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Connie's Narcissism In The Grapes Of Wrath By Arnold Friend

740 Words3 Pages

The disturbing and thought-provoking short tale was written by This story, which was first published in 1966, explores the subtleties of power relationships, fragility, and the loss of innocence. Oates investigates the shadowy side of human nature and the fine boundary between safety and danger via the heroine Connie's terrifying meeting with a mysterious stranger named Arnold Friend. The narrative follows Connie, a fifteen-year-old girl on the cusp of maturity in the 1960s. Connie is shown as a normal adolescent, torn between the restrictions of her home life and her longing for freedom. By contrasting Connie's unremarkable suburban life with Arnold Friend's frightening presence, Oates deftly creates the mood. Connie's narcissistic characteristics …show more content…

Her vivid portrayal stands out as one of its outstanding advantages. While Arnold Friend acts as the personification of predatory charm, Connie stands in for the gullibility and naivete of childhood. Connie's representation brings to light the common difficulty faced by teens as they struggle to move from youth to adulthood while balancing their sense of self with the pressures of society's expectations. The sneaky character of evil is shown by Arnold Friend. He is a mysterious character who is defined as "not a kid, but not much older," symbolizing the hazy boundary between youth and adulthood. To heighten the unnerving effect of Arnold Friend, Oates purposefully maintains the secrecy around his genuine identity and motivations. Readers are left wondering about his actual nature as a result of his predatory actions and ominous …show more content…

Connie's experience with Arnold Friend shatters her sense of security and makes her aware of the grimmer aspects of life. Connie is forced to face the fallout from her decisions as the plot develops and the threats that could be lurking outside of her safe world. The experience of losing one's innocence is a universal representation of growing up and having to deal with the harsh truths of life. In addition, the author does a good job of using symbols. The gold-painted automobile that Arnold Friend is driving is a symbol of both danger and seduction, tempting Connie with the promise of adventure and excitement while also hinting at the evil motives that lay underneath his charming

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A lot of clues in the story hinted that Arnold Friend wasn’t a friend at all, but was a demon that came to take Connie away. When Arnold Friend was first introduced, Connie kept an uneasy feeling about him and felt intrigued by his presence. For example, Arnold immediately starts to ask Connie if she wants to come for a ride. (Oates 1012). Arnold seems to add pressure to Connie from the start and is obviously not there just to take her for a ride.

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Character Analysis Of Arnold Friend In Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

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Arnold Friend’s sudden appearance in Connie’s life takes her from childhood to adulthood in the blink of an eye and she ultimately becomes a passive victim. Not many fifteen-year-old girls are considered mature at that age and Connie is certainly no exception to that. She is presented as quite vain in her views of herself and those around her. Her mother, once a beauty herself, is constantly nagging at her and telling her to stop gawking at herself in the mirror. Connie considers her older sister June to be somewhat of a spinster who is described as “plain and chunky” (Oates

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The story presents a rebellious teenager named Connie who is also preoccupied with her appearance. She was approached by Arnold Friend in her house but before this,

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Arnold Friend Figurative Language

518 Words | 3 Pages

She says, “And his face was familiar somehow: the jaw and chin and cheeks slightly darkened because he hadn’t shaved for a day or two, and the nose long and hawk like, sniffing as if she were a treat he was going to gobble up and it was all a joke” (Oates 323). Oates compares Arnold Friend to a hawk, a bird of prey, who is feeding on Connie. This is another indication that Arnold Friend is like the devil himself, and Connie is his victim. He is taking away Connie’s childhood and her innocence because of the way he tries to get her to give into temptation. Arnold Friend knows that Connie wants to fall in love.

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(Wagner-Martin). Friend’s sickening manipulation of a naïve 15 year old, as well as taking advantage of how easy that was during that time, only further explains why Friend is more of a villainous antagonist than Pointer, who manipulated an older woman in her

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Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Smooth Talk Essay

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One similarity between the film and short story is that Arnold Friend’s personality, looks, and intentions remain the same (Oates 327). If Friend’s character did not remain the same throughout both short story and film, the lesson that one should always have a plan in order prior to unexpected visits by strangers would have not been taught. The importance of Arnold Friend remaining the same helps raise awareness about rapists and how some may think. Joyce Chopra, the director of Smooth Talk, neatly portrayed Friend as a deceitful psychopath that was willing to do anything in order to share a car ride with

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He acted as if he had eyes and ears everywhere, knew what they were doing and when, and would harm them should she disobey him. This allowed him to manipulate Connie enough that she, eventually, willingly left with Arnold Friend. In my eyes, this speaks volumes because if Connie did not care

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Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Arnold Friend Character

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Arnold Friend was there to take Connie away; away from her childhood and home, which never quite felt like home until her fantasy world deteriorated and reality set it. The next moment is pivotal, this is when Connie forgets her hedonism and becomes something of much more substance. Before Connie studies Arnold Friend’s abnormal personality and erratic behavior she is fascinated by him and even worries that she is ill prepared for this

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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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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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Connie, a teenage girl, who thinks more of herself than the boy she went out with the evening before, and would rather be deceptive than live in reality. The illusive life Connie plays is made clear between her relationship with her mother, and the life she lives at home and away from home. “Everything about her had two sides to it, one for home and one for anywhere that was not home:” (Oates 507). This dishonesty Connie plays with is a reflected back later in the story by the second main character of this story. Arnold FRIEND is introduced as a smooth very arrogant guy, yet the same illusory is illustrated between him and Connie once Arnold arrives at Connie’s house.

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1392 Words | 6 Pages

Her behavior is different as well, at home "Connie's mother kept picking at her until Connie wished her mother was dead and she herself was dead" (Oates, 1). At home Connie has a negative view of her life, however, Connie feels the opposite outside of her home. This can be observed when Connie is walking to Eddie's car and feels "pure pleasure of being alive" (Oates, 1). Connie’s split personality, growing freewill, and desires littered “her mind… with trashy daydreams” (Oates, 1). One such daydream – or rather nightmare- is Arnold Friend.

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Donnie Oates Character Analysis

132 Words | 1 Pages

Throughout this short story, Oates uses literary elements to illustrate Connie which is the main character of the story. Oates illustrates Connie as a teenager, who is trying to find herself as a grown mature woman. She continuously worries about her appearance or the way she acts around others. She also shared two different personalities, “everything bout her had two sided to it, one for home and one for anywhere that was not home” (Oates 1). It is definitely obvious how hard Connie tries to create an adult persona.

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1511 Words | 7 Pages

From the beginning, a tone of disappointment and oppressiveness covered the story. Connie always has to deal with criticism from her mother, ignorance from her father, and comparison with her sister. The author gives the readers a tone of suffocation and struggles from within her own house and how her family members treat her. As the story progresses, the author is changing his tone from oppressive to suspenseful and anxious. At this time, Connie's meeting with Arnold Friend is taking place.

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1255 Words | 6 Pages

Connie uses her attitude and appearance to attract boys. But she is not aware of the reality of the society in which she lives. Connie is living in a fantasy world, but when she gets trapped by Arnold Friend she is put into a scary reality. There

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