Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Character Analysis Essay

Joyce Carol Oates’ short story, “Where are You Going, Where have You Been?”, shows how the devil used his tactics to trap and capture Connie. The devil worked in creating a predisposition in Connie that made her more susceptible to him. He deceived her in the beginning by showing her a false appearance. That false appearance only lasted a short while. Once his true identity became apparent, his tactics were already working against her.
In the beginning Connie was a self-absorbed and conceited person. She states, “Connie knew she was pretty and that was everything.” Here, Connie is showing us that her looks are all that matter to her. Connie, being cunning, only exploited her looks when she was away from her family. When Connie was home, she returned to her usual self. She created a division in her self between what she wants and what is right. This

Joan Easterly tells us, “Many of the clues regarding Friend's appearance suggest both Satan or a satyr since the physiognomy”. Joan points out that the devil’s wig could be trying to conceal his horns and pointed ears (Shadow). His face looked as though it has been in the sun all day, suggesting that where he comes from is hot. She comments, “His whole face was a mask . . .”. Here Connie shows us how Arnold’s deception becomes more apparent during the story’s progression.
In his capture of Connie, the devil used many tactics. Charles Pope, who writes the Archdiocese of Washington, described four common tactics of the devil as: Deception, Division, Diversion, and Discouragement (Pope, Charles). All four of these can easily be discovered in this encounter. For instance, Arnold’s appearance is a deception of who he is. The devil worked with Connie before their encounter and created that division of sexual exploitation and false sexual prudence within her. Another tactic used on Connie before their encounter was the diversion away from her relationships to her