Evil has existed in the world since the beginning of time. Some people desire and enjoy being a part of the evil sphere. Others try to escape from evil’s wicked ways, but they find that they are unable to escape from evil’s lures and temptations. In the short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?,” by Joyce Carol Oates, evil surfaces when Connie is enticed by a suave conversation from Arnold Friend, a character that is engulfed by devilish thoughts and desires. The outcome of the conversation, amplified by Connie’s innocence, results in her getting raped and killed. In “A Good Man Is Hard To Find,” by Flannery O’Connor, an entire family is massacred at the hands of a sadistic serial killer named, the Misfit. Arnold Friend takes advantage of his less experienced prey through charm and disguise whereas the Misfit is respectful to his victims and is unsure of why he is entrapped to his maniacal ways. Arnold’s evil ways are apparent through his choice of targets, deceiving appearance, and cruel intentions. The Misfit suffers from his ruthless, …show more content…
brutal behavior because of his past and his marred thought process. However, The Misfit shows a genuine concern as to why he behaves the way he does. Although both men are monstrous killers, the inner drive of each character to complete such horrible atrocities are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Arnold Friend’s first appearance in “Where Are You Going, Where Have you Been?” takes place as Connie is walking across a parking lot on her way to a restaurant.
When Arnold and Connie’s eyes meet inadvertently, Connie sees “a boy with shaggy black hair, in a convertible jalopy painted gold” (Oates 371). To Connie, this was by pure chance and a pure stranger. To Arnold, Connie is his next victim. On the very next day, Arnold shows up at Connie’s house while her parents and sister are away at a family barbeque. Arnold entices her to go for a ride in his car by the use of appealing music and smooth conversation. However, taking an innocent girl for a ride in his car was the last of his intentions. Because of Connie’s lack of experience, curiosity, and inability to withstand peer pressure she succumbs to Arnold’s predatory hands. On that dreadful day, Connie lost her innocence and her
life. Arnold’s evil ways are apparent through his choice of targets. Arnold has chosen a mere child in order to satisfy his gross sexual desires. This choice demonstrates how evil he is because he picks a person with heightened curiosity, low self-esteem, and one who has an overall lack of experience. Arnold attacks his prey when she is home alone and vulnerable. This tactic is common among sexual predators as they often must prey upon someone weaker than themselves. Connie becomes trapped and there is nothing that she can do or say to stop Arnold from harming her. Arnold’s predatory ways continue to prove how much of a monster Arnold Friend really is. In order to supplement Arnold’s predatory ways, his looks must be altered in order to carry out his evil tendencies successfully. Since Arnold is at least twice the age of Connie he has a few flaws in his overall appearance that he tries to conceal. According to A. R. Coulthard, Arnold is short and muscular and tries to look younger, appear taller, and wears makeup (Coulthard 506). In fact, Oates implies that he wears a wig in order to make himself more attractive to his younger prey (Oates 373). Arnold also tries to make sure his clothing style is within acceptable limits of Connie’s generation. He dawns tight faded jeans, scuffed boots, a belt to pull his waist in to show how lean he was, and a white pull-over shirt that allowed his lean body to peak through (Oates 375). Arnold’s intentions were clear at the onset of this undertaking. He deliberately thinks his appearance through in order to ensure his vicious thoughts of terror became reality. Arnold’s thought process of attacking younger prey and his altered appearance should be enough for one to conclude that his intentions are evil. One of the statements that further drove that point home was his opening statement in Oate’s short story. As soon as Connie and Arnold inadvertently cross paths in public, Oate’s foreshadows Arnold’s evil ways with his statement of “Gonna get you, baby!” (Oates 371). Arnold vetted his credibility as one whom she can trust. One of the ways that he slyly boosted her confidence in him was by name dropping. Friend would act under the guise that he and Connie had mutual friends. In addition to his sly words, the narrator commented that Arnold’s “smile assured her that everything was fine” (Oates 376). Arnold’s intentions that afternoon were clear. Arnold is a psychopathic creep that was going to do whatever it takes in order to fulfill his selfish fantasies. In contrast, the Misfit is identified early on in Flannery O’Connor’s short story as having just escaped from a federal penitentiary and is headed towards Florida. The grandmother in the story is well aware of his illusive antics once she reads the headline in the local newspaper. Despite the grandmother’s warnings, the family heads out on a family vacation with the grandmother in tow. There are so many elements of foreshadowing throughout this story. The Misfit is mentioned throughout the story long before the family encounters him by accident. The grandmother leads them down a strange gravel road, and her cat causes a commotion in the vehicle, which send the vehicle into a tailspin. The family is in a horrific car wreck with numerous injuries. Entering stage left, the Misfit and his cronies appear at the crash site. After quite a bit of dialogue between the characters, each person is executed one by one. The Misfit is a psychopathic killer just as Arnold Friend is, however, his ability to ponder deeper meanings in life point to the fact that he is not as cold hearted as his character portrays. The Misfit’s past sheds light on the type of character that the Misfit is. The Misfit was raised by parents he felt were the finest people in the world. (O’Connor 303). Religion also played a part in the Misfit’s life because O’Connor shares that he sang in the choir growing up. Despite the help that he incurred in the beginning stages of life, his daddy noticed that the Misfit “was a different breed of dog” (O’Connor 304). As a result, the Misfit has lived a large part of his life in one prison system or another for reasons that he cannot remember. The Misfit is troubled because he can’t “make what all I done wrong fit what all I gone through in punishment” (O’Connor 307). Because of the Misfit’s tough past, his mind is troubled and he could very possibly be suffering from a mental condition. The Misfit wants to understand why he is evil. John Desmond’s essay reveals that “his keen sense of evil suggests implicitly that he also has an appreciation of the good, however distorted or misguided it may be” (145). The Misfit’s mental suffering, sense of guilt, and his questioning as to why he is the way he is cannot be ignored or dismissed as to the true nature of his heart. The Misfit’s marred thought process is also a key factor as to the behavior that he performs. The Misfit has a lot on his mind in this short story. His mind wants to understand the mystery of evil. Desmond says, the Misfit “wants justice as well as well as knowledge, and also to be liberated from his predicament” (146). The predicament that Desmond is referring to is why the Misfit has had to endure the punishment of a crime that he doesn’t remember committing. Having this weighing on his mind would cause the mind of the strongest to crumble. As a man that has been introduced to the Gospel as a child, the Misfit has been reintroduced to the power of divine grace by the grandmother. However, due to his marred thought process he is experiencing “a spiritual condition that is both fundamentally human and conspicuously modern in temper” (Desmond 146). Because of his mental state, the Misfit is more interested in personal vindication rather than communal justice. Through dialogue expressed between the Misfit and the Grandmother, Flannery O’Connor has made clear her thoughts as to the power of divine grace which is made available through Christ’s death and resurrection. Despite a troubled past and a marred thought process, the Misfit shows a genuineness about him that can help one determine his true makeup. The Misfit has a deep conversation about life in general with the Grandmother that got his mind to thinking about why he is leading a lifestyle of violence. At one point near the end of the story, the narrator noted that his voice began to crack as they had their conversation which could point to the fact that she touched his heart with conversation that was thought provoking. Unfortunately for her, the grandmother will not live to find out if her thought provoking conversation had any impact on whether or not the Misfit will change his life and live a peaceful life. Arnold Friend and the Misfit are characters that embody evil. However, there is stark contrast as to the motives of why they are embracing an evil lifestyle. For Arnold, it was selfish lifestyle that was made apparent through his choice of target. Arnold preyed on a young girl with heightened curiosity and little experience in order to satisfy his sexual fantasies. Arnold’s cruel intentions were made apparent through his altered appearance and overall mindset of not stopping until his desires were fulfilled. In contrast, the Misfit is suffering mental anguish because he is not able to fathom the consequences that he has had to endure throughout his life because he doesn’t know what he has done wrong in his past. It is encouraging that the Misfit shows genuineness that is hinted at through conversations with the grandmother. Arnold Friend exemplifies evil because his only concern is to fulfill his selfish desires whereas the Misfit embodies evil due to a depraved mental condition that doesn’t allow him to perceive right from wrong. Both men have committed atrocious acts of violence towards the human family; however, it is clear that the inner drive that causes these violent acts to come to fruition are driven by motives that are on opposite ends of the spectrum.
Where Are You Going, Where have You Been by Joyce Carol Oates is a tale of a naive young lass taking her first steps into the illusion of the teenage dream. For the regular viewer of the film Smooth Talk, one would not pick up on the elaborate history behind the movie. Dating back to the 1960’s, the written story sheds very little light on the true sadistic nature of the means and intentions of Arnold Friend. Going back even further, the written tale is based on Life Magazine's article “The Pied Piper of Tucson” the true story of a middle aged man who preys on adolescent girls, getting away with devious sexual acts and sometimes murdering said adolescents. Without this previous knowledge, both the story and the movie seem for the most part innocent, with only a tad of creepiness generated
A spider, a zombie, a serial killer, all of these things would scare most but why do people pay good money to be scared by all these things? Because people like to be scared. Ever since people could speak to one another, they have been telling these stories. whether it be around a dim lit campfire, in the form of a book, or even on the big screen. these stories stand out through time because of their graphic word choice, unique characters, and suspense. Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Black Cat” and Joyce Carol Oates “Where Are You Going Where Have You Been?” both possess these elements of word choice and suspense along with psychotic like characters such as Arnold Friend (WAYG) and the narrator (The Black Cat). Poe's character the
A good murder is hard to be. Each story “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor, and “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates presents characters in a dangerous situation. I will make a comparison examines important similarities and dissimilarities for these two different murders.
My definition of evil is in its most general context, is taken as the absence of that which is ascribed as being good. Often, evil is used to denote profound immorality. In this situation I would have to say Arnold’s friend most exemplifies evil. Arnold Friend could be an allegorical devil figure, the protagonist who lures Connie into riding off with him in his car, or, in the contrary, far more a grotesque portrait of a psychopathic killer masquerading as a teenager. However, he has all the traditional, sinister traits of that arch deceiver and source of grotesque terror, the devil, with his painted eyelashes, shaggy hair, and stuffed boots. In the story, Oates does make Arnold out to be a psychopathic stalker, but never objectively states the diabolical nature to his character.
the story is Arnold tempting Connie to leave the safe haven that is her home and
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.
Arnold Friend takes advantage of Connie’s teenage innocence for something of a much more sinister purpose. Connie thought she had it all figured out until Arnold Friend came into her life and up her driveway on one summer, Sunday afternoon and made her realize how big and scary the world can be. Arnold embodies everything that Connie has dreamed about in a boy, but is in the most malevolent form of Connie’s dream boy. She always wanted to get away from her family because she has always felt as if she didn’t belong and Arnold can make this possible just in the most predatory way. She always thought sex would be sweet (and consensual) and that she would be in charge of how it progressed, Arnold strips her of the authority she’s held in any other encounter with a boy. The moral of the story is always be careful what you wish
Arnold Friend’s layers of deception. Connie’s blindness is the pretext of her loss of innocence
In the short story, Connie is a young, naïve, sassy, little girl who hates her mom and sister. According to Oates, “Connie wished her mother was dead” (324). Connie enjoys going out with her friends and going to a drive-in restaurant where the older kids hang out. Connie is innocent, but thinks about love and sex. She is desperate to appeal to boys and succeeds at it when a boy with shaggy black hair says to her, “Gonna get you, baby” (325). Her encounter with this boy will change her life forever, because he is the antagonist that influences Connie’s loss of innocence. On a Sunday afternoon, the boy, Arnold Friend, visits Connie and asks her to come for a ride, which she declines. But, Arnold Friend won’t take “no” for an answer and threatens to go in the house. For example when Connie says she will call the cops, Arnold says “Soon as you touch the phone I don’t need to keep my promise and come inside”
A mysterious car pulled into Connie’s driveway and the driver proceeds to get out of his vehicle, showing that he belonged there, not recognizing the car Connie opens the door to her house and leans out it. “She went into the kitchen and approached the door slowly, then hung out the screen door,” (2). Without even knowing who or why this person has come to her house, Connie opens her door and leans out to possible talk to the driver, who would turn out to be Arnold Friend and wants to take her on a “date”. Connie’s ignorance towards Arnold and his arrival almost immediately puts her in a vulnerable state without her even realizing it, this vulnerability would be the first event to foreshadow Connie’s inevitable kidnapping. After greeting and talking to Arnold for a little, he proceeds to ask Connie if she wants to go for a ride in his car. Instead of turning down the offer since she barely, if at all, knew Arnold, Connie somewhat debates it. “Connie smirked and let her hair fall loose over her shoulder,” (3). Though she lacks any information about Arnold, Connie kind of debates taking up his offer to go for a ride, further letting her ignorance towards the entire situation usher her into an even more vulnerable
Being sexualized by the boys around her, Connie is self-conscious and finds her worth in beauty. The story even states, “She knew she was pretty and that was everything” (Oates 422). She is concerned about her appearance and what others think of her because she has been taught that she lacks any value outside of physical beauty norms. Arnold Friend, even tells Connie, “...be sweet like you can because what else is there for a girl like you but to be sweet and pretty and give in?” (Oates 432). Between this coaxing and the consistent message about the importance of beauty, Connie is nearly forced to conform to this mentality, which displays the lack of respect for young females as human beings. This in turn leads women to self-degradation as they are consistently viewed as sexual
Oates takes us to a journey of rebellion as the protagonist sorts through self-created illusion in order to come to terms with her own sexual inexperience. Connie’s desires for attention from the opposite sex, her vanity and immaturity blind her to think of the real intentions of guys, in this case Arnold Friend. A character that many critics argue is real, yet, others argue it was created by Connie’s mind.
When approached by Arnold Friend at first, she was skeptical but was still charmed by him. As she began to feel uneasy, Connie could have used her intuition to realize that he was trouble. Once she had been engaged by Arnold, her life was over. The influences on Connie and her lack of instilled reasoning led to her down fall. Her family’s fragmented nature was echoed in her actions; consequently, she was unable to communicate with her parents, and she was never was able to learn anything of significance. She felt abandoned and rejected, because no one took the initiative to teach her how to make good decisions. Connie was unable to mature until she was faced with death and self sacrifice. In the end, her situation made it difficult for her to think and reason beyond the position she was in. By not being able apply insight, she fell into Arnold Friends lure. Misguidance by the parents strongly contributed to Connie’s
Connie’s clothes and infatuation with her own beauty symbolize her lack of maturity or knowing her true self, which in the end enables her to be manipulated by Arnold Friend. Connie was enamored with her own beauty; in the beginning of the story Oates states that Connie “knew
Rubin attempts to convey the idea that Connie falls asleep in the sun and has a daydream in which her “…intense desire for total sexual experience runs headlong into her innate fear…” (58); and aspects of the story do seem dream like - for instance the way in which the boys in Connie’s daydreams “…dissolved into a single face…” (210), but the supposition that the entire episode is a dream does not ring true. There are many instances in which Connie perceives the frightening truth quite clearly; she is able to identify the many separate elements of Friend’s persona - “… that slippery friendly smile of his… [and] the singsong way he talked…” (214). But because of the lack of attachment with her own family, and her limited experience in relating deeply to others, “…all of these things did not come together” (214) and Connie is unable to recognize the real danger that Arnold Friend poses until it is too late.