At te climax of the story, the action breaks down somewhat and it is difficult to understand exactly what happens; though told in the third person, the story takes place from the girl's perspective, and she is herself highly confused by both her sexual response and her intense fear by the end of her encounter with the strange man. Still, it is clear that she ends up leaving the house with him, and her stepping out of the door marks the end of the story. Controlled by her sexuality -- represented as the strange spell that the man seems to have cast over her -- more than her fear, the protagonist ultimately steps away from the safe world of her childhood into the unknown but already guessed-at dangers that await her in the company of men.
Parallel Paths, Different Directions
There are some significant similarities as well as some important differences in the approach towards adulthood that the two main characters' experiences in "A&P" and "Where Are you Going, Where Have You Been?." The endings of the stories are especially telling in terms of the similarities of these two characters' journeys; both exit through a literal doorway into a world of daylight, suddenly and probably permanently leaving behind the environments in which they exist throughout the action of the story. Their transition into adulthood is sharp, happening almost in an instant, and each is aware of the irrevocability of their final exit. Each is also largely controlled by their sexuality in their determination as to whether or not to make this exit, ultimately stepping through that doorway despite other feelings that inform...
The boy in Updike's story feels compelled by his sexuality to act in a way that he sees as being protective of the objects of his desire; though somewhat slavish to his sexuality he is active in making decisions regarding how this sexuality will be demonstrated. The girl in "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?," on the other hand, does not rally make active decisions utilizing her realized sexual power, but instead this sexuality has true power over her, and is used by the man at her doorstep to control her. She is acted upon because of her sexuality, rather than acting in the manner of the boy. This could be used to argue that there is simply a gender difference in the way that sexuality is perceived, at least in American society, placing the male automatically in the position of dominance, or it could simply be a difference inherent to these two individual (and fictional) characters regardless of gender. The truth probably lies somewhere in between, but the differences that exist are quite plain.
Conclusion
The story of American history is one of rebellion and revolution, and a continual rejection of simple tradition and the finding of one's own path. In keeping with this, these two characters rather ironically assist in keeping this tradition strong. They are also testaments to the vibrancy and variety of the talent that exists among American short story writers.
