Identity is who you are, how people know you; this determines which group you belong to. Without identity, we would all be the same and it would be a pretty boring world. Dee in “Everyday Use” and Connie in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” » both face the struggle of trying to find their identity by escaping from their family, their image in society and the new influences that enter their lives. Your image in society is a substantial part of your identity. Connie constantly worries about her image and what others think of her. Oates gives us proof in the first paragraph of the story: “Her name was Connie. She was fifteen and had a habit of laughing nervously, craning her neck to look in mirrors, or checking other people's faces to make sure her own was okay” (Oates 107). Connie thought her image was all that she was so focused on her appearance that she wasn't even sure who she really was. Image is not everything, beauty fades but personality and morals can go a long way in life. The fact that she was always watching herself and her appearance shows how insecure she was. Her lack of morals and something to stand for made her vulnerable to Arnold Friend and his manipulative words, all he had to do was make her feel beautiful. Dee in “Everyday Use” is also trying to fit into society and change her image as to what society thinks she should be. At the time this story takes place, slaves were trying to connect with their heritage. They started practicing a lot of things that Africans did, like their clothes, their religion, their names, etc. Dee was not left behind in this new trend in society, so she started practicing some of these things as well. She changed her appearance...... middle of paper ...... in the story he makes her change her name but from the context clues and situation we can assume that They made this choice together since they both have African names. Dee changes herself to fit him and his culture or what he would like his culture to be. The two girls have both made conscious and unconscious decisions throughout their lives to try to find their identity by escaping from their families, the image they represented in society and the new influences they let into their lives. These decisions ultimately determined their identity. Works Cited Oates, Joyce Carol. “Where are you going, where have you been?” Literature and ourselves, sixth edition. Vivian Garcia, 2009. Pearson Education. 106- 120. Print.Walker, Alice. “Everyday Use” Literature and Ourselves, Sixth Edition. Vivian Garcia, 2009. Pearson Education. 912-920. Print.