Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Arnold Friend Symbolism

Is Rock ‘n’ Roll really the devil's music? Joyce Carol Oates wrote “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” and dedicated it to Bob Dylan after she claimed the story is influenced by Dylan's haunting song “It's All Over Now, Baby Blue”. (Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”) “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is full of symbolism that represents elements such as evil and loss of innocence. In the story, Arnold Friend symbolizes the devil, and if you take the R’s out of his name, it spells “An Old Fiend”. Arnold Friend’s character was thought to symbolize the devil coming to take Connie because she wandered too far down the path of a sinner. Symbolism is a crucial part of the story because it helps the reader read between the lines and see beyond the obvious meanings of things. Some will argue that Arnold Friend symbolizes the serial killer Charles Schmid, but Oates makes it very clear that Arnold Friend is a symbol of the devil.

According to History.com, Joyce Carol Oates was born On June 16, 1938, in Lockport New York. She grew up on a farm which is where she developed a passion for

Just like Arnold, he was a liar who attempted to influence others to like him with his calculated stories. He created a fake person that resembled Elvis Presley. Like Oates's fictional character Arnold, Schmid wore makeup, used lip balm and put an artificial mole on is face to disguise himself. Again, like Arnold, Schmid stuffed his cowboy boots with newspaper and flattened cans to boost up his 5-foot, 3-inch height (A killer who can't keep his mouth shut). In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” we know from an assumption that Friend only killed Connie. Schmid however, had killed three other teenage girls before being caught by police. (A killer who can't keep his mouth