"Where are you going? Where have you been?" Response

The short story, "Where are You Going, Where Have You Been?," turned out to be something completely different than I thought it was going to be. In the very beginning of the story, I thought it was going to turn out to be a boring story of a girl living in the shadow of her older sister and being pushed around by her mother. This was not the case. Connie was a very curious individual, she wanted to be her own person and do whatever her heart desired. Unfortunately, this trait of hers got her into some trouble in the end. By the end of the story, Connie found herself stuck in a very uncomfortable situation. She was home alone, with a strange creepy man in her driveway. What got me the most was how Arnold Friend knew where she lived, her friends, her family, her schedule and her whole life story. He knew all of this without ever talking to Connie a day in his life. I think the author, Joyce Carol Oates, does a great job putting pieces together in this story. When Arnold Friend shows up in her driveway, it is not the first time we see him. He was seen earlier in the story, saying "I'm gonna get you." She also adds a lot of mystery to the story. We never know if Arnold kidnaps/rapes Connie, or even if this whole thing is real or just her imagination. I think that this is all just apart of her vivid, wild imagination. I believe that she dreams up this situation because she only wishes that someone would find her intriguing enough to stalk her life and want to take her away. Her ego controls her actions, thoughts and words. Although this is my belief,  I truly enjoyed reading this. Ms. Oates did a wonderful job blurring the line between reality and imagination. It leaves the reader with wanting to know more and anticipation. I also feel as though she puts little bits of clues for dramatics in this story. Arnold's initials are A. Friend and the title does a play on the mind. I feel as though she is hinting to Connie's innocence in the where are you going part and to Arnold's experience in the where have you been part. Both, too, leave behind a mystery.