Why is Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been for Bob Dylan?

It was inspired by three Tucson, Arizona murders committed by Charles Schmid, which were profiled in Life magazine in an article written by Don Moser on March 4, 1966. Oates said that she dedicated the story to Bob Dylan because she was inspired to write it after listening to his song “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue”.

What is the plot of Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

It’s summer, and fifteen-year-old Connie spends much of her time lounging around the house, going out with friends, and meeting boys. She’s a little vain, spends way too much time looking at herself in the mirror, and is perpetually annoyed with her entire family—especially her mom and older sister.

Why did Oates choose the title Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been Why is the title a question?

1. It sounds like the kind of question you might get from your parents on your way out the door or coming home after your curfew – which makes sense for a story starring a teenager. 2. It could be a bigger, more metaphysical question: how did you get to this point in your life and what are you going to do now?

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been what color is Arnold Friend’s car?

gold car

Arnold Friend’s flashy gold car, with its outdated phrases written on the sides, is an extension of Arnold himself: extreme and not entirely right. The car gives Connie her first clues that there might be something wrong with or dangerous about Arnold.

What does music symbolize in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

Music functions as Connie’s bridge from the real world to her fantasy world. Connie enjoys escaping her life by listening to music and daydreaming about boys, and she gathers her ideas about romance primarily from songs on the radio.

What does the House represent in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

Slowly, both Connie and the reader come to understand that if she leaves the house, Friend will take her away with him and rape her, perhaps even murder her. The house, then, comes to represent Connie’s adolescent innocence and the safety both her family life and status as a child provides her with.

What does Connie do at the end of the story?

Connie is compelled to leave with him and do what he demands of her. The story ends as Connie leaves her front porch; her eventual fate is left ambiguous.”
 

What was important about Connie in where are you going?

Connie is in the midst of an adolescent rebellion. She argues with her mother and sister, June, and neglects family life in favor of scoping out boys at the local restaurant. She tries to appear older and wiser than she is, and her head is filled with daydreams and popular music that feed her ideas of romance and love.

What is the climax in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been and Bob Dylan

Is there foreshadowing in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

The foreshadowing statements made by Arnold imply rape, but don’t show him committing this act of violence against Connie. Similarly, Connie laments that “I’m not going to see my mother again” or “sleep in my bed again,” suggesting that she knows she will be murdered.

Who is the protagonist in the story Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

Connie. The fifteen-year-old protagonist of the story. Connie is in the midst of an adolescent rebellion. She argues with her mother and sister, June, and neglects family life in favor of scoping out boys at the local restaurant.

Who is the antagonist in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

Arnold Friend

Arnold Friend is Connie’s antagonist. In contrast to Connie’s innocence, youth, and femininity, Arnold is on the side of sexual violence, death, and masculinity.