sits in. Her father also seemed to be fighting a losing battle with age. Connie practically despised her sister due to the favoritism she received from their mother. Carol Oates limited their roles in the story to show how Connie’s life was on a day-to-day basis. It appeared that Connie was not crazy about her family, however, she basically gave up her life so they would not be harmed by Arnold Friend.

Group 4 Question 3

The setting of the story could be in any town. Any random guy could be as sinister as Arnold Friend at any hamburger joint. The settings the story occurs in are ordinary places that could be found in the smallest of cities. It makes the story more eerie to know that a man such as Arnold could be found anywhere. It is almost as if Oates is trying to warn her readers.