Short Fiction Assignment #5: "Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?" by Joyce Carol Oates

Theme and Symbolism

In Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been? coming of age is a major factor in this short story. The coming of age plot ties into one of the themes in the short story--the search for independence. Connie, one of the main characters, has conflicts with her family. Her family wants to keep holding on to her while part of growing up means letting go and giving more freedom to some extent. Also, Connie tries extremely hard to make herself more attractive and prettier. Making yourself seem more pretty is a pressure put on woman during adolescence and growing up. Woman want to look good because they have the idea that the first thing Men judge you on is your appearance and how you look, not your personality or who you are. At the end of the short story, Connie's search for independence comes to a dark and dismal end. Connie's struggle for independence and failure for independence resonates with a lot of everyday struggles teenagers have with finding themselves and their own independence. There are many points in a teenagers life where they try so hard to become more independent and fail and in the end the people there to catch them and boost them up are the people they tried so hard to stray away from initially. One symbol in this short story is of the devil or a devil like presence being inside of Arnold Friend. Arnold Friend is a manipulative person like the devil, only trying to get what he wants and what he needs.