Arnold Friend Essay

The Hidden Identity of Arnold Friend The world is full of people who portray themselves as someone or something else. People usually hide their identity to obtain things that they want. It is common to be fooled by someone's appearance. In Joyce Carol Oates's, "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been," Arnold Friend is an example of someone trying to trick another person into believing that he is something that he is not. In the story, a girl named Connie is confronted by a man who is trying

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

Who is Arnold Friend? Joyce Carol Oates was born June 16, 1938 in Lockport New York. At a young age Oates started writing. Scenes from her early environment are frequently used as settings in her stories. In her elementary years she wrote stories and “constructed 200 page books, which she designed and bound herself” (Helterman and Layman 371). The lack of information provided about her early years and her making large books at a young age is a good indication that she was an outcast and had a troubled

story is that a man named Arnold Friend liberated a young rebellious girl, Connie, from the torment of her youth. However, in reality the audience is eluded to the symbolism that Connie is being pulled away from her “golden” innocence and into the arms of Satan himself. Arnold Friend exhibits Satanic traits, and on this symbolic level, a young girl being stripped from her childhood, and into an unforgiving world. The story reveals that Arnold Friend is no boy or friend, he is referred to as a devil-like

may conclude “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is an allusion to the biblical story of Adam and Eve. An analysis of imagery reveals Arnold Friend’s Satan-like characteristics: “shaggy, shabby black hair that looked crazy as a wig” (Oates 554), perhaps to hide horns, and his “friendly”, “sleepy dreamy smile”, tempting and ironically

by Arnold Friend in the short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”. The impact of these words on the reader will vary based on how one chooses to approach them. To some, they may be the soul of mundanity, with little to no significance or weight apart from some arrogance on the part of Arnold. To others, they may be indicative a deeper, much darker, reality within the story. To the latter approach, being one of numerous interpretations, some critics have ventured to declare Arnold Friend

character Arnold Friend, who is the devil, and Connie will be the low self a stem girl who will fall into committing a sin. As the story plays out Arnold Friend is the devil which as he is trying to take Connie and bring her under his wing and kill her. As the story, plays out they give clues that Arnold Friend is indeed the devil by a quote “Connie looked away from Friend’s smile to the car, which was painted so bright it almost hurt her eyes to look at it. It said the name, Arnold Friend”. He refers

family and herself. These repressed thoughts become the motivating force behind Connie’s daydreams and implementation of her defense mechanisms, when confronted by Arnold Friend and Ellie. Once Connie recognizes her repressed thoughts regarding Arnold Friend, she undergoes reality anxiety. Although her efforts to escape Arnold Friend are futile, she uncovers the truth behind her newfound: that it was hollow and self-centered. Therefore, the short story, “Where are you going, where have you been”

and her best friend went to a well-known restaurant. When walking to a boy's car, Connie saw a good-looking guy standing next to a car; the attractive man said to her, "Gonna get you, baby." A few days later while Connie was home alone a car pulled up in her driveway, the owner looked familiar. His name was Arnold Friend, an older man who knew everything about everyone. Arnold Friend knew Connie's name, where she lived, what her family was doing, and that she was home alone. Arnold insisted that

doesn’t appear to be with them for more than one night to the friends she goes out with that the

a mystery, Arnold Friend who shifts Connie from reality to fantasy and pushes her spiritually to obey him. An important motif from the text, the music, reveals the true identity of Connie and becomes a weapon used to dictate her along with Arnold Friend's voice, and Bob Dylan's song has all contributes to the central theme of the story, domination. At

Been?” the main character Connie is perceived to be very vulnerable to Arnold Friend, who ends up becoming her kidnapper. Arnold Friend sees Connie as a young, attractive fifteen year old girl who is an easy target. Connie is such an easy target for Arnold Friend because she is always looking for attention from older boys. Arnold takes notice of this and starts stalking Connie, trying to figure out how to get to her. Arnold stalks Connie without her even noticing because she

You Going, Where Have You Been?” The invasion of space plays an important role in Connie’s life. Her home symbolize how vulnerable she is. However, Arnold Friend invaded both Connie’s home and family. Nonetheless, Arnold Friend did not only invade Connie’s home and family, he violated her life, innocence, and private thoughts. In other words, Arnold Friend has closed all the doors of childhood, identity, and innocence in Connie’s life by seducing her into entering the dangerous world of adulthood (66-67)

psychological rollercoaster of manipulation and interpretive meanings. Although the antagonistic character of Arnold Friend could be viewed as a blank vessel to represent violence or even sexual attraction, his off-putting mannerisms and unnerving persistence seems to have a sinister backing, which leads me to believe that Arnold is the personification of the devil. The first introduction to Arnold takes place at a local diner, where Connie, our fifteen-year-old protagonist, is on a date. As Connie begins

Been, Where Are You Going? written by Joyce Oates, Arnold Friend plays a significant role in the short story by posing as the antagonist. The setting of the story takes place in the 1970’s when the Sexual Revolution begins and teenagers begin to rebel against their parents, and Arnold is a valid comparison to temptation arising with teenagers during this time period as he tempts Connie. Throughout the short story, many characteristics of Arnold Friend, his way of style, and car imply that he symbolizes

her fictional character Arnold Friend. Charles Howard Schmid Jr. was convicted of murdering three girls in the mid-sixties. He

that Arnold Friend is anything but dangerous and a predator to Connie’s innocence and vulnerability. Connie realizes that her oblivion came to an abrupt end. Connie is illustrated as a basic carefree 15 year old who is trying to find herself. Connie’s constantly “craning her neck to glance in the mirrors” to check if her appearance is acceptable (157). She would also “check other people’s faces to make sure her own was right”

You Going, Where Have You Been? Joyce Carol Oates uses characterization to foreshadow that Arnold is a kidnapper and that Connie gets Kidnapped. Arnold Friend is portrayed as a manipulator, which foreshadows that he will eventually do something like, kidnap Connie. Connie is portrayed as vain, which foreshadows that she will be a victim similar to getting kidnapped. Connie decided to go out with her friends. She spots a demonic looking man, across the street, who's looking at her. Connie, who's at

encounters an unknown, demonic “stranger” (Arnold Friend). Throughout the story, Arnold Friend caused much awkwardness and puzzlement, by his demanding actions and odd, but true knowledge. It had became apparent that he wanted more than a friendship with Connie, and never took rejection as an answer. Within

Joyce Carol Oates story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” can be interpreted in many ways. The character of Arnold Friend can be read as a “symbolic demon” whose access to Connie turns out to be the result of the immoral differences of the adults in the story. Arnold can represent Connie’s unconscious or alter ego, thus representing an uncontrollable nightmare or her fear of passage from adolescence to adulthood. Connie seems to be in an inward quest to find her own personal identity because