Arnold Friend In Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

358 Words1 Page

The character Arnold Friend in Joyce Carol Oates’s short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is a dangerous figure who comes to Connie’s house to threatens her. Even when throughout the story the character of Arnold Friend can be seen merely as a criminal or a psychopath, this character in fact epitomizes the symbolic figure of Satan. The first element that shows us how the character of Arnold Friend resembles the figure of Satan can be seen in the form used by the character to attract his victim. In the Bible, Satan is portrayed as a liar who using a shiny and mysterious apple in the Paradise gets Eva to do his will. Similar to Satan, Arnold Friend beguiles Connie with his shiny and mysterious car. Thus, Connie got captivated

Show More
Related

  • Character Analysis Of Arnold Friend

    541 Words  | 2 Pages

    Although Arnold Friend's traits are never stated outright, they are presented through his speech and interaction with other characters, which ultimately creates a more impacting effect and lasting impression. Arnold Friend is the devil in human form. However, as his physical description progresses, he b...

    Read More

  • Arnold Friend Archetypes

    773 Words  | 2 Pages

    Stories usually include the archetype bad guys that seem to be evil, but in numerous stories, the “bad guy” persona becomes clouded. In the short stories, “Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates and “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor there are centralized antagonists, Arnold Friend and The Misfit, that are the archetype of a bad guy with a troubled past. Both short stories have subliminal messages hinting towards the devil. But if you start reading deeper you can see that’s not all they are portrayed, as seen in the short story, “A Good Man is Hard to Find”, the Misfit could also be portrayed as an archetype as a savior or a seer that has lost his way, although in “Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been? “, Arnold Friend could be portrayed as a satyr, a mischievous demi god. While it can be argued that both characters are completely evil or not, they both have similar and their own personal qualities like the need to inflict pain upon others although they go about it in different ways.

    Read More

  • Temptation in Where Are You Going , Where Are you Been?

    837 Words  | 2 Pages

    In “Where are You Going, Where Have you Been?” Joyce Carol Oates uses an allegorical figure of evil to illustrate the theme of temptation. Oates alludes to hell through the character Arnold Friend, as the devil, and his victim Connie, who invites him in by committing the sin of vanity.

    Read More

  • Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?, by Joyce Carol Oates

    1248 Words  | 3 Pages

    Woven into the twisted short story by Joyce Carol Oates “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” stands a figure of demonic proportions; a man whose mere presence develops into an ominous fear, bringing with him a thickness of anxiety and an eerie sense of premature death. While her parents are away on a Sunday afternoon, Connie is approached by a strange man named Arnold Friend who is determined to seduce her and steal her away. Rather than use force, Arnold Friend insinuates his way into Connie’s mind and subdues her vulnerable and emerging sexuality. In the end, Oates indicates that he leads her to her death, whether spiritual or physical, and that his love is empty, but she is powerless against him. Within this novella lies a battle of wits between a young girl and a demonic man who is the metaphorical illusion of a fate – the fate of isolation and death.

    Read More

  • Arnold Friend

    875 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” by Joyce Carol Oates is a fictional short story about a perverted man trying to take a 15 year old girl from her home. Through setting, characterization and dialogue Joyce Carol Oates successfully achieves the idea of Arnold Friend as a symbolic satan.

    Read More

  • Arnold Friend Essay

    708 Words  | 2 Pages

    Arnold Friend is a supernatural entity. He has the attributes that correlates with the devil. His charm and the way he hypnotized a frantic Connie to come with him, show disturbing evidence of him not being an ordinary human being. Another example of Arnold Friend as the representation of the devil is his strange appearance. He had wild hair that almost looked like a wig, he wore sunglasses that were mirrored and he had pellucid skin. Why is his appearance so strange? It’s almost as if he is disguising himself to look human. This evidence makes Arnold Friend a suspect. The irony of his name makes this case appealing. Arnold

    Read More

  • Arnold Friend Foreshadowing

    2094 Words  | 5 Pages

    In the short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” written by author Joyce Carol Oates violence is involved in the main theme. The main theme reflects upon how violence may be something that is built into the structure of society. With the theme being violence Oates questions the history of humanity. To strengthen her theme Oates uses literary devices. The devices are symbolism, foreshadowing and motifs. One example of symbolism is Arnold Friend’s car. Arnold Friend is also used by Oates when she uses foreshadowing. Due to Oates’s writing style she subjected herself to many critics. Tracy M. Caldwell and Tom Quirk are two of many examples of critics who critique Oates’s work. By using symbolism and foreshadowing Oates is able to develop a stronger story and convey her point stronger.

    Read More

  • Arnold Friend Is The Devil Essay

    790 Words  | 2 Pages

    First, Arnold disguises himself similarly to the way the devil does. 1 Corinthian 11:14 states, “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.” The devil tries to gain your trust by appearing safe, but it is all just a façade. Arnold also attempts to disguise himself; however, Connie was able to realize who he really was. In the story,

    Read More

  • Theme Of The Devil In Where Are You Going Where Have You Been?

    1338 Words  | 3 Pages

    Stories have an opportunity to leave the reader with many different impressions. When you look a different characters within the stories the ones that leave the greatest impressions are the ones that tend to scare us. The figures in Bob Dylar’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have you been?”, in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown”, and Stephen King’s “The Man in the Black Suite” all instill a bit of fear in the reader. They are symbols that represent the devil or devil like attributes in people and the uncertainties of human nature.

    Read More

  • What Does Arnold Represent A Greater Evil

    99 Words  | 1 Pages

    Arnold represents a greater evil in her dream because he exemplifies a striking resemblance to the devil. According to the bible, Satan is the evillest figure in the history of creation, but will not always appear that way. He often presents himself as one’s friend or ally and deceives them to gain an insight into their lives. Arnold pulls up in Connie’s driveway and says that he just wants Connie to go on a drive with him without being forceful or hostile. Once Connie outs Arnold’s masquerade, he become more demanding, and continues to call her by pet names

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Young Goodman Brown And Where Are You Going

    1272 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...nior Goodman Brown" with aggregate determination, quickly depicting Brown's life and demise. Hawthorne leaves nothing hanging buzzing around. Then again, Oates finished "Where Are You Going; Where Have You Been" with much equivocalness. It is dependent upon the onlooker to choose whether Connie had fallen into a "trashy fantasy" or if Arnold Friend was truth be told a serial slayer or attacker (Where 1). What is comparative however, is that both Connie and Brown passed on. Connie's passing wasn't strict like Brown's, however she had passed on to herself due to Arnold's control, "She thought without precedent for her life that it was nothing that was hers, that had a place with her, yet simply a pounding, living thing inside this form that wasn't generally hers either" (Where 12). Connie let Arnold assume control over her, as Brown had let sin assume control him.

    Read More

  • Arnold Friend Symbolizes the Devil in Where are you Going, Where Have you been? by Joyce Carol Oates

    519 Words  | 2 Pages

    First, Arnold Friend’s physical traits portray him as Satan. Oates says that “There were two boys in the car and now she recognized the driver: he had shaggy, shabby black hair that looked crazy as a wig and he was grinning at her,” (Oates 316). The hair could actually be a wig hiding something that he didn’t want someone to see. Maybe he was hiding his devil horns. Also when he was standing Connie had mentioned that “He was standing in a strange way, leaning back against the car as if he were balancing himsel...

    Read More

  • Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been: A Literary Analysis

    1973 Words  | 4 Pages

    To start off, Oates incorporates allegories into her story. The entire story is essentially allegorical as its theme consists of a moral message. The theme of “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” is similar to “Life After High School” in that society’s incessant need for conformity leads to dire consequences for the youth of America. Had Connie not conformed to the counterculture, she may not have consequently been kidnapped and raped. Arnold Friend is also somewhat of an allegory as well, in that he sends the message that there are consequences of what can happen when one attempts to conform to the standards of society in America as a youth. If Connie didn’t try to conform to the counterculture she may not have become one of Arnold’s victims. Had she made better life choices and had better friends who influenced her in a more positive way, she may not have been subject to such consequences that she faced. Not to say that it is her fault completely- Arnold shouldn’t be a creep- but that due to her choices, she made it that much more possible for her to become a victim of such actions. Oates also includes suspense and foreshadowing in her story as well. Connie encounters Arnold long before he shows up at her house; when she is leaving with one of her many escorts, Arnold yells from his car to her that he is “Gonna get [her], baby.” (Oates) This foreshadowing creates a level of suspense in that the reader is now curious as to what is going to happen later in the story with this stranger. The ending also provides suspense, as Connie and the reader have no idea where Arnold is taking her. Oates doesn’t explicitly state what happens to Connie once she is in the hands of Arnold, but through prior

    Read More

  • Where Are You Going?

    1048 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the short story “Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?”, by Joyce Carol Oates, the use of the symbolism of Connie’s clothes, her fascination with her beauty, Arnold Friend’s car and Arnold Friend himself help to understand the story’s theme of evil and manipulation. The story, peppered with underlying tones of evil, finds Oates writing about 15-year-old Connie, the protagonist of the story, a pretty girl who is a little too into her own attractiveness, which eventually gets her into trouble with a man named Arnold Friend. The story is liberally doused with symbolism, from the way Connie dresses to the shoes on Arnold Friend’s feet. In “Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?” the reader can pick up on some of the symbols very easily, while others need deeper thought. The subtle hints of symbolism throughout the story create a riveting tale that draws the reader in. Connie finally succumbs to Arnold Friend at the end of the story, it then becomes obvious that he represents the devil and the symbolism of her clothing and Arnold’s car all tie together to create a better understanding of the story.

    Read More

  • Satan: The Adversary

    831 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Paradise Lost by John Milton, Satan is depicted as a malicious and deceiving character who is fueled by his own ambitions to overthrow God. His role and appearance in Paradise Lost is conveyed through his envious behavior, his foolish attempts to battle God, and his cunning deceptions. Satan’s manipulative and malignant personality is also demonstrated in various verses of Scripture and CS Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters by demonstrating his spiteful behavior and self-deluded lies.

    Read More

More about Arnold Friend In Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

Open Document