Arnold Friend: A Short Story

The world is full of people who portray themselves as someone or something else. People

There are many ideas about what or who the Devil is, even among believers. The number of differing sources and translations have led to plenty of inconsistencies, rumors, and assumptions surrounding the Prince of Darkness. Throughout the short story “Where Are You going, Where Have You Been?”, Arnold Friend is seen as a symbolic Satan. Joyce Carol Oates uses dialogue, characterization, and plot to show the readers how Arnold embodies features of a symbolic Satan.

Arnold Friend is a seductive man, or should I say ArN OLD FrIEND with a dark appearance hiding something deeper, something evil? Arnold, posing as a teen-age boy, is none other than the devil himself, which shows in his words and actions, and in his physical traits. From the very beginning of, Joyce Carol Oates', "Where are you going, Where Have you been?" a certain number of religious references are interspersed throughout. These references help to maintain a biblical feeling, as well as to set a path for Friend's entry into the story. They also foreshadow that; powers beyond a human level will be presented. Friend looks like one person in the beginning, but as the story unfolds, he is shown as someone else or

Many authors look for inspiration in ways such as reflecting on past experiences, art, movies, history, or even nature. There are endless ways to develop new ideas in our everyday lives. In 1966, author Joyce Carol Oates was inspired to write a short story in a very peculiar way. While reading Life Magazine, she stumbled across an article about a serial killer with a bazar style and personality, which prompted her to write one of her most famous works to date. In the short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” Joyce Carol Oates uses characteristics of serial killer Charles Howard Schmid Jr. to develop her fictional character Arnold Friend.

Joyce Carol Oates created an allusion with Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? to the Western European allegory called Death and the Maiden with Connie as the maiden in distress or victim and Arnold Friend as death personified.

As Connie was leaving the restaurant with Eddie, she noticed this strange guy in which he made a threatening gesture. Connie did not think too much of anything until one Sunday evening; when her mother, father, and sister left her home alone to attend a family cookout at a close relative home. This unusual fellow pulls up into her garage in a gold-colored vehicle, and was joined by a friend. The driver presents himself as Arnold Friend and approaches Connie to go along with him for a ride. As her and the guy was communicating, Connie realizes that Arnold may be a harmful person to be around. Arnold's tone begins to get to be all the more sexually straightforward and fierce, and he threatens to harm her family in the event that she calls the police. Connie takes another chance to call the police, however she freezes and is not able to decide. At last, she goes out and joins Arnold. At the end of the story Connie is raped by Arnold

“Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been,” is a testament of a true artist, because art can be interpreted into many forms and meanings. These meanings can differ from person to person, such as each reader of this tale can walk away with a different understanding of what the deeper implication may be. With the element of religious metaphors and allusions, the author is able to connect her short story to a much deeper value that pertains to today’s society and it’s current relations with religion.

When a reader first reads “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, by Joyce Carol Oates, the story may seem to be “realistic or naturalistic”; however, when interpreting Oates’ short story biblically, the work becomes an “existential allegory” of humanity realizing they cannot control an “externally determined fate” (Urbanski). Through the use of dialog, descriptive imagery, and symbolism, the reader may conclude “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is an allusion to the biblical story of Adam and Eve.

Connie did not leave her house of her own free will. Supernatural or not, Arnold Friend’s forced her to come with him. One could say that Connie left of her own free will due to Arnold Friend giving her a choice, but the choice her family in danger, making it not much of a choice at all. The aforementioned choice is between leaving with him or him hurting Connie’s family: “...You come out here and give me your hand, and nobody gets hurt, I mean, your nice old bald-headed daddy and your mummy and your sister…” (Oates 416). Arnold Friend continues to threaten Connie’s family, but he twists his words to make it sound like she has a choice. He says, “You don’t want [your family] to get hurt. Now get up, honey. Get up all by yourself” (Oates 418).

Joyce Carol Oates created short story called, Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been in order to portray the power of logical, emotional and ethical appeals have over people. She helps illustrate these appeals by using the character Arnold Friend to try to lure a girl named Connie.

One of the major themes that play a significant role in this story is the fortune of one being an unconventional hero. A traditional hero is a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. On the other hand, here we have an unconventional hero; Connie, who portrays someone that doesn’t really possess being all those positive ideals that a traditional hero would have but still, has a heroic impact in literature.

Joyce carol Oates makes her mark on the cultural reform taking place in the 1960's with her short story "Where are you going, where have you been." A story about a young girl named Connie, and her exploration of sexuality and independence. Throughout the story we learn of her late night adventures, her disdain for her mother, and her very close off relationship with her father. “He didn't bother talking much to them, but around his bent head Connie's mother kept picking at her until Connie wished her mother was dead and she herself was dead and it was all over." The story is also dedicated to Bob Dylan, who bares a striking resemblance to the antagonist Arnold Friend. However, in interviews, Oates simply said that Dylan’s song “It’s all over

Instead of assessing a possible threat, she was more concerned with her hair and “how bad she looked” (Lawn 372). She may have had a chance here to call the police before even making any contact with Arnold. She chose instead to come to the door and entertain the uninvited guests. She only really began to realize the danger she was in when she noticed that Ellie, Arnold’s passenger, looked to be even older than Arnold, about forty (Lawn 377). Only then does she consider calling the police, but unfortunately it is already too late.

As the story progresses, it is Sunday morning and her family is getting ready to attend a family bar-b-queue. However, Connie insists on not attending and is left alone at home. As she is washing her hair, she hears an unfamiliar car driving up to her house and her heart begins to pound for she does not want the visitor to see her undone. When Arnold Friend, a man she has seen at the restaurant before, but has never spoken to, shows up on her doorstep, she is someone curious as to why he is visiting her. Throughout the scene, he is attempting to persuade Connie into taking a ride with him and his friend Ellie. The more he speaks to her, he reveals to her that he knows many things about her such as her friends, her name, and family and where they are currently at. As the scene develops, Connie no longer has interest in Arnold for she now is scared and is fearful of what his intentions are.

She remained silent, still wondering what was in store for her next. The jalopy as Arnold Friend started the engine like a coachman cracking his whip to lead the horses onward. Connie knew then that he had absolute control over her and could decide at any moment to do away with her.