Character Analysis Of Arnold Friend In 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?'

Connie starts out in the story as someone that is self-absorbed, concerned for no one but herself. Arnold Friend is really the same way. He tells her that he saw her “that night and thought, that’s the one” (Oates 480). In spite of the words he uses, the reader knows that Arnold does not have any true feelings for Connie because he says “My sweet little blue-eyed girl” (Oates 483). Arnold is oblivious to the fact that Connie has brown eyes. “In Arnold’s view, Connie’s personal identity is totally unimportant” (Wegs 3).

The two stories "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" and "The Pied Piper of Tucson: He Cruised in a Golden Car, Looking for the Action" share similar attributes; the biggest one being the antagonists of each text. In "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" , Arnold Friend pretends to be a teenage boy and attempts to convince a teenage girl to leave her home with him as he plans to rape and kill her.

“I am good, but not an angel. I do sin, but I am not the devil. I am just a small girl in a big world trying to find someone to love” (Marilyn Monroe). Joyce Carol Oates is the author of the realistic allegory story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”. The story is about a young girl named Connie, who likes seeking attention from men, as a distraction from her problems at home. She meets a man named Arnold Friend, he goes after Connie, claiming he has to take her for a ride, but it is obvious he wants to do other things. Because of this character’s actions, it is determined that he is a representation of the devil. Through plot, characterization, and dialogue, Oates successfully portrays Arnold Friend as a symbolic Satan.

In the short story “Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?” both characters, Connie and Arnold, suffer from having dual identities. Connie is an individual who acts completely different outside her home, where she tries to portray an image of being sexually appealing. However, she is the complete opposite within her home, where she hides her sexuality and acts more like the adolescent she really is. Arnold is a mature man, something Connie is looking for in life and this intrigues her. Both characters have trouble with their dual identities, Connie’s leads her to being vulnerable to growing mature in an unpleasant manner by the force of Arnold, while Arnold’s unknown character proves to not be genuine, as Connie brings out his violent nature in her quest to be an independent adult.

In the story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” Connie, the main character, is already struggling with many things in life and sneaks her way to date guys. There was also conflicting between her and her mother due to her mother favoring her sister, June and describing her as someone who is a good example of what she wants Connie to be. Her father is never at home due to work and when he is home, the girls do not relate to him. Arnold Friend is described as a dangerous figure with his pale complexion and his slick black hair looking like trouble by not presenting himself in a pleasing way to Connie, by not walking properly. This was an indication on how he was not in the right state of mind and how Arnold shouldn’t be near Connie. There was one scene in the story where Arnold Friend shows up, uninvited, notifying Connie that he is not a friend, but has come to take her away from her home to possibly kidnap her. "Connie felt a wave of dizziness, rise in her at this sight and she stared at him as if waiting for something to change the shock of the moment, make it alright again”. Connie feels safe in the house and does not come out until Arnold convinces and demands her that she come out. Things took an unpleasant twist when Arnold tells Connie not use the phone or he will break his promise of not coming in the house

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

“Nothing about Arnold Friend is genuine, except his violent intentions and his skill at psychological and physical intimidation. By the story’s end, Connie understands that she is not the confident flirt she thought, but a powerless pawn in the hands of a dangerous individual.” (Cormier)

Arnold Friend's façade gives the reader the feeling that something is wrong, as if Oates were trying to persuade Connie away from her impending doom. When Arnold first pulls into Connie's driveway, the reader is alarmed. Connie notices that he is actually much older than he appears and the reader knows that

Based on the actions and appearance of Arnold Friend, he is the devil. Arnold portrays the devil in many ways. The author of “Where are You Going, Where Have You Been”; Joyce Carol Oates, shows Arnold by his strange appearances, supernatural abilities, speech, odd symbols, and clues that state that he is the devil. When Connie first sees Arnold from the distance he thinks that he looks young and around her age, but later on in the story when she sees him up close she could tell he was a older man that was just attempting to make himself appear younger than he really is. Arnold Friend could be seen as a devil- like figure through his appearance. The idea of him being devil- like because of the temptation element. In looking to attract another, the

The physical traits of Arnold Friend that the narrator describes are additional clues that Arnold is not who he claims to be. The three physical traits are: his eyelashes look painted, it looks like he is wearing a wig, and he put something in his shoes to make himself taller: “she saw how thick the lashes were, thick and black as if painted with a black tarlike material” (Oates, 1966), “He placed his sunglasses on top of his head, carefully, as if he were indeed wearing a wig, and

him appear taller, were used by Oates in her story to describe the antagonist, Arnold Friend. In the story and in real life the antagonist/Schmid, uses his fake looks, money and smooth talking as a way to get people to follow him; giving him

Joyce Carol Oates finds inspiration for her short story based on Charles Howard Schmid Jr, a serial killer who made his debut in 1960’s. Charles Schmid was a charming, older, bad boy who targeted young girls in Tucson, Arizona. The similarity can be seen in Joyce’s short story when Arnold Friend targets stunning, 15-year-old Connie. Manipulation as well as other factors lead Connie to make an irrational decision, which jeopardizes her life. In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” aspects of belonging to neglectful family with an overachieving sister, an envious mother, and careless father particularly contribute in Connie’s kidnapping,

Joyce Carol Oates also proves that Arnold Friend is a symbolic satan through characterization. In the story Arnold Friend quotes “ Get up honey. Get up all by yourself.” (Oates 9). The way arnold forces her to get up without even touching her using his power to get inside Connie’s head. Oates uses characterization to also describe Arnold friend looks. Easterly describes in his post “He bent down to re-adjust his boots” (Easterly 7). Easterly describes in his post how Friend was standing in a weird and inhuman way that it was completely uncomfortable. In most religion Satan is pictured on hooves so the way Arnold Friend was standing it seemed easier on hooves versus it just being on feet. Another example in the story Connie talks about how he’s crazy and Arnold Friend seems to stumble a little the devil feeds off of other people's will and this was a sign that the devil was losing his powers. Joyce Carol Oates also uses characterization to help show Friend affects Connie. In the story it quotes “Arnold Friend glasses mirrored everything in miniature including Connie.” (Oates 4). In this quote it shows how sin can overpower a person the stronger the will is. Arnold physical features represents a snake which is the common evil to Satan. Another Way Arnold Friend represents A symbolic Satan through

Arnold is introduced in the beginning of the story when Connie is out with her friends and starts talking to Eddie, a boy she meets at a restaurant. As Connie leaves with Eddie, she turns and notices Arnold staring at her with a wide grin laughing and saying, “gonna get you baby”, as he wags his finger (1098). All of this is done without Eddie noticing, perhaps indicating that Arnold Friend may be an illusion or not real. Arnold’s first appearance in the story clearly foreshadows that we haven’t seen the last of Arnold Friend in this story and he is out to get Connie due to the way she represents herself as a sexually open girl.

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