
Joyce Carol Oates short story, "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?"  is set within a time of change. The 1950s and 1960s coincided with the American Civil Rights Movement as well as the Sexual Revolution. Past norms were disrupted and replaced with unclear and more scandalous behavior. Oates main character, Connie, is a product of the disrpupted norms developed within the 1960s sexual revolution. Products of the sexual revolution such as Connie and more deviant persons like The Pied Piper of Tucson are also referenced in "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?". The sexual revolution clearly shaped the attitudes of those living in the 1960s as well as the characters in Oates short story. 

"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" clearly illustrates the sexual revolution. The sexual revolution was primarily about female teenagers being stripped of their innocence. More specifically, teenagers during the 1960s began to lose conformity and played against the traditional rules that their mothers grew up with. By in large this concept came to be mainly because of the creation of the pill, also known as birth control. The pill became a scapegoat for many women during the 1960s. The idea of pregnancy was the real reason why many women did not have sex until they were married and it was also the main reason why married women did not have an affair. The idea of supporting a child when one could not, or potentially having a child with another man other than your own husband was one reason why women were so reserved. The 1960s was also a time where feminists asserted that just like men, women had sexual needs as well. During the 1960s there was a shift in the attitudes and perspectives of women participating in sexual intercourse without being married. 

One of the characters featured in the short story, Connie, is a pure product of the sexual revolution. Within the openings of the story we learn that Connie is 15 years old and does not get along with her parents. Both of her parents do not really care what she is up to and Connie is quickly characterized as vain and conceited. This is known because Connie constantly checks herself in the mirror and even when interrupted she finds a way to gaze at herself in the shadows. This is described when Oates writes, "she was fifteen and she had a quick nervous giggling habit of craning her neck to glance into mirrors, or checking other people's faces to make sure her own was all right" (Oates 1).  We also learn that Connie disobeys the rules put in place when going into town with friends to not go to the plaza but to go to across the highway to hangout at a drive in restaurant where all the older boys hang out. Connie changes her attitude and becomes quite flirtatious when she meets other boys; Connie briefly passes Arnold Friend and he says "Gonna get you, baby" (Oates 3). This foreshadows the scenes to come, but because of the changes within the sexual revolution, Connie acts much older and more mature than she actually is and this eventually leads to her downfall. 

The lack of concern that Connie's parents have for her leads them to attend a family barbeque and let Connie stay home. Connie's conceitedness is also heightened here when she demands to stay home to wash her hair and let it dry in the sun rather than participating in the family barbeque. Connie also talks rudely about her older sister insinuating that Connie is better and prettier than her. Oates writes, "in the back seat poor old June all dressed up as if she didn't know what a barbeque was, with all the running yelling kids and the flies" (Oates 3). Connie lays in the sun and dreams of boys and love (Oates 3). Shortly after, Arnold Friend shows up as if it were a fairytale and her prince charming was coming to sweep her off her feet. The reader quickly learns that this is not the case. At first, Connie is caught up in herself and concerned with the way she looks, but she is like this because Connie possesses the common qualities of independence derived from the sexual revolution.

As women were getting more less reserved and more promiscuous, the nature of men began to differ as well. A new realm of deviant men formed and rape became an increasingly large issue surrounding the sexual revolution. Arnold Friend is characterized similarly to a rapist and murderer, Charles Schmid. Charles Schmid, also known as The Pied Piper of Tucson is extremely similar to Arnold Friend.  The two are both mentally and physically similar. They are physically described as being short, pale, and dark haired. They both put items in their shoes to make themselves appear taller and more masculine. Likewise, with Charles, Oates character Arnold also hung out at local restaurants, pubs, and town squares, Charles Schmid has killed and raped a Alleen Rowe who at the time has just washed her hair similarly to Connie. Lastly, Alleen and Connie were both 15 years old growing up during the sexual revolution. The two girls believed they were much more mature then they actually were, trying to act independent and free spirited (Quirk 415). These attitudes were coming from the time period in which they grew up in; the 1960s was a time of exploration for females and a time to adventure beyond the borders of parental control. 

"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" is also quite significant in itself. The title reflects the changes that occurred during the 1960s as well. This is so because the title could metaphorically be significant to what the perceptions of sex were in the past and where they are going in the future. The title is also significant because Connie put herself into a bad situation by going against conformity and by testing the boundaries of the 1960s. She essentially got herself into trouble by sneaking around and making herself seem older and more mature. The title could symbolically say to Connie what did you do to end up here and how are you going to get yourself out of this situation? Lastly, the title is also highly reflective of Connie's parents and their lifestyle. In "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" the reader learns that Connie's mother disregards her and praises her other daughter June. The reader also learns the father is very distant and does not pay much attention to family matters (Oates 2). The title itself sounds like parents that haven't heard from their child and want to know what they have been up to. Prior to the 1960s it was very uncommon for a child to be separated from the parents and away from the home, but once the sexual revolution broke out, independence spread and conformity was diminished. 

The freedom of sexual expression and the lack of conformity within the sexual revolution lead to a time of freedom and experimental independence. Many young women began to express their wants and needs by acting out against the rules and experimenting among their peers. Women during the 1960s believed they had the right to the same sexual expression as men and once the pill was invented they now had a reason to act out against their previous standards. This act of acting out is accurately portrayed in "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" by using the female character Connie as the main focal point. Arnold Friend is also used to express the dangers of the heightened independence during the 1960s. Joyce Carol Oates also connects her short story to the actual happenings of The Pied Piper of Tucson and the murders associated with Charles Schmid. 

