Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Freedom and Confinement Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Paragraph)

Quote #1

Connie couldn't do a thing, her mind was all filled with trashy daydreams. (3)

Connie is paralyzed by daydreams fueled by "trashy" films and songs. This looks ahead to the paralyzing terror she suffers when Arnold accosts her at her home.

Quote #2

Connie had long dark blond hair that drew anyone's eye to it. [...] Everything about her had two sides to it, one for home and one for anywhere that was not at home. (5)

Home is a kind of prison for Connie, associated with the dreary lives of her mother and her sister. Outside the home lies the promise of some kind of freedom.

Quote #3

It was as if the idea of going for a ride somewhere, to someplace was a new idea to him. (55)

There's an echo here of the great American road trip – typified by such works as Jack Kerouac's On the Road – where the road is associated with freedom from conventional mores. Of course, Arnold gives the road trip a sinister twist here.