In the short story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates, the downfalls of Connie are her insecurities and low self esteem resulting in her going with Arnold Friend at the end of the narrative. This is shown through the descriptions in the beginning of the story as well as Connie’s actions involving Arnold. Connie is a fifteen year old girl who is having some internal conflicts and this majorly affects the outcome of the story. At the beginning of the story, it talks about how Connie looks into mirrors a lot and her mother scolds her for that. “Her mother who noticed everything and knew everything and who hadn’t much reason any longer to look at her own face, always scolded Connie about it. ‘Stop gawking at yourself’”
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Her mother might have thought she was helping but all she did was make Connie insecure. Studies have shown that parents who compare their firstborn to their second born create problems for the second oldest. “Parents' beliefs about their children, not just their actual parenting, may influence who their children become,...encourage parents to stop comparing siblings to one another before it causes a lifetime of harm” (Olson ). While competition may spur some on to be better, comparing children will cause some, especially the younger one, to have major …show more content…
She screams into the phone and it feels like Arnold is stabbing her over and over. She regains her sense after a few moments and notices Arnold is standing at the doorway. He tells her to put back the phone and she does. After this incident, Connie doesn’t fight anymore and follows when Arnold tells her to come outside with him. She now realizes that she is stuck in a horrific situation, where she or her family could her murdered. She might be in shock with how she’s described. “She was hollow with what had been fear but what now just an emptiness.” (Oates, 9). Connie understands now that there’s almost no way of getting out of this
Her mother might have thought she was helping but all she did was make Connie insecure. Studies have shown that parents who compare their firstborn to their second born create problems for the second oldest. “Parents' beliefs about their children, not just their actual parenting, may influence who their children become,...encourage parents to stop comparing siblings to one another before it causes a lifetime of harm” (Olson ). While competition may spur some on to be better, comparing children will cause some, especially the younger one, to have major …show more content…
She screams into the phone and it feels like Arnold is stabbing her over and over. She regains her sense after a few moments and notices Arnold is standing at the doorway. He tells her to put back the phone and she does. After this incident, Connie doesn’t fight anymore and follows when Arnold tells her to come outside with him. She now realizes that she is stuck in a horrific situation, where she or her family could her murdered. She might be in shock with how she’s described. “She was hollow with what had been fear but what now just an emptiness.” (Oates, 9). Connie understands now that there’s almost no way of getting out of this