Arnold Friend Symbolism

Joyce Carol Oates’ short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” expresses the dream of all teenagers, to grow up quickly. Throughout the story Connie’s wish to transition from childhood to maturity is juxtaposed; in the beginning she yearns to be older, but as the story progresses and she is forced to grow up, she crumbles. Unable to know who she truly is, Connie’s innocence slowly diminishes once she unveils Arnold Friend’s true, uncanny personality, leading Connie from the safety of her childhood to the unknowns of the real world showing the innocence of kids is lost before they are ready. Symbolism and setting in the story intertwine to portray both Connie’s desired and forced transition through various locations. Note that in

Connie stands nervously at the door while he waits for her outside, the screen door acting as the only barrier between the two. Arnold Friend making Connie meet him outside the house to go on a drive symbolizes the forced transition from childhood to adulthood. When standing in her house, Connie is safe and protected; Arnold Friend is not able to get to her. Teenagers are constantly watched and protected by their parents during childhood and Connie’s house is what’s protecting her from the dangers of Arnold Friend and the outside world. If Connie were to step outside into “the land that [she] had never seen before and did not recognize,” (15) she would not be protected by anyone but herself, a responsibility of adults. The world outside her house represents maturity because once outside, she is on her own in an unknown area with no one but Arnold Friend. The screen door acts as the boundary between the two varied worlds, once again the action of moving through the boundary is dangerous and leading Connie into a world she knows nothing

At home she had a childlike walk, a pale and smirking mouth, and a cynical laugh; at home Connie was a child. In public, Connie acted like someone different, with a languid walk, bright pink lips and a high-pitched laugh; Connie tried to fit in with the older kids. Based on the way she presents herself, Connie seems to be able to attract guys’ attention and handle any situation with grace. However, just as the confrontation between the two showed Friend’s true character, the confrontation showed Connie’s as well. After her nerves overcame her, Connie reached for the phone to call for help, but all she could hear was a tiny roaring and was “so sick with fear that she could do nothing but listen to it” and then “she cried out, she cried for her mother, she felt her breath start jerking back and forth into her lungs as if it were something Arnold Friend was stabbing her with” (13). After faced with the not-so-magical parts of the real world, Connie wants her mother and the protection of childhood. This double side of Connie shows she is unsure of who she is, constantly switching between two people, and therefore, not ready to grow