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Arnold Friend Symbolism

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Having good intentions for everyone can be a problem. Good intentions are when a person does not believe anyone is harmful. The story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” was published in January 2004. Joyce Carol Oates has written many other stories. Some other works that she is also known for is We Were The Mulvaney’s, Blonde, and The Falls. Joyce Carol Oates tends to be known for writing about violence. Most of the violence in the story associates with mass murder, rape, suicide, autopsies and automobile accidents. She also uses the symbols of flesh, broken glass, explosions, floods and fire. Oates is very fascinated with dreams. Most of the characters dreams or nightmares often become hazy. When reading an Oates story, she is peering …show more content…

The dilemma is he is obsessed with her. “Each stage of Arnold Friend’s unmasking and Connie’s resulting terror and growing hysteria is carefully delineated” (Barstow). The way Arnold acts towards Connie causes her to fear him. Oates characterizes him as a creepy stalker. “I’ll hold you so tight you won’t think you have to try to get away or pretend anything because you’ll know you can’t” (Oates). This quote is stated by Arnold Friend which gives an idea of his crazy obsession. Arnold Friend wants to take Connie with him and be her lover. She although does not agree and is frightened his actions towards her. The author seems to be exploring the idea of obsession a man has for a young …show more content…

“Numerous commentators have noticed Friend’s resemblance to the devil of Christian mythology” (Johnson). This phrase makes one think of the devil because Arnold Friend’s actions that imitate devil like features. Arnold Friend’s appearance of being fake can also show that he is a devil in disguise. “His whole face was a mask, tanned down to his throat but then running out as if he had plastered makeup on his face but had forgotten about his throat” (Oates). The words in this phrase incorporate several ideas. For example, Arnolds face is mentioned to look like a mask. The makeup on his face could give the idea that Arnold is laying low of something. His name is also significant to the devil, which could sound like ‘a

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Compare And Contrast The Misfit And Arnold Friend

1018 Words | 5 Pages

Myles Hypse February 3rd, 2017 English 1B 3:30-4:40pm Two Psychopaths Both of these stories give the reader a good look into the eyes of two psychopaths, who both refuse to take no for an answer. One of them, Arnold Friend although at first appearing friendly, is nothing more than a malicious predator, similar in kind to The Misfit, who greets his victims in a much more sinister way. The two characters, when stood side by side, almost seemed as they become one, yet are polar opposites. When one compares the character Arnold Friend to that of The Misfit, more similarities come forward than differences.

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Arnold Friend Character Analysis

760 Words | 4 Pages

In Joyce Carol Oats “Where Are You Going Where Have You Been,” we are introduced to two main characters. The names of the two main characters are Connie and Arnold Friend. In Oates’s short story, Arnold Friend is an imposter that tries to convince young Connie to go on a ride with him and his friend Ellie. Connie refuses to go on the ride but Arnold’s use unnatural techniques to force Connie to leave her house and go with him. Arnold Friend’s awareness of Connie’s family and friends and his ability to persuade Connie reveals that he is more than just a creepy old man trying to kidnap a young girl.

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Connie's Id By Arnold Friend

815 Words | 4 Pages

The latter prevalent throughout Joyce Carol Oates’ short story: “Where Are You Going, Where

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Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Arnold Friend Comparison

1190 Words | 5 Pages

In the story, Connie looked at the phrase “man the flying saucers and she felt like “words meant something to her that she did not yet know” (p.) which if she was on drugs she might not be aware of the fact that what she is seeing is not real, but eventually when she is sober she will understand. The ambiguity of Arnold Friend leaves many unanswered questions for readers. Unless Joyce Carol Oates decides to reveal the real Arnold Friend, readers may never know if he was in fact the devil or just a figment of Connie’s

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Arnold Friend Character Analysis

1137 Words | 5 Pages

However, this is countered when Connie notes that “he was much older—thirty, maybe more” (315), a fact that frightens her. What Arnold is to Connie is a challenge of her want to be an adult, and a trail of her ability to deal with adult issue. Such as a man who singles her out sexual reason. Her wish to be an adult is something she seeks while passively avoiding it. Her avoidance is marked by day dreams of puppy love romance, like a typical teenager; yet, her attractive flaunt to be mature is presented as if she seeks to be an

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Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Arnold Friend Character

890 Words | 4 Pages

She sees the boys who give her attention as subjugations who “dissolve into a single face that was not even a face but an idea” (Oates 675). But soon enough her dreams and music materialize into the shape of Arnold Friend. Arnold Friend is described as a muscular, older, and mysterious character. He seems to be a work of her imagination as he is ultimately an idea she created that would fit into her perfect fantasy world. Connie is defenseless to Arnold Friend’s manipulations mainly because she has no visible identity of her own.

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Summary Of Short Story 'Where Are You Going Where Have You Been?'

224 Words | 1 Pages

If you are old enough to remember, you can think back to the memories of when you are a kid and understand the memories as a child are the best memories that you have in your life; yet eventually you mature into ann adult. Like the book, Catcher in the Rye, the short story Where Are You Going Where Have You Been? by Joyce Carol Oats is about Connie, an adolescent girl, wanting to stay in her child-like life and not mature into a adult. Fortunately, Connie has some help coming into the adult world with the manifestation of a person named Arnold Friend and Ellie.

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Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Literary Analysis

694 Words | 3 Pages

Oates’s biography explained her fiction writing as a mixture violence and sexual obsession. The writing style definitely fits the plot point of this story with both of her literary ingredients being present in not only Arnold Friend but in Connie as well. The Protagonist Connie is presented in a very self-centered way. She is obsessed with her looks and often fantasizes about all the boys she meets.

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Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Arnold Friend Analysis

817 Words | 4 Pages

Reluctantly, her parents allow her to stay home alone. A few hours later, a familiar gold jalopy pulls up to her house. The driver announces to Connie that his name is Arnold Friend. His unusual physical appearance, his tone of voice, and what he may symbolize frighten the Connie.

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Analysis Of Where Are You Going Where Have You Been

1203 Words | 5 Pages

The short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates is about a teenage girl named Connie who is in the mist of her adolescent rebellion. She wants to prove her maturity to others and herself. In the story, Oates describes that Connie always lets her mind flow freely in between her daydream. She even creates and keeps dreaming about her ideal male figure in her mind to make her happy and satisfied. Oates allows the reader to step into Connie’s “dream world” through the appearance of Arnold Friend.

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The Theme Of Ignorance In Joyce Carol Oates 'Where Are You Been?'

1399 Words | 6 Pages

As the wise philosopher Albert Camus once said: “The evil that is in the world almost always comes of ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence if they lack understanding” ("Albert Camus."). In the captivating short story Where Are You Going, Where Are you Been? Joyce Carol Oates is trying to show the readers that beauty and vanity can be sometimes harmful. Bored and tired of being ordinary, and still being treated as a child, the main character engaged in a rebellion that think will make her look older, more like an adult. The author also shows the readers how Connie’s obsession with her beauty, her dreaminess and carelessness of the world made her more ignorant and lack awareness.

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Character Analysis Of Connie In 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been'

984 Words | 4 Pages

“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” is about a teenager named Connie who is trying to come to terms with her transformation from childhood to adulthood. Through this process, Connie attempts to act older than she is an tries to gain the attention of boys. In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” Joyce Oates portrays Connie as obsessed with men to symbolize how one’s obsession and narcissistic attitude can cause danger to seem surreal. In the short story, Carol Oates describes Connie as having two different personalities, one being a narcissistic attitude.

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Examples Of Allusions In Where Are You Going Where Have You Been

854 Words | 4 Pages

He tries to seduce and persuade her to go with him for a ride similar to how the Devil lured Eve with a shiny and mysterious apple. Oates displays evidence of biblical allusions regarding Arnold Friend’s appearance and persona in the story by depicting his physical characteristics, his supernatural knowledge, and his demeanor as an image of evil. Connie wants to be desired for her sexuality and Arnold possesses this by his tone throughout the story. His appearance comes

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Literary Devices In Where Are You Going Where Have You Been

804 Words | 4 Pages

In her short story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?", Joyce Carol Oates utilizes a variety of literary devices to strengthen the story in its entirety. This short story is essentially about a 16-year-old girl named Connie and the conflict between her desire to be mature and her desire to remain an adolescent. Throughout the story, the audience sees this conflict through her words in addition to through her behavior. The audience is also introduced to Arnold Friend, a rather peculiar man, who essentially kidnaps her. This short story by Joyce Carol Oates functions and is additionally meaningful because of her usage of literary devices.

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Symbolism In 'Where Are You Going Where Have You Been?'

700 Words | 3 Pages

In the coming of age story “Where Are You Going Where Have You Been?” Joyce Carol Oates uses symbolism, conflict, and the third person to foreshadow fifteen-year-old Connie’s unfortunate, yet untimely fate. While one may think that the conflict stems from Connie’s promiscuity, it is clear to see her promiscuity is only a result to a much bigger conflict, her mother’s constant nagging and disapproval, alongside the lack of attention from her father. the author paints a vivid picture of what happens when a fifteen-year-old girl such as Connie goes elsewhere to find to find the love, attention, and approval that she lacks at home. All which is vital for her growth and wellbeing as a person.

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