Everything Is Not What It Seems

Joyce M. Wegs explains Joyce Carol Oates ability to write a grotesque story using disguises to show how everything is not what it seems.  In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” the protagonist, Connie is living during the time period of the sixties when parents did not think to question where their children were all the time. For example, Connie’s father does not care about her and her family or what she was doing when Oates states, “he didn't bother talking much to them,” (Oates 1). Connie’s mother pressures her and makes her feel insecure about her physical beauty. Therefore, Connie puts on a disguise when she leaves her family and can act differently than at home. Oates explains her ability to disguise herself as someone else when she states, “everything about her had two sides to it, one for home and one for anywhere that was not home: her walk, which could be childlike and bobbing, or languid enough to make anyone think she was hearing music in her head” (Oates 1). Connie does not have any confidence because her mother underestimates her at home so when Connie steps out into the real world she feels that she cannot act like her true self.

 In addition, Arnold Friend symbolizes Satan, but is disguised as a boy that Connie would desire. The description of his physical appearance was very grotesque because of how his teenage interests and hairdo were all lies to make Connie think that he was a normal teenage guy. Oates efficiently adds suspense to the story by describing each part of Arnold Friend’s disguise when she states that “he had shaggy, shabby black hair that looked crazy as a wig and he was grinning at her,” (Oates 2). In fact, his hair was a wig. Connie also noticed that he was wearing makeup just like her to disguise himself. Although his outfit was teenager like, his gate gave her an idea that he was much older. Joyce M. Wegs shows Oates symbolism by explaining Arnold Friend’s relation to Satan when she states, “although Connie never specifically recognizes Arnold as Satan, her first comment to him both hints at his infernal origins and faithfully reproduces teenage idiom: Who the hell do you think you are,” (Wegs 103). This question hints the reader that Arnold Friend is a demon like figure. Arnold “Friend” is not a friend in any way, but creepily can read Connie and sees her without her makeup/ disguise on.  Both Arnold Friend and Connie create fake characters to influence the other person to think they are someone that they are not.

Works Cited

Oates, Joyce Carol. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” New Brunswick:

Rutgers University Press, 2002. Print.

Wegs, Joyce M.  “’Don’t You Know Who I Am?’: The Grotesque in Oates’s ‘Where Are

You Going, Where Have You Been?’” Journal of Narrative Technique 5, 1995. Print.