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Arnold Friend's Short Story 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?'

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“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Essay Since it’s publication in 1966, Joyce Carol Oates’s short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” the character Arnold Friend has caught the attention of many critics and readers. Connie is a fifteen year old girl who has an encounter with Friend while she is home alone one summer afternoon. After a long conversation she leaves with this stranger, but it is unknown as to whether it was by Friend’s seductive conviction or by Connie’s own free will. Most critics have said that Friend symbolizes Satan with their assumptions that he kidnapped, raped, and murdered Connie after she left with him. Arnold Friend can be perceived as a savior figure rather than a satanic one as displayed by …show more content…

Connie’s character “ . . . heavily [depends] upon [music] [and] it even becomes her breath of life” (Tierce and Crafton). Friend knows this and uses it to show her that he’s not evil. Connie “ . . . [listens] to the music that [makes] everything so good . . . ” (Oates 2). When Friend first arrives at Connie’s house, “ . . . [she] [begins] to hear the music. It [is] the same program that [is] playing inside the house” (Oates 4). By showing interest in the same music as Connie, Friend shows that he can be trusted by her because he understands something so important to her life. For Connie, music is an escape. Friend is the person who can help her escape and be her savior. Friend’s character is based off of the music legend Bob Dylan, as expressed by the dedication of the story and his character description. It is said that “ . . . Bob Dylan’s followers [perceive] him to be a messiah” (Tierce and Crafton 2). If Friend is based on Dylan, then he is Connie’s messiah, or savior, not a representation of Satan. Marie Urbanski compares “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” to Adam and Eve from the Bible and states that “[it] is music - instead of an apple - which lures Connie . . . ” to leave with Friend (Urbanski 2). Music is not used by Friend to lure Connie away from her home. It is used to show that Friend and Connie have a connection through it and that he can be trusted to save her, not to harm

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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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In this context, Connie can be seen as the ego, which must decipher right from wrong. Friend is shady and eventually we discover him to be dangerous –as our Ids can be. Friend overpowers Connie, just as our Ids can overpower our egos to do certain things, and impact our decisions. Oates illuminates this concept in her story when she illustrates: “Arnold Friend was saying from the door, "That's a good girl. Put the phone back."

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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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He found that his music was solely, “an excuse for the life he led” (138). This shows how unsupportive the narrator is towards his brother. In an attempt to turn his life around Sonny works hard to change. He discovers that music helps him cope with his everyday struggles. It isn’t until the narrator watches his brother play music that he realizes that Sonny could, “help [them] to be free if [they] would listen, that he would never be free until [they] did” (148).

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Oate’s story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” examines a young girl that is caught up, in a religion of her own making leading to the worship of a false idol or image. As she approaches an age of not quite a woman but, yet not a child she faces many challenging choices. As she relies on her own form of religion she lacks the guidance to make moral decisions with any certainty. Arnold Friend enters her world and portrays himself as a friend and lover however, this seems to be a trap for the young girl. There are many signs that Connie is at a crossroads in her life and must choose a path to follow.

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"Soon as you touch the phone I don't need to keep my promise and can come inside. You won't want that” (Oates 7). This is an excerpt from the short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” This story is from Joyce Carol Oates, written about a 15-year-old girl, Connie, and Arnold Friend whom this paper is about. From what the reader can determine from the text, Arnold Friend is a man that has been stalking Connie, for a while now.

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By being held at gunpoint, it made the grandmother throw aside her rationality that she deems to be good. Of course she values her life, however these consequential situations have brought out the best in her. In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, Connie tries to go with the flow and endures these ordeals as long as possible to try to get out of impending danger. Connie's father would arrive any minute now, she says this repeatedly after realizing the angle Arnold is playing. After Connie learned what person Arnold is, she fears for the worst and seeks help.

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Connie contributes to listening to music that fills her head with ideas about how her life should be lived, rather than deciding for herself. the music has a compelling factor which leads Connie to temptation and allows her to partake in dangerous, misleading

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He knew her name even though she had only quickly glimpsed at him the night prior with no communication from her at all. He knows where her parents are, what they are doing, how long they will be, how they look he even knows who her best friends are. Essentially Arnold Friend is the very essence of nightmare to Connie he is everything she is afraid of. He pressures her in to a situation out of her control. He takes away her pride of rejecting people and forces her to choose her family being hurt of facing her demons and going with him.

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The story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, was written by Joyce Carol Oates. The setting of the story takes place in the 1960’s in a suburban type area. The story is about a 15-year old girl named Connie in which she spends most of her time hanging out with friends, meeting boys, and just being lazy. One night, during her time at the drive in restaurant, she encounters a man who she later finds out to be named Arnold Friend. One day, after Connie’s parents left to a family barbeque, Arnold shows up at Connie’s house asking her to join him for a ride.

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Home is where the heart is, but what if home is no longer safe? Joyce Carol Oates explores this concept in her 1966 short story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”. On surface level, this story appears to discuss a rebellious young girl named Connie and her confrontation with Arnold Friend, a stalker. The ending leaves the reader to assume that Arnold Friend plans to sexually assault the young girl.

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“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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Arnold Friend’s Biblical Allusions In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, Joyce Carol Oates tells a story of a young, innocent teenage girl, Connie who enjoys listening to music and begins exploring her sexuality and being with boys “the way it was in the movies and promised in songs” (Oates 198). In fact she catches the attention of Arnold Friend one night while at the mall meeting up with a boy. Not knowing he would appear in her life, Arnold strangely shows up at her house assuming they made plans to get together. His character is seen as the devil.

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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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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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