Where Are You Going, Where You Has Been? By Joyce Carol Oates

Case scenario: Conflict

“Where Are You Going, Where You Has Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates is a story that entails conflict as the central scenario. Conflict, in contrast, is illustrated in the very early stage of the story. Connie plays the character that has a different face from other people. The disagreement between her family members and friends develops the discussion about the conflict. Connie engages in an unusual activity whereby everyone else is opposed to Connie due to her unusual behaviors, which at some time had no moral integrity. At the end of it all, the last person to encounter such a scenario is Arnold (her friend), but things never need responsibility. Her engagement in conflicts contrasts with the final results at the end of the story. Hence, the ideas vary for all the participants, creating different objectives by creating conflict as an overall subject of the matter.

The very first scenario involves Connie’s mother scolding Connie because she spends much of her time in the mirror looking at herself. Connie’s mother carries her analysis whereby she compares Connie with her Sister, June. However, it is significant that the conflict is not only between Connie and her mother but also with her sister, June. Indeed, she is level-headed. She is a secretary and hence acts as a life controller.

Therefore, this is in contrast to Connie, who always thinks of beauty. Connie thinks that the most significant image to other people is to look beautiful (Oates).

Internal conflict within Connie also appears in the story. Connie tries her best to be sovereign, considering that she is independent and entitled to reach her objective by standing up on her own feet. Even though June seems to be captioned in the right way, Connie is not pleased with it, and instead, her naivety carries with her throughout her life. Connie is only fourteen years of age, she if acts differently from her sister as she relies on others. Connie even goes for shopping with older boys and spends time in the restaurant with them. These activities are entirely different from the expectations of the family members. However, Connie considers it an ordinary activity without any knowledge of where she will end up.

Actually, the most recognizable conflict is the struggle between Connie and her friend Arnold. Despite the efforts to make her leave, Arnold remains rooted at her Door. Without the worries from the police, Arnold remains fixed on Connie’s door (Oates). Connie also links her friend to the devil by thinking from her perspective on the way her friend is overlooked. Connie notices that Arnold has shabby black hair with the crazy outlook of a wig. His wig is suggested to be the hiding of the horns, which is associated with having an association with the devil. It can be noted that Connie is never on good terms with her friend by preventing the friend from coming into her house unless invited due to the belief of being associated with the devil. This conflict portrays Connie to be more associated with conflict. In her thoughts, Connie believes that her house would be on fire since Arnold was associated with devils. This is a remarkable argument between the two.

Additionally, in the story, Arnold projects Connie’s desire for attention and notoriety. Arnold is seen to be so emboldened by his advice to Connie. Indeed, Arnold desires that Connie come with him, and getting to kidnap her is the most basic conflict. Arnold uses both physical and psychological manipulation. Connie notices and does not want to go with Arnold. She grasps that she has no chance to make her decision while Arnold’s friend threatens her family. As a result, she is left with little choice. Ideally, Arnold demonstrates internal conflict between his desires and his age. He wants to be seen as young and allow him to be closer to luring young girls like Connie. Definitely, the conflicts come out openly when Arnold speaks to the youth in their vernacular, and he has a little problem as the person who victimizes and stalks Connie in misunderstanding ways.

Connie involved herself in some contradictions that led to the ruining of her life as she interrupted the closest people. Most often, a human being is a social animal, and she is expected to interact with all members of the community socially. One is supposed to observe all measures that govern the ethical norms of society. But in this case, Connie never archived the real social aspects expected from a youth of her age. Connie messed up by engaging in weird and awkward behaviors that impacted the ruining of her life. This was so negative and primitive in comparison to her sister, as the family members observed. All these were a result of backwardness that was created just from the conflict scenarios that existed.

Connie’s conflicting character starts with her family members. She understands them to be traditional, like people. Connie is unable to comprehend even her predicament, but she also needs to be independent of them. Connie conflicts with her sister because she finds her to be too plain and then unable to grasp the characterization of being famous through the various behaviors incorporated in her. Hence, at the beginning of the story, her conflicts vastly contrast to her conflicts during the end of the story. The several cases in which Connie encounters mysterious contradictions with her family generate the fundamental conflict that builds up the story. Therefore, showing unusual behaviors in opposition to moral integrity and personal views in contrast to the expectations of her family members. Hence, the story proves Connie’s idea of conflict.

Work Cited

Oates, Joyce Carol, and Tobias Wolff. Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Difusión, Centro de Investigación y Publicaciones de Idiomas, 2013.