Arnold Friend Character

A door to the beginning of her outcome is all that divides Connie in, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” from Arnold Friend, the devilish predator. Symbolism takes a big part in this story that gives a deeper meaning to Connie’s choices that ultimately extent to giving herself to Arnold. The author, Joyce Carol Oates in the short story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” represents Arnold Friend as the real world by being challenging and malicious, and Connie as the innocent world by being defenseless and naive.

“My Sweet little blue-eyed girl, “ he said in a half- sung sigh that had nothing to do with [Connie’s] brown eyes but was taken up just the by the vast sunlit reaches of the land behind him and on all sides of him- so much land that Connie had never seen before and did not recognize except to know that she was going to it.

In the story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” Connie, the main character, is already struggling with many things in life and sneaks her way to date guys. There was also conflicting between her and her mother due to her mother favoring her sister, June and describing her as someone who is a good example of what she wants Connie to be. Her father is never at home due to work and when he is home, the girls do not relate to him. Arnold Friend is described as a dangerous figure with his pale complexion and his slick black hair looking like trouble by not presenting himself in a pleasing way to Connie, by not walking properly. This was an indication on how he was not in the right state of mind and how Arnold shouldn’t be near Connie. There was one scene in the story where Arnold Friend shows up, uninvited, notifying Connie that he is not a friend, but has come to take her away from her home to possibly kidnap her. "Connie felt a wave of dizziness, rise in her at this sight and she stared at him as if waiting for something to change the shock of the moment, make it alright again”. Connie feels safe in the house and does not come out until Arnold convinces and demands her that she come out. Things took an unpleasant twist when Arnold tells Connie not use the phone or he will break his promise of not coming in the house

else is doing at that very instant. Arnold Friend does this very thing. When Connie tells him that

Throughout the story Arnold's traits change, which makes him seem as though he is not who he says he is. When Arnold first arrives at Connie’s home, he acts as though they had met before. However, Connie repeatedly says, “Look, I don’t even know who you are” (654). Although Connie keeps saying this, Arnold continues to act like nothing's wrong. Later in the story he seems to break his previous character, and Connie notices. “He spoke in a simple lilting voice, exactly as if he were reciting the words to a song” (656). His mannerisms change here because he realizes Connie has figured out that something is off about him. He changes his mannerisms from being an eighteen year old friend to being an aggressive man. “She looks out to see Arnold Friend pause and then take a step toward the porch lurching. He almost fell. But, like a clever drunken man, he managed to catch his balance” (659). His illusion of being an eighteen year old drops here. Oates is able to use Arnold’s mannerisms as a symbol to contribute to the theme because he first acts one way, only to act another the next. First impressions are not always correct and they may not be as they

In the short story, “Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?,” Arnold Friend does not see an issue with bothering younger girls; however, this may due to his lack of morals. Many could argue that this story was a dream or Connie got what she asked for because of her attitude. Though the ending is not told, it can be assumed that Connie may have been sexually assaulted by Arnold Friend and no one deserves to be in that situation. However, if Arnold had morals none of this would have happened.

Through plot, Oates demonstrates how Arnold Friend can be seen as a symbolic Satan. Plot starts when Arnold makes sure to tell Connie he is interested in her as he says,“Gonna get you baby” (Oates 1). Connie is in a drive-in restaurant for an older crowd when Arnold sees her for the first time. Once Connie leaves the drive-in dinner with a boy named Eddie, Arnold decides to make a move on Connie. Arnold uses foreshadowing to let her know he will meet her again. Just as Arnold says he is going to get Connie, he shows up in her driveway, creating a creepy situation. That Sunday afternoon, Connie is alone in her house while her parents and sister are on a picnic at one of their neighbor’s house, Arnold decides to use this opportunity to make his

Oates’ story points out countless times how Arnold Friend would call Connie things like honey and pretty girl, or even just speak to Connie in a calm, relaxed, reassuring voice. He would manipulate his victims. Schmid would lure his victims because he felt that he could. In his mind, he felt that he could have anyone he wanted or anyone people thought he couldn’t get. To do this, Schmid would brag about his money and where he had got it from.

Connie starts out in the story as someone that is self-absorbed, concerned for no one but herself. Arnold Friend is really the same way. He tells her that he saw her “that night and thought, that’s the one” (Oates 480). In spite of the words he uses, the reader knows that Arnold does not have any true feelings for Connie because he says “My sweet little blue-eyed girl” (Oates 483). Arnold is oblivious to the fact that Connie has brown eyes. “In Arnold’s view, Connie’s personal identity is totally unimportant” (Wegs 3).

Arnold’s character is questionable from the start, especially the concerning amount of information he knows: “I know who you were with last night, and your best girlfriend's name is Betty. Right?” (Oates). Connie should’ve known something was up and shouldn’t have been easily swayed by his actions. Children should already know ways to rule out if someone is trying to harm them “Helping children to “read” situations, choose options and make decisions enables them to be more in control of a situation”(Wrench 114).

In this essay, I argue that the main theme of “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is internal conflict. The main character, Connie, struggles with multiple internal conflicts throughout the short story. Some of these internal conflicts include a search for independence, internal judgment, and fantasy versus reality.

The short story Where are you going, Where have you been? by Joyce Carol Oates is a chilling tale of teen abduction. Although horrifying, the story didn’t end like I thought it would on my first read through. Connie isn’t carried away by her abductor kicking and screaming, nor dragged away unconscious. While not exactly based on her own freewill, she chooses to go.

The concept of a hero has been around for many generations, and the meaning of a hero is defined in ways people grasp its idea. A hero can be a person who has a superpower and is willing to make a personal sacrifice for the benefit of others or can be an ordinary everyday person who just wants to help people out of his or her own heart. Linda Seger’s article, “Creating the Myth,” tackles the idea of a “Hero 's Myth,” and shows the ten steps of how heroes are transformed from an ordinary person to the Savior. On the other hand, Robert B. Ray piece titled, “The Thematic Paradigm,” emphasizes that in modern films, it is either having an “Outlaw Hero or an Official Hero,” which he uses three stages to demonstrates how they are different each other in the way they perform in the society. Further, the article, “Out of Character: Wonder Woman’s Strength Is Her Compassion - What Happened?” by Stevie St. John, explains how Wonder Woman was viewed as a compassionate woman in the 1940s and 1950s, and in the 2000s she changes into a more violent person. In this essay, I argue that a hero is subjective, and is defined by the villain or event that they had to adapt to suddenly.

In stories and movies, quintessential heroes are powerfully built and intelligent men, and they put their skills to the test by dueling ghastly monsters and deciphering enigmas. Sometimes the hero’s enemies seem to have the upper hand, leaving the brave soul dispirited and occasionally heartbroken, yet, in the end, those characters defeat their antagonist and win the attractive damsel’s heart. In real life, heroes come in unconventional molds, for the hero of my life is my mother, Laura Kawagoe. Although I take pleasure in watching action motion pictures, even with their predictable outcomes, heroes do not have to fistfight against 10 brawny men or diffuse a bomb in ten seconds. While I do not require much for someone to be put in the hero

However, the broadening of the originality and diversity of the ‘hero’ character is fundamental, yet is often overlooked in many stories. Personally, I feel that the character must be real and relatable to the degree that the audience will believe them.