Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

I just read "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" by Joyce Carol Oates, and can say that this story was very well written, but cannot say that I enjoyed reading it. The subject matter was disturbing to me, and I was actually a bit freaked out by Arnold Friend's character. Looking past the creepiness of most of the story, I noticed that in the beginning, the author was trying to create a certain personality for Connie, which was pretty much a self-centered brat. This was interesting considering how the story continues once she is left alone in her house one morning. You would think that the author would want to connect the reader to Connie in the introduction by writing about Connie doing things or feeling things that most people can relate to, but she basically just turned the reader in the opposite direction of liking or connecting with Connie (at least for me). However, having said that, I did end up feeling horrible for her by the end of the story. This piece made me realize that no matter who the person is, good or bad, nothing this severe and horrifying should ever happen to them. 

Below is an image that I think captures the mood of the story. The woman's face looks like she's trying to be brave, but holding back fear and/or dread, which is how I perceived Connie's character.

http://www.psypost.org/2012/03/smiling-through-the-tears-study-shows-how-tearjerkers-make-people-happier-10740#prettyPhoto/0/