The Murders Behind "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?"

    Joyce Carol Oates' 1966 short story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" follows the story of the young Connie who is met with a tragic fate after a brief encounter with a strange man. The story sends chills down the spine of any reader, and righteously so. Despite an ambiguous ending, the reader is left with a frightening reminder of how often young women are targeted while embracing their transition into womanhood. To further enhance this fear, some readers would be shocked to learn that Oates' main inspiration for this story comes from the serial killer Charles Schmid - emphasizing how real Connie's situation can be.

Charles Schmid

    Oates first became familiar with the story of Charles Schmid through a Life magazine article. She was fascinated by the details, but she did not read the entire article as to not soil her writing process (1). The article, titled "The Pied Piper of Tucson," describes Charles Schmid's persistent stalking of teen venues in Tucson, Arizona (2). After dawning makeup, stuffing his shoes, and driving his golden car, Schmid would socialize with the vulnerable crowd in order to gain their trust, or at least their interest.
Charles Schmid, Coolidge Examiner
 
    Schmid had three victims: Alleen Rowe, Wendy Fritz, and Gretchen Fritz. After meeting Alleen at the aforementioned hangout spots, Schmid went to her home to rape and murder her while her mother was working a night shift. Months later, Schmid met Gretchen and showed up at her home pretending to be a salesman in order to introduce himself. Gretchen, a troubled girl from a rich family, took a liking to Schmid and the two began a relationship. However, after Gretchen found Schmid's diary recounting his murder of Alleen Rowe, Schmid murdered both Gretchen and her sister Wendy. Schmid was eventually found guilty of all three murders and sentenced to the death penalty, which was later changed to a 50 year sentence in the Arizona State Prison (3). 

Comparisons to Arnold Friend

Arnold Friend (as seen in Smooth Talk)
    The details that Oates did notice in this article clearly shine through in her portrayal of Arnold Friend, the Charles Schmid of "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" Arnold Friend is first seen at
the drive-in where Connie is with her friend. He looks at Connie and says, "Gonna get you, baby" while standing near his gold convertible, but Connie pays him no mind (4). This is an obvious allusion to Schmid's golden vehicle and his interest in spending time at teen venues. Later in the story, Friend shows up at Connie's home while her family is away at a barbeque, referencing Schmid's interest in going to the homes of the girls he murdered. One of the most glaring comparisons, however, is the physical appearance of Friend and Schmid. When Friend is attempting to lure Connie out of her home, there are multiple mentions of how peculiar he looks. More specifically, he seemed awkward in his boots, as "his feet did not go all the way down," and it looked like he "plastered make-up on his face" to look more tan. These details are identical to the way Schmid chose to present himself in order to look young, charming, and trustworthy.

The Story's Ending

    With this historical context in mind, the story's ending seems to fall into place. Since the readers don't know exactly what happened after Connie went with Arnold Friend, one could have hope that she survived and was not murdered. However, the story's serial killer inspiration suggests that Connie was met with the worst fate. Oates' decision to write the story based on reality only turns the ending into more of a cautionary tale and further emphasizes the fear women feel toward men in society.


Works Cited

1) "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" Encyclopedia.com, 20 Mar. 2023, https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/where-are-you-going-where-have-you-been

2) Moser, Dino. "The Pied Piper of Tucson." Life, 4 Mar. 1966, http://altsclass.weebly.com/uploads/3/8/8/0/38808759/lifemagazinepiedpiper.doc.pdf

3) Schafer, William. "Murder in the Desert." Arizona Attorney Magazine, Sept. 2008, pp. 28-34. https://www.myazbar.org/AZAttorney/PDF_Articles/0908Murder.pdf

4) Oates, Joyce C. "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" The Story and Its Writer, edited by Ann Charters, Bedford/St. Martin's, 2018, pp. 682-94.

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