Arnold Friend The Devil Essay

Few characters in literature can spark such creativity and imagination in so many individuals as the biblical Satan, or the devil. Retellings of the great fall of Lucifer and his subsequent antics on Earth are subject of countless novels, plays, and books by some of the world’s greatest authors. The figure of the “fallen one” that utilizes deception, charm, and wit to achieve his self-serving goals has an allure that has drawn readers for centuries. It can be argued that among these lies Joyce Carrol Oates’s famous short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” The character of Arnold Friend in the story is representative of the devil through his appearance, speech, and the many religious allusions of the story.

The Fallen One is

often depicted physically in literature as someone who is deceptive, cunning, and in a sense ethereal.

Being a supernatural being, he does not fit perfectly into the world of humanity. This results in an appearance that fills those the devil encounters with unease or discomfort, such the Black Man in “The devil and Tom Walker,” whose appearance resembles that of a human in rough native American clothing, but is ultimately alienating in form by his otherworldly black skin. Arnold Friend is no exception to this rule, portrayed as an out of place individual struggling under the guise of a teenage youth. From Arnold’s first appearance at the movie theatre, Connie finds his appearance odd by his “Shaggy, shabby black hair that looked crazy as a wig” (Oates). This description indicates not only that his hair is bizarre in style, but that it appears almost like a ruse to appear more human. The implication surfaces again when Arnold “placed his sunglasses on top of his head, carefully, as if he were indeed wearing a wig” (Oates). The theme of discord in his style follows to Arnold’s clothing

as well, as his pants and shoes are described as ill-fitting and exaggerated to the point of his shoes appearing to be stuffed to feign being taller. Arnold also utilizes his car as an extension of his ploy to seduce Connie, which is a bright self-identifying gold and overlain with out-of-date sayings, showing that he is close to appearing youthful in manner but still falling short of his goal. These examples paint a clear portrait of Arnold as an individual who is trying to mask his identity of the devil, just like he has in classical interpretations. Easterly also draws a direct comparison to Satan through appearance, stating that “One can hypothesize that Friend wears a wig to hide his pointed ears and horns” (Easterly.)
Another indication of Arnold’s role as Satan is his dialogue in the story, which is often seductive, alluring, and ingenuous. Arnold speaks very quickly and in a calming tone, and speaks with confidence and wile that echoes Harold Bloom’s description of Satan as the great Tempter. Bloom describes the Tempter as a figure with irresistible charm that speaks to the deepest desires of his subject. This observation describes Arnold entirely, as he manages to maintain a psychological hold over Connie, to the point of convincing her “that (her heart) was nothing that was hers, that belonged to her, but just a pounding, living thing inside this body that wasn't really hers either” (Oates). Arnold exhibits complete control over Connie’s actions. One can infer that Arnold stalks Connie specifically for her naivety and weak-mindedness, just as the Snake of the Garden of Eden tricks Eve or how Mephistopheles lures Faust with the promise of infinite knowledge. Gillis mirrors this, stating that “Connie Belongs to a tradition of domesticated Eves” (Gillis, 66). Arnold knows that Connie frequents the burger joint for companionship, be it from her friends or boys. He uses this knowledge, along with an otherworldly erudition of her parent’s activities, to effectively strip Connie of free will. When Arnold states that he will “Come inside you where it’s all secret and you’ll give in to me and love me” (Oates), he personifies Awwad’s description of Satan as “A spirit that incites and seduces humans in their vulnerable moments, a spirit that invades and destroys” (Awwad, 111).
While unusual appearance and sinister intentions are traits that are consistent with the classical depiction of Satan, Oates is very deliberate in her language and description of Arnold to suggest a direct connection to the Biblical character through multiple allusions.

The most prominent of these is Arnold’s “Secret Code” painted onto the side of his car which Robson cites as an analog to the biblical passage from Judges 19:17 as well as the origin of the story’s title. The characters throughout the story also utter multiple references to a biblical Satan in their dialogue, as Easterly notes in “The shadow of a satyr in Oate's ‘Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?’” She notes that the utterances of “Christ, Christ” and “Who the hell do you think you are?” (Oates) are frequently used as evidence indicating that Arnold is a Satanic figure. In this vein, one could also infer that the sign of the X that Arnold draws over Connie could be analogous to the Devil marking those under his power with the Number of the Beast. Connie perceives this almost as a lingering supernatural force as well, as “The X was still in the air, almost visible”

(Oates).
In conclusion, Oates wrote “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” as a very dark and surreal account of a girl’s loss of innocence that would spark conversation among her contemporaries for years to come. Her “Tale of initiation depicted in grotesque relief” (Gillis, 65) is one that consists of many complex themes and layers to culminate in a narrative that is highly provocative as read on the surface, but when analyzed beyond appearances becomes more defined as a landmark depiction of a classical evil for a new generation. Oates utilizes her carefully crafted description, her impressive use of dialogue, and her in-depth knowledge of the literary figure of Satan to create a retelling of an old monster for a new world; a devil that exists not only in the Bible and in aged stories, but one that is living and breathing and alive today. While the Devil served to incite terror of religious retribution for many and inspiration for such legendary literary greats as Milton, Hawthorne, and Irving, Oates continues the tradition and expands the canon of a great Tempter and deceiver to a new generation who may yet learn to fear being swayed into life-changing decisions by a malevolent force that dates back to the very first sin of humanity.