“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” written by Joyce Carol Oates is a haunting and incredibly formidable story of a young woman's loss of innocence during a moment of social change and turbulent times. The protagonist of the story is Connie, a self-centered but beautiful fifteen-year-old, who is not only at odds with her family but also with the conservative values ​​passed down by her family. She, without her parents' knowledge, passes evenings exploring her independence and individuality as well as flirting and picking up boys at a local diner One evening she attracts the attention of a strange and creepy boy driving a dilapidated gold convertible One Sunday afternoon, while she is alone at home. the same creepy guy driving the gold convertible, together with a friend, stops in front of his house. He recognizes the guy from the diner and he introduces himself as Arnold Friend. Initially, the charismatic, silver-tongued stranger intrigues Connie. This intrigue quickly turns to fear as a sense of unease overwhelms her. While Arnold insists on going for a ride with him, Connie refuses. He becomes more insistent and sinister and eventually threatens to harm her family if she doesn't come with him. The story ends when Connie relents and agrees to go with him; his immediate fate is uncertain. First published in 1966, "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been" is a story inspired by a Life magazine article about Charles Schmid, a manipulative and creepy serial killer from Tucson, Arizona, who preyed on innocence of girls (Ramsland). In addition to the real events that greatly influenced this tale, Oates was able to show the monumental historical events that were shaping America when it was written. The story is set... middle of the paper... because the horrific historical event that inspired this story in 1966 will persist in our society today. Works Cited Anderson, Walt. The era of protest. Pacific Palisades, CA: Goodyear Pub., 1969. Print."BBC NEWS | Programs | Hardtalk | Joyce Carol Oates." BBC News - Home. Network. 06 August 2011."Brief analysis of the countercultural movement of the 1960s." DocShare: a new way to share documents online. Network. 06 August 2011."NOW Foundation." National Organization for Women (NOW). Network. 06 August 2011.Miller, Paula M. "Joyce Carol Oates." Identity and Problems in Literature (1997): 1. MagillOnLiterature Plus. EBSCO. Network. August 6, 2011. Ramsland, Katherine. "Charles Schmid, the Pied Piper of Tucson - The Crime Library - Inspiration for Joyce Carol Oates - Crime Library on TruTV.com." TruTV.com: Not reality. Actuality. Network. 06 August. 2011.