The short story Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Is about a girl named Connie and her encounter with a strange man calling himself Arnold Friend. Connie is a young girl in high school who takes great pride in her looks. Her looks mean everything to her and gives her a sense of vanity. However, she does not have a good relationship with her family members. One day while she was home alone, a man named Arnold Friend showed up at her door. He wanted to take her out for a ride and go on a date. Connie was cautious around him due to how old he looked and his sexual remarks towards her. Strange things began to happen and she eventually left with Arnold Friend. The story does not give a clear explanation as to what happened to Connie, but it was not a good thing. …show more content…
A major part of society at the time was music. Music would be heard by everyone and had the power to influence people. Young people such as teenagers were more rebellious towards adults and wanted change in their society. While this era had some upsides, Connie fell victim to all of the negative aspects of the media. Joyce Carol Oates wrote this story and targeted it towards parents and teens of the time so that they understood how important it was to be active in children's lives. She wanted parents to properly guide their children and for sons and daughters to listen to their parents. This is shown by Arnold Friend, who embodies everything that the media mentions. Arnold Friend is an embodiment of evil and uses Connie's lack of proper guidance against