Questions:
Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?
The main character, Connie, in "Where Are Going, Where Have You Been ?" is best described as the rebellious, stereotypical American teen girl. She is obsessed with fashion, hair, and external appearances; she is quite shallow and narcissistic as she worries merely about herself and looks: "She was fifteen and she had a quick, nervous giggling habit of craning her neck to glance into mirrors or checking other people's faces to make sure her own was all right. Her understanding of her fate shows her change from free-spirited teen to victim as she realizes "-so much land that Connie had never seen before and did not recognize except to know that she was going to it."
Her meager attempt at a warning, "If my father comes and sees you-" also shows that she realizes that life is not a game when it comes to dating or gender/sexual relationships; she finally recognizes the true danger of her situation.
1. The story is called a "realistic allegory ' what are the allegorical elements in the story?
2. Describe the characterization of Connie - is she a typical teengage girl of her time and place? What techniques does Pates employ to make her an individual, three dimensional character?
3. Why is Connie's sister June included in the story? How does her characterization serve to highlight Connie's own?
4. Do the description of Arnold Friend- his face, his clothing, his dialogue. Does his character have symbolic meaning? Is his name symbolic?
5. Discuss the symbolic importance of music in the story, why is music so important to Connie and to the story as a whole?
6. What is the significance of the title? Does it point to an allegorical interpretation?
7. Describe the ways in which the story generates suspense. At which points is an increase of suspense particularly noticeable?
8. Why does Connie agree to go with Arnold Friend? Is she motivated by altruism and a love for her family, or by simple fear and hysteria? What is her ultimate fate?