Two Different Worlds The short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” written by Joyce Oates demonstrates through the main character Connie, a young girl that has been trying to find her place in the world, that people always will all have to battle their fears interwinding with their desires. First and foremost, Connie is a pretty young girl that thrives on her beauty. Her obsession with her beauty in a psychological point of view is actually her desire to have a connection with her mother. Her beauty is the one compliment that her mother will give her, “ ‘ Stop gawking at yourself. Who are you? You think you’re so pretty?’ she would say. Connie would raise her eyebrows at these familiar old complaints and look right through …show more content…
She already knew that her mother loved her other sister, June, more and the only thing that she had that June did not was her beauty. Secondly, her desire to be apart of something or to be important to someone came to her; however, as her desire came so did fear. She struggled with her fear that she would be leaving what was known to her: a family that she didn’t feel apart of. She craved the feeling of being wanted, and Arnold Friend was a “friend” that could give her all the attention she wanted. “‘I know my Connie,’ he said, wagging his finger... ‘Ellie and I come out here especially for you,’ he said ‘Ellie can sit in back. How about it?’”(Oates 4). This shows her craving of attention through the word play because it exaggerates that he went out of his way for her, he would choose her over his friend, and lastly he would do anything for her. The story continues with her asking question after question showing her intriguedness with this opportunity, and as her reluctance of leaving her house and her fear lessened she had realized that it was not her house. Furthermore, as the house became less and less like her home her desire of being wanted overcomes her fear of not being missed by her family, friends, and the various of boys