"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" -Joyce Carol Oats

When I first started reading, Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? by Joyce Carol Oats, I was lost and confused as to what the moral/point of the story was. As I continued to read and learn more about the main character and the supporting characters it became a tiny more clear but still a little foggy. The story to be overall was captivating because you never knew what was going to happen next or if the person was who they said they were. I caught myself trying to jump ahead and guess what was going to happen next but I was mistaken each time; this kept me interested. As the story went along I noticed Oats used multiple contents of detail when describing characters and the objects they were using or surrounding them. This helped me as a reader related to the characters and the plot more because I could put myself in the situation. Connie's life was relatable to girls my age because we focus on our looks, boys, and life and we have the sibling that we call "the favorite chid." I believe Oats portrayed Connie this way so we could relate and enjoy the story more. The plot was very strange and weird to me; I liked it. Like I said in the beginning you never knew what was going to happen next and this kept you on your toes and thirsty for more. Arnold Friend is a character I will never be able to figure out, is who he says he is or is he a creepy man. It threw me when he knew everything about Connie and her family, my reaction was "oh my goodness Connie do not fall for it!" The way he spoke to her as if she was already showed me how demanding he can be and he takes pride in ownership; what is his is not one else's. I think Oats used the dialogue between Connie and Arnold to describe their characters and show another side to them. Overall Oats story was one you had to keep reading until to end to find out what happens but when you get to the end she does not reveal what happens. Now, this made me so mad I was like "noo did she go, did she stay, what did he do?!" Actually some girls and I were discussing it in class and we were saying how we wanted to know the ending and we were all shocked Oats did not say what happened. It was a great story and I recommended it already !