Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

by

Joyce Carol Oates

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Symbols

Music

From the outset of the story, music symbolizes Connie’s inner life, specifically the pleasure she takes in romantic relationships and romantic ideals themselves. Whenever she goes to the plaza with her friends, music is…

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Connie’s House

For the majority of the story, Connie is standing inside the house and Arnold Friend is trying to convince her to come outside. Slowly, both Connie and the reader come to understand that if she…

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Arnold Friend’s Car

Arnold Friend arrives at Connie’s house in his car, and Connie notices that not only is it battered from a previous accident, but also that it is marked with sentences, such as “DONE BY…

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