Analysis Of Where Are You Going Where Have You Been By Joyce Carol Oates

In the short story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”, Joyce Carol Oates describes the story of Connie, a fifteen year old teenager who is too concerned with her appearance and is often scolded by her mother. This dark story takes place during the 1960s, while the story’s location can’t be pinned down to anything more specific than suburbia. This ambiguity gives the tale a universal relevance. Yet a definite sense of place looms large in the narrative. Joyce Carol Oates describes in detail a new suburban, American youth culture; one with trips to the sacred burger joint, hierarchies and the importance of beauty, and idols of brash popular music. The turmoil of mid-century America, with changing ideals about sexuality and gender,