Each generation has something that ultimately defines it. The 40's had WWII, the 50's had the establishment of the American Dream, and the sixties had a little bit of everything. Vietnam, Civil Rights, and a blooming music scene were all taking root and creating a very interesting time in history. The events happening were important because the music that was being produced, the rise of counter culture, Vietnam, Civil Rights movement, and countless others came together and made this ten-year period a pivotal moment in history. It was a time when a lot of new ideas started to surface and be voiced through various ways and different medias.  News channels constantly had live footage of Vietnam playing and for the first time in history the horrors of war could be on one's TV for viewing. It was an interesting time to grow up in as well, with there being a sort of difference between the youth, and authority starting to stem from the "free thought" theme of the time's music. A particular song by Bob Dylan, along with a story found in Time magazine, inspired writer, Carol Joyce Oates to write a short story titled, "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" In the story many aspects and ideas of the decade can be found influencing events and attitudes that can be seen by characters Arnold Friend, and Connie.

The time was essentially a melting pot, with wildly different events happening all at the same time. The music scene of the time was particularly important because the songs and albums coming out promoted peace, togetherness, and the whole idea of the hippie lifestyle the decade can be associated with. Artists like Bob Dylan started to write songs about the time's social injustices and these ultimately lead to people viewing events differently. Along with these advancements in music came a new culture to listen to it. People were certainly starting to flirt with concepts of drug use, sex, and a general sense of rebellion was somewhat in the air. This idea in turn showed people another side of life that can exist in peace and operate in a state of free will. However, there was also a war being fought in Vietnam and it was pretty. The public was seeing how terrible the war was firsthand for the first time and opinions on it were practically split. This split caused enough tension to inspire some people to make music and begin protesting voicing their concerns. An article titled, "The Sixties and Protest Music" said, "wars also create their unique antagonists who transform their empathy, concern, anger, and other emotions into poetry, prose, or in our time, popular music" (Candalae 1). These songs eventually gained popularity and found way into society and were being heard by practically everyone in the country at some point or another. 

  This in turn created a very diverse field of ideas and lifestyles that were beginning to take hold, and people were starting to go against the grain. The young people were proponents to this new culture coming about, as they were the ones fueling most of the protests, especially ones held on college campuses, and most of the music of the time. Connie, a character in Oates' "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" exemplifies qualities found in the sixties youth. Connie is a fifteen-year old girl who is described as very pretty and quite vain. In fact, the story says, "she had a quick nervous giggling habit of craning her neck to glance into mirrors or checking other people's faces to make sure hers was alright" (Oates 1). On top of this quite evident self-confidence, Connie believes she has it all figured out, and is very independent in her thinking. She is explained to have often times skipped the shopping trip she has told her parents about, and goes to the local drive-in to hang out with the older crowd. The purpose behind the trips to the drive-in was of course to get with boys, and this apparently happened at regular intervals. This is interesting though, because Connie can be seen embodying the sexual revolution of the time. People were beginning to act more freely in their sexual endeavors and ultimately take things not as serious as past generations might have in the ways of love. The drive-in is also an important meeting place between characters in the story, Connie runs into an unknown fellow who is very important in the later development of the tale.

The character she runs into at the drive-in is Arnold Friend. Friend is a short but muscular guy, described as being relatively good looking but much older than Connie. He has a really dumpy car, and he is accompanied by his friend Ellie who is only described as being on dope, not saying anything, and listening to a radio the whole time. Arnold friend is mentioned earlier on in the story as creepily waving to Connie saying, "Gonna get you babe" (Oates 2). This is seen as a joke at the time, but it takes a very sharp turn for the worst as the story develops. The character Arnold Friend is loosely based off of Charles Schmid, a serial killer from Tucson Arizona known also as "The Pied Piper of Tuscon." Schmid was about the same height as Arnold Friend was described as being and shares a lot of similar quirks. Stuffing his shoes with beer cans to appear taller and applying makeup to attain a more tanned look were a few things that Friend and Schmid share. Charles was described as a likeable guy who had a lot of friends and seemed to be a regular kind of person. Schmid was in a sense a cult leader for the disenfranchised youth of Tucson, and along with that role came the extracurricular activities associated with rebellious youth, drugs and alcohol. This habit is parallel to many other people of the time and can certainly go along with a part of the sixties culture. Arnold Friend can certainly be seen as being influenced by the time period, because on his car is written, "Man the flying saucers." This was a reference to Bob Dylan and this slogan was aimed to promote a sort of change in the world. Bob Dylan was a very influential guy during this time and his message influenced the younger crowd of the time. He eventually became a symbol of counter culture, and in a piece written about him it says, "The counter-culture, which represents the reaction against mainstream conventional culture of the 1950s by an element of the younger generation in the 1960s and early 1970s, eschewed traditional politics and common causes in favour of radical non-conformism, and Dylan became one of its icons" (Browning 232). Dylan's songs eventually became anthems behind a movement and his messages were interpreted by a whole sect of the country. These messages of free thought could in fact influence someone to express themselves in a wrong, darker sort of way.  This was the case with the likes of Charles Schmid, who killed three of Tuscon's youth. Oates uses Friend in this story almost as an eye-opener to people about the darker side of life and how bad things can happen to people. Much like Schmid, Arnold Friend is stalking and preying on the teenage girls of the area.

The sixties were a very important time in history and its influences can still be seen effecting the world today. The decade had many forms of expression, and voicing of opinions and it was also a time other than the civil war, where there was a divide present in America. The rise of counter-culture, Vietnam, music, assassinations, protests, and many other significant happenings are seen influencing people and content stemming from this time period. This culture can be seen in the short story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" by the characters through their actions and personas.  

