Character Analysis of Connie - Essay Example

The surplus self-confidence is based on the conviction that she has extraordinary looks. The self-assurance makes her have a sense of false self-security. Her body image makes her have unnecessary self-esteem, which makes her make bad choices. Connie is convinced that she is extra good-looking and is capable of impressing any boy. She thus becomes engulfed with the notion that she is beautiful. All she wants is for others to notice that she is attractive. Her personality does not matter to her and her confidence is solely based on her perceived looks. She does not care about how she portrays herself since she believes that all that matters in life is good looks. This is depicted when the author posits, “She knew she was pretty and that was everything” (Oates 71). This is what leads her to the mishap when she tries to impress the wrong boy.

As she grows, she worsens and fails to realize the role of personality in defining one's identity. Even when people around her attempt to instill some sense in her, she is egoistic and ignores any criticism or takes it negatively. As she grows, people around her express concern for her character. When they appreciate her sister’s good character, she despises it since she considers her sister plain and steady, which was not appealing. In Connie’s opinion, her mother’s looks had faded and that is why she was always after her.
Connie appears indifferent about her age and shows no signs of maturing. She takes criticism the same way all through the story.

She always relates people's reactions to looks. She even thinks that her mother favored her sister, June, because she was not pretty. On the contrary, her mother was bothered by Connie’s arrogance. Connie’s egotism is evident when she refuses to go to the barbeque with the rest of her family. When she was asked to join them, she refused since “She wasn’t interested, rolling her eyes to let her mother know what she thought of it” (Oates 74). In her opinion, she was too pretty to go to a place she describes with detestation. She even pities her sister for dressing up to go to a place “with all the running yelling kids and the flies” (Oates 74). This scene depicts Connie’s immaturity. Connie’s immaturity and arrogance lead her to Arnold Friend, who had similar arrogance.

Connie detests anything that depicts conformity. She does not bother to tell her parents about her whereabouts. She even goes to places for people beyond her age. This makes her develop bad judgment, which eventually leads her into trouble. She wears two faces. One face is of an arrogant girl, which she displays while at home, and another looks of a sophisticated girl, which she uses to impress men. She even goes with Eddie to his car although she did not know him. She thinks that her looks will prevent malevolent people from hurting her but she realizes she was wrong when Arnold Friend threatens her and she ends up sacrificing herself to save her family from a mishap.

Connie’s body image is highly linked to her age. From the author's description, it is easy to tell that she is a teenager full of illusory dreams and fantasies. She is yet to be exposed to the harsh world but she considers herself mature. Therefore, Connie undergoes a right of passage from adolescence to adulthood before she attains maturity. Her actions show immaturity but her transition is depicted when she leaves with Arnold without her parents’ consent.

Connie is an individual who desires attention from others. When she fails to get attention from her family, she goes looking for it in other places. She satiates her desire for attention using her beauty. Connie lacks individuality and adopts two identities since she does not understand her true self. She uses faked laughter and tone while away from home. This is because she is just a simple girl but wants to make others believe she is sophisticated. She thinks she is an exception since she has good looks. However, fate forces her to transcend into Connie herself. She realizes that beauty is not everything when she is unable to handle Arnold's friend and realizes she is a mere girl who can be blackmailed.
Conclusively, Connie is a character with two identities resulting from excessive self-confidence. She is confused about her identity and thinks that beauty is all that counts in life. She uses her beauty to satiate her fantasies but ends up in the n wrong hands. She is arrogant and refuses to go with her family but ends up regretting when Arnold Friend blackmails her and she has to leave with him to save her family. Read More