Character Analysis Of Connie From The Story ‘Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?’
The short story titled ‘’Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?’’ authored by Joyce Carol Oates is a tale set in the 1960’s. Connie is the protagonist in the story, as in her young age she goes through a tough time and feels as though her mother does not understand her pain (Pearlman 6). Her rebellious and yet exploring and curious nature reflects the personality and the challenges experienced by young individuals in the society as they transition to adulthood. Connie a fifteen-year-old girl hints an averagely normal teenage life. She appears as artificial at the beginning of the story centering on the many inconsequential issues that are linked with youths from pride to obsession with boys. Connie appears to be less mindful of others views based on the belief that her act would never be judged as right. Connie is self-centered and rebellious who pays minimal attention to the outcome of her actions to her family and particularly her mother (Keilbach 11). Connie has a powerful romantic expression and she is obsessed with the notion of love even though she does not own the psychological maturity that is necessary for a prosperous relationship.
Connie is a teenager with long, light-colored hair that catches everyone attention which depicts her mother’s beauty with a contraction of her rebellious and selfish characteristics and therefore, her features demonstrate the challenges experienced by teenagers amid personal desires and responsibility during the transition. Connie enjoys the feeling of admiring herself in the mirror as she clearly understands that she is without a doubt beautiful. Beauty was all that she needs and she seeks no approval (Gale 22). Connie had the means of hiding her actual feels around her family but acted the complete opposite when hanging out with friends. This makes her selfish and deceitful (Pearlman 8). As she transitioned to adulthood she becomes attracted to the opposite sex and she is overwhelmed by her shabby dreams.
The conflict that is best represented by the character is the fact that she was having a rough time at home especially with her mother as she kept on making comparison with her elder sister who did no harm. Her father, on the other hand, was rarely around and this made her feel as if she was not understood. This is well depicted in the phrase ‘’ Connie desired for the death of her own mother’’ (Keilbach 14). This, therefore, illustrates the fact that she felt less understood to the extent of wishing to die. Connie is unable to control her desires while adhering to the set family standards as adolescent rebellion is on the pick. She is involved in constant arguments with her mother and sister and rejects her family to chase her desires. Connie’s goals are to be happy as her goal is to chase her obsession with the boys.
Connie values her obsession with beauty and the opposite sex rather than family which seems to be obstructing her supposed happiness. All she does is to spend her time in the mirror admiring her beauty and daydreaming which upsets her mother. At the beginning, she said to Arnold ‘’ you are just being crazy, shut up.’’ (Gale 22). This shows that at first she never believed that the romantic world was good for her. Another phrase is ‘’ I wish her death’’ (Gale 22). This demonstrates the weight of her psychological trauma as she also acknowledges ‘’ no one understands me.’’ From these statements, it is evident that Connie is not only young and naïve but also in such as recognition (Pearlman 12). The narrator often offers a description of the character to help the readers in understanding not only her feeling but personality. From Gale (26) ‘’ what are you admiring, who do you think you are?’’ her mother asked with anger as Connie was staring at herself in the mirror. This demonstrates the much that she valued her beauty. Connie notes that she has to do something to address her frustrations and that of her family but she is overwhelmed by love and spends most of her time with the boys (Keilbach 15). She ignores her mother’s advice even though she knows it is true. This makes Connie the protagonist in the story.
Work Cited
Pearlman, Mickey, ed. American Women Writing Fiction: Memory, Identity, Family, and Space. University Press of Kentucky, 2015.
Keilbach, Andreas. The Concept of Duality in Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Grin Verlag, 2009. Print.
Gale, Cengage L. Study Guide for Joyce Carol Oates's "where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Detroit: Gale, Cengage Learning, n.d.. Print.
