Arnold Friend In Joyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

In the Christian religion, the devil was once an an archangel that was banished from the kingdom of God for his unforgivable greed.The devil, often referred to as Satan or Lucifer, is commonly incriminated of tempting humans into sin, being the source of abhorrence and the initial example of betrayal. In the story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates’s, Arnold Friend emerges in convertible with no back story. Throughout the story, he shows Connie, a preposterous 15-year old teenager, how one must not wish to grow up too early, but fear what adulthood holds. From his behavior to his vast knowledge about the doomed girl, the reader can clearly infer that Arnold Friend is a portrait of the devil.

To begin, Arnold Friend is first seen in the story when he drives his by Connie in his shiny golden car and creepily laughs, saying “Gonna get you, baby” (314). It was the first time either one of them had seen each other. The following Sunday he shows up at Connie’s door asking her to come join him for a ride. Arnold utilizes his

When asked what he want, Arnold replies “I want you” (322) and “You’re my date. I’m your lover, honey” (321). These specific lines could showcase how the devil desires for the world to fall into sin so that he is not alone. This can be used to emphasize Satan’s loneliness and need to have someone near him at all times. In the Christian faith, the young pure girls and even nuns are sometimes referred to as the “brides of christ”. As we know, the devil was jealous of the God, so by calling Connie his lover, he was gaining his own bride. Also, on 325, Arnold verbalizes “This place you are now- inside you daddy’s house- is nothing but a cardboard box I can knock down any time.” In other words, homogeneous to Satan, Arnold had an abundance of power to make you question the existence of good things, such as as a savior or