
During the 1960's America saw a cultural revolution like never before. Ideas now thought of as mainstream such as, personal freedom, sexual liberty and drug use came about during this era. Although now people may think of these things as the quintessential cornerstones of sixties culture, these practices were countercultural and strange during the time. Considered hippie culture, the majority of society did not participate or practice these activities, but everyone was affected. Despite the fact that these ideas were not part of the mainstream culture, many aspects of society, like literary works and music, were either part of or directly affected by them. Many writers and musicians became direct byproducts of the sixties. Bands such as The Grateful Dead, The Doors, The Who, The Beach Boys and of course The Beatles were all influential during the times. Musicians like Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan had large impacts on teenagers during the time. Some works of literature were even dedicated to these artists. In particular Oates' "Where are you going, Where have you been?" was dedicated to Bob Dylan and greatly affected by aspects of the sixties. Themes of wanting independence, a false sense of maturity and the importance of family in Oates' "Where are you going, Where have you been?", reflect aspects of 1960's counterculture such as the desire to have personal freedom, sexual liberty and dreams of a utopian society.

In "Where are you going, Where have you been?", one of the main aspects of the story is Connie's seemingly strong desire to be independent. She doesn't tell her parents where she goes, let alone what she does, and despite only being fifteen, wants to be grown up. Connie is very annoyed by her mother's relentless nagging about how she should be more like her grown up sister, and complains to her friends how "She makes me want to throw up sometimes." (Oates 1). Connie seemingly wishes to leave her family and jump into adulthood, despite not realizing what being and adult actually entails. When she is approached by Arnold Friend in her home she realizes that being wanting to be an adult and actually being an adult are two entirely different things. Connie wants to be an adult without the consequences of adulthood and desires to be independent. This drive for independence directly correlates to adolescents in the sixties searching for more personal freedom. The sixties saw young people from all around the country flock to California in order to experience drugs and freedom (Wesson 155). Many migrants in their teens came to San Francisco from other countries in order to escape their previous lives in hope for a more care-free journey (Wesson 155). Like previous generations that came of age in the forties and fifties, sixties adolescent's had a war to fight, but unlike previous generations the youth of the 1960's openly and proudly opposed the conflict. While many went and fought, many stayed home and protested their right to independence. This was one of the first times in American history that saw the countries youth became defiant during a time of great strife. The protests of the Vietnam war and other conflicts, demonstrates how important personal freedom was to the children of the sixties. Being able to do what you wanted when you wanted was not only a common theme throughout the sixties but was the cornerstone of the countercultural movements at the time. Like Connie, people of the sixties often experienced too much independence without the knowledge of how to appropriately handle it. 

Throughout "Where are you going, Where have you been?" the audience is given the impression that Connie thinks of herself as a very mature young lady. The story says that at times she would go to the places where the older kids hung out despite her only being fifteen (Oates 2). Even though Connie does not know much about the world, she likes to think she's extremely knowledgeable. She figures herself to be more grown up than she truly is. This belief leads her to make poor decisions and ultimately leads to her encounter with Arnold Friend. A byproduct of maturity is increased sexual activity, and an ideological principle of the 1960's was sexual liberty. The sixties began a trend of free love in America that had never been seen before. The focus of sexuality in the sixties was intensified through music. Once a very private matter, rock and roll music became a way in which sex could be spoken of and celebrated (Bannister 167). Many times adolescents become sexually active prior to being mature enough to handle the activity. Because so many of these people were not mature enough to be by themselves it led to many unfortunate scenarios such as the Manson family. Charles Manson was the leader of a cult in the late sixties and most of the members of his family were young, immature girls who should not have been away from home at their age (Bibliography.com editors).  Because of how young theses girls were, they were easily taken advantage. This is a similar case to Connie and Arnold Friend. When Friend approaches Connie at her house she doesn't know how to react or what to say. She is scared and is obviously not mature enough to handle the situation.

Lastly the other main focus of sixties counterculture was the dream of a utopian society. Hippies and others alike them dreamed of a psychedelically inspired society in which everything was perfect. No branch of humanity has achieved this although arguably the closest anything has come to a utopia is a strong family environment in which children can mature and grow properly. Even though the counterculture of the 1960's looked to achieve utopia, they were very little elements of traditional families. In "Where are you going, Where have you been?" Connie does not realize the importance of family until it is too late. She is always seemingly annoyed by her sister and mother, despite the fact that her success was always in their best interest. Connie realized too late how important her family was and how much they loved her. 

In conclusion, the aspects of sixties counterculture like freedom, sexual liberty and dreams of a utopia, directly relate to the multiple themes of independence, maturity and family in "Where are you going, Where have you been?". Connie's desire for independence from her family correlates to the sixties desire for personal freedom. The idea of not having anyone tell you what you can and can't do was more desirable than anything else in the world. While it may seem glamourous at the time, being to young with too much freedom is a bad, unhealthy thing. This is seen when Connie is thrown into a very real world situation she is not ready for yet. This also shows how a lack of maturity, combined with a false sense of maturity led to Connie into her encounter with Arnold Friend. Although she would like to think of herself as a mature young woman, this is simply not the case. She is still a child who needs guidance and help in certain situations. Lastly Connie's failure to realize her family was her best ally in life contributed to the situation she was put in. In the 1960's, due to the fact that the counterculture was toxic for the traditional family, many people also failed to realize who really cared about them in life. Examining the aspects of the counterculture in the sixties helps readers to understand certain elements brought forth in "Where are you going, Where have you been?". By bringing to light the main issues at the time, it becomes evident why Oates brought forth certain themes and used a certain writing style. The effect of sixties counterculture on literature can be observed and identified by closely examining the texts of writers at the time as well as the events that took place during the era. 

