Where Are You Going Where Have You Been

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rather than going inside and calling the police, she shows her rebellious nature and stays to talk to her. Even when Arnold gives her information that would normally be private such as her name and her friend’s with no explanation of how he got it, she is not cautious and does not air on the wary. Her rebellious nature is what caused her to be different from her family and ultimately what led to her destruction.

Connie’s first reaction when Arnold Friend is excitement and to be worried about how she looks. Connie wants to be not only noticed, but to be considered beautiful by boys rebelling against better nature of just being who she is born as. Connie’s encounter with Arnold causes her to rebel against a natural feeling of fear and to feel desire, but as the encounter progresses fear wins the day. Connie is occasionally plagued by periods in which she is taken over by dizziness. The dizziness symbolizes her natural feelings of weakness and fear rebelling against her own rebellions against her parents and who she is meant to be. Arnold is the embodiment of all evil and Connie’s past rebellious actions are what he is going to use to take advantage of her.

Fear begins to overtake Connie as the story nears its end. Arnold starts to stray away from subtleties and becomes more blunt in his wishes. Connie wishes her family would come home and regrets her rebellious outbursts. Connie attempts to call for help, and when she is unable to use the phone she cries out for her mother. This shows her rebellious nature melting away and that she now regrets treating her mother so cruelly. This shows the power that Arnold is exercising over her, he has made Connie so distraught that she cannot even use the phone. Connie’s rebellious nature is unable to rebel against Arnold’s overwhelming personality.

Connie has been trapped in her own home by Arnold, yet the only thing keeping Arnold out is a screen door. The screen door is a symbol for the line between safety and danger, Connie’s rebellious nature and maturity. Connie is eventually convinced to cross the line into danger and rebellion and joins Arnold. The last few sentences suggest that only bad things will come from her decision to join Arnold. Her rebellious nature is what is going to lead her to her demise, she is being consumed by the “blinding” sunlight as she walks towards Arnold, and soon she will be consumed by Arnold.