Arnold Friend In Where Are You Going Where Have You Been

Analysis of Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Joyce Carol Oates writes a gripping tale of terror about a young girl named Connie, who is faced with the dark and twisted hands of fate. Connie is a young teen, like many girls, self-absorbed and seeks self-value in the eyes of others. In her outings with friends, she comes across a man by the name of Arnold Friend. Oates lets the reader know immediately that there is something disturbing about this character. As the story progresses, Connie is left alone on a Sunday afternoon while her family is out. As the day progresses, the strange character, Arnold Friend, appears at her door. He proceeds to convince her that she will be coming with him and that she basically belongs to her. The character is very forceful with his manner. Connie, being so young, did not have the slightest idea what she was in for. The more Connie resisted, the more forceful Arnold Friend became. Oates then sheds a strange light on the character Arnold Friend. He oddly knew what her family was doing during that moment, his hair did not appear to look natural, and his shoes were oddly misshaped on his feet. Oates throws the reader off for a moment, to only speed the story up with a streak of cringing fear. Connie is hit with the understanding of her situation and her powerless vulnerability. She runs to try and make a

If the reader removes all “r’s” from Arnold Friend, they are left with An Old Fiend. Some suggest there are ties with biblical text referring to the numbers that were written on Arnold Friend’s car. Oates also mentioned that she taken a lot of Arnold Friend’s basis from the serial killer known as the Pied Piper. Oates’ story of Arnold Friend leaves the reader with an idea of what it would it be like to be a victim of a serial killer. By leaving the ending unclear, the reader is left with the worst