"Where are you going, Where have you been?"

This short story left me on the edge of my seat. It left me wanting more, I was not fulfilled. I think that was Joyce Carol Oats choice, she wanted to leave us wondering what happened to this vain girl in "where are you going, Where have you been?" The protagonist in this story is a dynamic character. She goes from a selfish, giggling high school girl to someone that is faced with a serious decision. She must decide whether she wants to save her family or herself. The doorway is a problem for me. Arnold Friend uses that to his advantage, we all know the doorway as being a portal to another world, to a new world; But on this doorway there was a screen. A net of entanglement that strangled her and clouded her mind. I hate the color of the car. I hate that its flashy and has to be seen. Ellie is an interesting character also, he seems to like music a lot. Or maybe he is trying to lure Connie to him. Another thing that strike my attention was that Arnold Friend has trouble walking, I think he was trying to hide something from Connie. I personally think that his feet were clubbed, or hoofed. He makes me feel uncomfortable with knowing everything about Connie. How did he know where her family was and what they were wearing? Connie has a strange relationship with her mother. Why would she wish her mother dead? Well, it was apparent that she could have had her wish fulfilled if she did not walk outside. In the end, she called to her mother and started to wine like a baby. This story seemed like a rite of passage or a coming of age story more than anything else. Connie grew up tremendously, with sacrificing herself for the lives of others. How Gallant of her?