Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? is a famous short story written by Joyce Carol Oates. This thesis tries to give an interpretation on the protagonist’s self pursuit by applying Lacan’s Mirror Stage Theory and analyzes the causes of leading to the final tragic ending of protagonist Connie. Where Are You Going, where Have You Been? Is a famous short story written by Joyce Carol Oates. This thesis tries to give an interpretation on the protagonist’s self pursuit by applying Lacan’s Mirror Stage Theory and analyzes the causes of leading to the final tragic ending of protagonist Connie.