

Joyce Carol Oates' short story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" takes place in the late 20th century. The story follows Connie, a young 15 year old girl who "knew she was pretty and that was everything" and how her desire to be a grown up led to a regretful ending (Oates 1). Arnold Friend, the main antagonist of this story is satanic archetype that seduces Connie and is the cause of her downfall. Oates' story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" uses realistic events, appropriate to the time frame, as well as satire of different historical events to deliver a gothic allegory to her audience. In doing so, Oates is able to show how historical context (regarding the story's biblical allegory as well as realistic allegory) shapes the inevitable fate of the young heroine in the tale.

In the story, Connie often had to play two different roles in her life: 

Everything about her had two sides to it, one for home and one for anywhere that was not home: her walk, which could be childlike and bobbing, or languid enough to make anyone think she was hearing music in her head; her mouth, which was pale and smirking most of the time, but bright and pink on these evenings out; her laugh, which was cynical and drawling at home . . . but high-pitched and nervous anywhere else . . . (Oates 1).

These details are noteworthy because it implies that Connie's character is unsure of who she is and that could make her vulnerable to coercion. The day that Connie's family goes to a cookout, a Sunday, is significant because it is seen as "the day of her defiance of her parents and the day of capitulation to Friend" (Urbanski 2). When Connie hears a car in her driveway and instantly started worrying about "how bad she looked" rather than whom was this stranger approaching her house (Oates 2). 

Connie hears the music coming from the radio that Friend's companion has and realizes that they are listening to Bobby King, which is what was playing on her radio before they got there (Oates 2). Friend uses this as an opportunity to use the artist as a conversational icebreaker to get Connie more comfortable talking to him. This scene can be seen as religious allegory pertaining to Eve's seduction in the Garden of Eden, but it is in this case that Connie is "a young person coming to grips with externally determined fate" (Urbanski).

Arnold Friend's swagger and overall satanic demeanor can be noted by the examination of the boots he wore, they are described as " ... the devil's cloven hooves: 'One of his boots was at a strange angle, as if his foot wasn't in it'" (Urbanski 3). Friend urges Connie to "just go for a ride" with him, although Connie already realizes that Friend is lying about his age and knows too much about her life (Oates 4). However, Connie still cannot bring herself to pick up the phone and call the police because of Friend's threats. This scene can also draw the reader back to Eve being tempted to eat the apple, although she knows she shouldn't and how Connie is being tempted to take a ride with Friend although she knows she shouldn't. Friend's seduction: 

In the end, Oates makes it clear that Connie, in capitulating to friend, is not simply surrendering her virginal, but bowing to absolute forces to which she has no control. At this point she thinks that her heart 'was nothing that was hers ...  but just a pounding, living thing inside this body that wasn't really hers either' (Urbanski 3).

Friend's confidence and overall attempt to seduce Connie plays a part in the victimization that young vulnerable girls had during the 1960s. It is also notable that Friend's character had been influenced by murderer Charles Shmid who was convicted of strangling and killing 3 young women and burying them in the desert (Daly). This story shows strong signs of being an allegory due to the heavy use symbolism to dig deeper within the cultural and historical references the story used. Oates' story is significant to the timeframe because it was written in the same decade that The Pied Piper of Tucson murdered a young 15 year old like Connie. 

The events that helped influence the story took place in a time before modern day technology, and perhaps the story may have gone a completely different route if it had taken place in the 21st century. The satirical theme and use of historical/cultural references helped shaped this story into an allegory that ultimately reflected the Biblical seduction of Eve (Urbanski 1) and also the relationship between Arnold Friend and Charles Schmid (Daly). Connie's character had no way of escaping the fate that waited for her when Arnold Friend showed up and due to his control over her which led to her downfall. 

