Symbolism In Where Are You Going Where Have You Been

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Growing up as an adolescent girl is not as simple as it may seem. Girls never say exactly what they mean, and if others want to understand us they must read into our every word. Joyce Carol Oates models this in her short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been.” In one passage, she describes girls simply walking through the mall. Using descriptive features, Oates implies more than one would notice at first glance. She uses symbolism and dual meanings in every word, just as an actual girl would in her everyday interactions. Oates is teaching us to read into the details of her description of Connie in order to understand her personality, sexuality, and insecurities. A surface level reading of this passage may suggest a heavy emphasis on physical characteristics. When readers look deeper into the work, they find just how much personality these girls wear on their sleeves. Oates …show more content…
Pink is a mixture of red and white. Red represents passion and love. It is bold and matured. The color is just bright enough to catch any man’s eye, but dark enough to be sensual. In contrast, red mixes with white to create pink, a bright innocent look. Pink does also capture the interest of many men, but it does not have the same lure as the red of a well-aged wine. Connie wore pink because she loved the attention of boys. She wanted to explore her sexuality; however, she did not really understand the concept of attraction and love. The attention she got from boys made her feel loved, but what was love exactly? In Connie’s eyes, love was “the way it was in movies and promised in songs” (Oates 351). Connie wanted to seem like an expert in the field of love and sexuality, however, she was far from it. This is symbolic of the lipstick she wears, pink rather than red. A woman who wears red fully embraces her sexuality and seduction. Connie mixes red with white because she does not truly embody that aspect of
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