Arnold Friend Archetypes

Stories usually include the archetype bad guys that seem to be evil, but in numerous stories, the “bad guy” persona becomes clouded. In the short stories, “Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates and “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor there are centralized antagonists, Arnold Friend and The Misfit, that are the archetype of a bad guy with a troubled past. Both short stories have subliminal messages hinting towards the devil. But if you start reading deeper you can see that’s not all they are portrayed, as seen in the short story, “A Good Man is Hard to Find”, the Misfit could also be portrayed as an archetype as a savior or a seer that has lost his way, although in “Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been? “, Arnold Friend could be portrayed as a satyr, a mischievous demi god. While it can be argued that both characters are completely evil or not, they both have similar and their own personal qualities like the need to inflict pain upon others although they go about it in different ways.
In the story “Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?” Arnold Friend is depicted as the antagonist of the book, trying to seduce Connie into going with him on a ride. He could be shown as an evil person intent on doing harm to Connie, but by the way Oates wrote the book you can almost feel the frustration building up in him as Connie keeps denying him the satisfaction of Connie saying yes. This can essence can be felt when Arnold Friend “wobbled again and out of the side of his mouth came a fast spat curse, an aside not meant for [Connie] to hear. But even this ‘Christ!’ sounded forced. Then he began to smile again,” As if Arnold friend is trying to hide something from Connie, “She watched this smile...

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...ineteen ought nineteen of the epidemic flu…’” The misfit either didn’t commit any crime, or the more obvious reason is he convinced himself he didn’t do it, after he committed the crime. The misfit is a mental patient, who was put in jail for killing his father, then convincing himself that he didn’t do it. In the story when the family met the misfit, the day was described as cloudy, instead of talking about the weather, the description could be referring to the misfit’s mind it seemed clouded as if he couldn’t decipher between if he is doing right or if he is doing wrong.
Although the misfit is commonly portrayed as evil or mental, he can be also presented as an ironic Jesus. In a way the misfit can be seen as a savior to the unbalanced world, in this book, where there is no good person to find. He even compares himself to Jesus, “The Misfit said as if he agreed.