He's So Bad, But He Does It So Well!!!!

            Every girl loves a bad boy. It’s an archetype that’s been present in literature for ages. From Jason “J.D.” in Heathers and Danny Zuko in Grease, to Clarence Worley from True Romance and Wade Walker from Cry-Baby, the attraction of a misguided girl in need of rescuing from her boring life by a self-proclaimed rebellious male, typically depicted in a black leather jacket, sunglasses, and riding a motorcycle, has been the basis of too many stories to count. Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” could certainly qualify as one of those stories; but it’s the other aspects of the story combined with the fatal attraction that make it unique.

          

In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?,” Connie is the misguided girl in need of rescuing from her boring life, and Arnold Friend is the self-proclaimed bad boy. However, the roles of each of these characters are altered slightly, and the personalities of Connie and Arnold aren’t quite as archetypal as typical of a “good girl meets bad guy” story. Oates depicts Connie as a young, susceptible teenager who’s been ridiculed and put down by her mother, criticized and compared to her perfect model of an older sister, and altogether been deprived of the love and guidance that teenage girls need while growing up. Arnold Friend is depicted as a predator, who comes to Connie and preys on her impressionable nature. His stalkerish knowledge of her family and friends makes her the prime candidate for his seduction. According to Joyce M. Wegs, “Since her elders do not bother about her, Connie is left defenseless against the temptations represented by Arnold Friend” (Wegs 101). 

While Connie was no doubt misguided, her actions aren’t exactly representative of someone who was helpless or in need of saving. She went out every night with her friends by herself, and wanted nothing more than to attract the attention of older boys. In fact, when Arnold Friend first came to Connie’s door, she continuously tried to attract his attention, as she “smirked and let her hair fall loose over one shoulder” (Oates 3). Even before she saw Arnold, “her heart began to pound and her fingers snatched at her hair, checking it, and she whispered, “Christ. Christ,” wondering how bad she looked” (Oates 3). 

The claim could be made that Connie’s superficiality and obsession with her appearance could come from her mother’s disapproval and neglect. However, in my opinion, Connie’s actions are a direct result of her wanting to oppose her mother. Oates writes, “everything about [Connie] had two sides to it, one for home and one for anywhere that was not home” (Oates 1). To me, that doesn’t sound like a damsel in distress. Connie sounds like someone who actively wants to become someone entirely different than who her family believes she is. Although Arnold Friend was clearly a depraved human being, perhaps Connie isn’t as much of a victim as Oates makes her out to be. In all honesty, if Connie had just gotten over herself and gone to the barbecue with her family like her mother asked her to, none of this would’ve happened. But she chose to disregard her mother’s wishes. Connie’s mother may not have been the kind, endearing mom that she always wanted, but she wouldn’t have shown concern for Connie’s actions if she didn’t care. Connie was just too caught up in trying to go against her to realize this.