Unpacking Identity in Joyce Carol Oates's 'Where Are You Going?'

This essay delves into the theme of identity as portrayed in Joyce Carol Oates's short story, 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?'. It summarizes the story, focusing on the character of Connie, a fifteen-year-old girl preoccupied with her appearance and social life, contrasting her with her sister June. The analysis explores how characters' traits, actions, and relationships with others define their identities. It examines Connie's strained relationship with her mother and her interactions with peers, highlighting the influence of parental relationships and societal expectations on identity formation. The essay also touches on the importance of positive role models and the potential negative impact of peer influence. It concludes that individual character traits shape identity and emphasizes the need to cultivate positive behaviors.

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Search for one’s identity
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Introduction
In this essay, it will dwell on the theme search for one’s identity. The term identity is mainly
concerned with an individual’s character traits (Ashforth, Blake and Beth Schinoff, 117). The
traits may be positive or negative characters. For example, it may focus on the person’s
strengths, passions, talents or weakness. Many stories elaborate the behaviors of various aspects.
In many occasions, the stories have multiple actors who portray numerous traits. For one to
identify the character traits of the person, one can look at the reaction of the person, how he or
she interacts with other people and the general way the person operates in the environment.
Parents should always discuss with their children concerning identity because the matter not only
determines who the child will be in future but also trains the child to be a role model to others in
the society.
The story of choice in this discussion on where are you? Where have you been? By Joyce Carol
Dates. Consequently, the essay is going to begin by providing a summary of the chosen story.
After the brief, the next step is to identify various participants in the story and elaborate on their
character and how the characters have influenced the way they are living with other members in
the society. Apart from that, after the analysis, the essay will have a conclusion. The conclusion
comprises general ideas that are evident in the theme and any other recommendation of the
characters. The essay aims to elaborate on the identity of various individuals using the chosen
story.
Summary of the story.
The story talks about a fifteen-year-old girl, Connie. Connie lives with her mum, dad and her
elder sister June. However, Connie has a unique character trait as compared to her elder sister

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June. As opposed to June who is always silent and does daily house chores without a quarrel
with their mother, June is fond of comparing her face with other and still working on it to ensure
that she looks prettier than other girls. Consequently, this behavior of June has made her to
continuous quarrel with her mum. June thinks that even her mother’s face was initially the same
way as her during early days, however, due to growth her mother’s face has tremendously
changed and it is now time to accept the outcome. The rate of quarrels in their house is high such
that June wishes that her mother could die and live her alone on earth. Due to exhaustion, June’s
father always goes to bed after taking supper. It means that he has no time to notice Connie’s
behavior.
June had a group of friends who were also silent. They could go out together, walk around
shopping plaza. However, they could whisper among themselves concerning other people’s
behavior. On the side of Connie, he also had a group of boys she could hang out with during the
day. Before going out with other friends, Connie could ensure that her hair was neat and her face
was good looking good before serving any person.
Analysis of the story using the theme of identity.
Many people determine other people’s identity based on what they see (Liutikas, 220). For
example, the color of the skin, the reaction of the individual and the choice of word one used in
various contexts. For instance, in the above story, Connie was not ready to participate in any
daily chores. Every time she could spend beautifying herself and comparing her face with others.
The actions identify Connie as one who likes easy things but not hard work. From the story, it
was difficult for other boys who were not of the same status as Connie to take her out since they
were not of her level. The situation has messed the relationship between Connie and her mother.

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One of the incidents that show the poor relationship between the two is when Connie’s name is
mentioned, and her mother does not approve. However, the same mother was quick to approve
the name of June anytime she was mentioned. It is evident that parents have specific expectations
from their children. Children are supposed to help their parents on their daily chores (Strauss,
50), and if the situation is contrary, it leads to a weak relationship between the child and the
parent.
Personal view on the story
Identity is a crucial aspect in the life of every individual. However, every person that has specific
traits easily meet similar people to cope up within their life. For example, in the case of June, she
is silent and always ready to take up daily chores; however, she speaks about other people when
they go out for a walk. For example, it is stated in the story that they could talk about other
people’s behavior whenever the come across people. Another critical aspect of the story is that
Connie’s mum is not handling Connie’s behavior keenly. She mostly quarrels with Connie
instead of sitting down together to discuss the situation and get a permanent solution.
On the other hand, June’s father does not care about the status in the house. Connie has an issue
with her mother, but their father has no clue about it. He only read the newspapers and goes to
bed after taking supper. Connie has identified herself with the behavior, and it is not easy for her
to stop behaving the same way. All her friends identify her with her behavior. They always look
at the things that can attract the attention of Connie. However, the response has affected Connie
negatively because she has to check her face before going to talk to another person.
Society view

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Parents should also be a role model to their children, speak to them if there is an issue to prevent
the children from adopting bad characters from their friends. The kind of treatment the parents
give to their children influence who they become in future. For instance, Connie’s mother hates
her and always prefers identifying herself with Jane. The environment has defined the traits of
Connie in that she is looking for other people who can appreciate her in the society. The behavior
is always evident in the society if parents cannot appreciate their children. The children end up
looking for other friends whom they can bond with in the society. In such situation, they adopt
bad behaviors in their lives which later determine who they become as they grow up.
Conclusion
The character trait that people develop in their lives identifies them wherever they go. In society
today, people make friends with other individuals who have similar character traits. For example,
people who smoke end up making their own group of friends. It is essential to note that bad
behaviors ruin good behaviors. For instance, in the case of Connie, the friends who came to visit
her in a car influenced her negatively. Connie will end up following bad people that mislead her
in life. It is essential for one to copy the characters that influence his or her life positively.

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Work cited
Ashforth, Blake E., and Beth S. Schinoff. "Identity under construction: How individuals come to
define themselves in organizations." Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and
Organizational Behavior 3 (2016): 111-137.
Liutikas, Darius. "The manifestation of values and identity in travelling: The social engagement
of pilgrimage." Tourism Management Perspectives 24 (2017): 217-224.
Strauss, Anselm L. Mirrors and masks: The search for identity. Routledge, 2017. Vol.2, pp.39-
85.