Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Theme

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There is a phase that everyone experiences in life. It’s called adolescence. Adolescence can be one of the most difficult things to go through. It’s a constant war that you fight between yourself trying to find yourself, while still trying to be accepted by your peers. In order to survive in this world, it’s essential to know who you are and what you stand for. In the story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”, the character Connie experiences adolescence and fights a battle of finding self-identity. Battling low self-esteem, no support system, lack of communication, and sexuality, Connie helps us realize that she has no hope of finding herself. Connie is an average teenage girl. Due to the fact that she battles low self-esteem, Connie’s appearance means everything to her. The narrator in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” states that Connie has a “nervous giggling habit of craning her neck to glance into mirrors or checking other people’s faces to make sure her own was …show more content…
In. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”, the theme is important to the story because it creates the plot. If Connie had the necessary tools she needed to go through life, then she would have been able to find herself. Carol uses the theme to show the readers how the absence of life tools can lead to your life being taken. If Connie was sure of who she was, she would have never left her house to leave with a guy she didn’t know-Arnold Friend. She would have had more confidence in herself, a supportive loving family, great communication, and less thoughts about sexuality. This theme is important in our lives today because there are a lot of teens like Connie. They are afraid or just simply don’t know how to just find themselves. They do anything be accepted and wants to fit in with the “cool kids”. Carol uses Connie as a perfect example as to how your life may end up if you never find
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