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Jacob Ellsworth
Mrs. Carter
AP Literature and Composition
2 November 2014
Foreshadowing in "Where Are You Going, Where have You Been?"
In literature, authors commonly use literary devices to foreshadow upcoming
events. The short story, "Where Are You Going, Where have you been?" by Joyce Carol
Oates serves as a prime example of this type of foreshadowing. Throughout this short
story, Oates uses many literary devices such as characterization, symbolism, and plot
structure to foreshadow the intense and unexpected events that later occur.
As she develops the characters of this short story, Oates purposefully and
strategically causes readers to make inferences that foreshadow the ending of the story.
In the exposition, Oates skillfully develops the character of the main protagonist,
Connie, when she says, "She and that girl and occasionally another girl went out
several times a week, and the rest of the time Connie spent around the houseit was
summer vacationgetting in her mother' sway and thinking, dreaming about the boys
she met." This one quote categorizes Connie as a normal, narcissistic 15 year old girl
who is obsessed with her own appearance. Connie is shown to be nave, reckless and
care-free which accurately foreshadows her carelessness coming back to hurt her in the
end. Also, it causes the reader to distance himself and even develop dislike for Connie,
which displays a higher probability that something unfortunate will happen to her in the
end. Arnold Friend, the story's antagonist, also had a unique characterization that
foreshadows later events in the story. When Oates first introduces him, she writes, "he

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had shaggy, shabby black hair that looked crazy as a wig and he was grinning at her."
Just by reading this line, the reader is able to make inferences about Arnold Friend that
provide ideas of events that will occur as the plot progresses. His black hair gives him a
dark appearance, which hints that he has destructive intentions, even though he is
grinning at her. Oates explains that his hair looked crazy, which provides the reader with
evidence that he is reckless, unstable, and cannot be trusted. Through this brief
description of Arnold Friend, Oates foreshadows his evil nature that will later be
revealed.
As well as characterization, Oates skillfully uses symbolism to foreshadow the
ending of the story. An early occurrence of symbolism in the story is developed when
Oates says that Connie did not even bother to go to church. This symbolizes Connie's
sinful nature and foreshadows that she will have to pay for these sins in the end. This
also occurs later when the car pulls up and Connie says, "Christ. Christ," wondering
how bad she looks, again emphasizing her arrogant and immature sins and that she will
later come to regret these sins. Another example of symbolism is provided through the
antagonist's name, Arnold Friend. Oates clearly named him this to create irony and
humor, symbolizing that Arnold Friend isn't really who he says he is, but in fact quite the
opposite. This symbolism in his Arnold's foreshadows his attempt to deceive Connie into
believing that he is a friend and eventually even his kidnapping of her. Arnold Friend's
car is also used as a symbol to foreshadow the ending. While the car had multiple
writings on it that can be interpreted as symbols, the most prominent was the writing
that said, "MAN THE FLYING SAUCERS." Flying saucers, or UFOs, are known to

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kidnap people, so this expression clearly foreshadows The kidnapping of Connie in the
end.
The plot structure and events that occurred at the beginning of the story were
also used to foreshadow the ending. Oates starts the story by explaining Connie's
disconnection from her family. Next, she tells of the event in which Connie goes to a
Drive-In Restaurant with her friends. As Connie leaves the restaurant, she briefly
encounters a man who she will later learn to be Arnold Friend as Oates writes, "He
wagged a finger at her and laughed and said, 'Gonna get you baby,' and Connie turned
away again without Eddie noticing anything." Oates is not just foreshadowing but
explicitly telling the reader that Arnold Friend will appear again and try to kidnap Connie.
Later, Connie stays home alone as her family attends a barbecue. In any work of
literature, it is never a good sign when a character decides to stay home alone.
Therefore, the fact that Connie stayed home alone is another obvious instance where
Oates foreshadows the Kidnapping of her at the end of the story.
Characterization, Symbolism and Plot were only three of the many devices used
by Oates to foreshadow the end of the story and add Irony to the story's already intense
climax. At first read, many of these elements are not difficult to surpass, but by carefully
and slowly reading through the story, one can notice all the small and large elements of
foreshadowing that Oates includes throughout the plot. With close examination, a
reader can use these devices to recognize foreshadowing and accurately estimate the
ending of the story.