Raiza Mallol Discussion 14

My interpretation of “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates was a story of dark, evil and power taking over innocence. In the article by Rena Korb, she states different interpretations of the story and I see her point in all of them. Early in the story, Oates made it clear that Connie was prettier than most and that she herself was aware of it as well. Connie was very much into appearances-which was what “allowed” the whole encounter between her and Arnold Friend in the first place (she liked his appearance). In the story their first encounter was also intriguing to her. “It was a boy with shaggy black hair, in a convertible jalopy painted gold. He stared at her and then his lips widened into a grin. Connie slit her eyes at him and turned away, but she couldn’t help glancing back and there he was, still watching her. He wagged a finger and laughed and said, ‘Gonna get you, baby,’….” This was Connie’s first time seeing Arnold Friend. While he was consistent on trying to get her to come outside of her house, Connie held her ground and did not actually step out-she knew well enough not to since she didn’t know him. Once Connie starts getting afraid, she starts feeling like if her heart, that is pounding so heavily, is no longer hers as well as her own body that she felt shaking. This is the dark and evil presence getting in her head and taking control. At the end of the story, she ends up getting out of the house and going with/towards him because he manipulates her by saying, “‘…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?—and get away before her people come back?’…’You don’t want them to get hurt’ [speaking about her family]…”. In saying this, he intrigues her by calling her “sweet and pretty” since it is something she values. Also, he now has the power over her because anytime she doesn’t want to do what he says, he can pull the “you don’t want them to get hurt” card and Connie will do whatever Arnold Friend wants her to do, giving him power over her.