Arnold Friend: The Old Fiend Personification

469 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Gender stereotypes literature

The Falling Mask of Arnold Friend: The Old Fiend Personification The story “Where are You Going, Were Have you Been” is the type of story that leaves an acrimonious impression on the readers. Based on true events (Coulthard), it was written in the late 1960s’, this story starts describing a teenager girl, by the name of Connie, who is sunken be her vanity filled by trashy dreams. She was obsessed by her looks, as her own mother would complaint about it (205). Her father did not care much about her, he worked for long hours. Connie’s behaviors were rebellious, as she would even wish he mother’s own death. It can be noticed the sense of arrogance in her. Her sexuality was pluming, she was living careless, in her own promiscuous world. Her mind …show more content…

As the story roles, her family goes out to a Sunday, and as usual she stays home, thinking of boys. In the mist of her thoughts, along came a man, Arnold Friend, in a gold car, attracting young Connie. After all, the only thing set on her mind was a sexual or emotional encounter. It would be said that Arnold Friend, who means “An Old Fiend” is a demoniac personage. Beside the odd approach, he presents himself with numbers that characterizes him 33, 17, and 19. Symbolically, these numbers when added, give a sum of 69, which represents a “secret sexual code” (White) At first Connie’s description toward Arnold Friend is pleasurable. She describes him wearing nice jeans, boots and attractive muscles (208). Altogether this twisted story is more related to a religious metaphor. As the story unrolls, she find out who she is dealing with. She realizes that she is dealing with super natural forces (Ubranski), as he says: “Do you know who I am.” She realizes how his voice transforms and how his smiles fades (209). It is a folkloric belief that the Devil comes in disguise, deluding who he wants (White). The Devil himself came for Connie, as he marks her with an X, perhaps already knowing that her soul was his. The devils’ desire to devour Connie is insistent. He calls her his

Show More
Related

  • Arnold Friend Comparison

    824 Words  | 2 Pages

    Although Arnold friend proves to be a valid contender of The narrators craziness, this is evident in the beginning of the story where the first thing to come out his mouth is “Gonna get you baby”(2). At this point in the story (Beginning) Connie didn’t even know who he was but yet he lets her know that he is coming for her. Arnold friend, in his gold jalopy, pulls up a few days later just as he promised. Even though Oates uses mental games to scare her audience in “WAYG”, it does not match Poe’s description of violent death. In the “Black Cat” the narrator decides to mutilate a cat by “taking a knife and opening it, grabbing the poor beast by the throat, and deliberately cut one of its eyes from the socket!” (7) This obviously shows the psychotic tendencies of The Narrator: in his drunken state he simply decides to mutilate a cat for nothing but his own pleasure. Arnold Friend is a less frightening character because although he is very disturbed, he only seems to play mental games where as the Narrator uses physical

    Read More

  • Arnold Friend Archetypes

    988 Words  | 2 Pages

    Arnold Friend is an important character in Connie’s story because he is one of the main reasons she goes undergoes a change. In short, while Connie is going through a teenage phase of exploring sexuality, he comes to Connie’s house to take her with the intention of raping her. More importantly he is portrayed with some of devilish appearances and behavior, to stress the idea of the situation Connie has gotten into and the meaning of her transition. The devil archetype is seen as an evil character that embodies devil characteristics as well as tempting the protagonist with things that will ruin their soul. Thesis Statement!!!! Some evidence that Arnold Friend is the devil incarnate are the facts that he does not cross threshold, he seems to be all-knowing and he has to tempt and persuade Connie to leave with him.

    Read More

  • Character Analysis Of Arnold Friend

    541 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Arnold Friend In Where Are You Going, Where Hare You Been?

    1165 Words  | 3 Pages

    Arnold Friend imposes a devilish and menacing pressure upon Connie, who ultimate gives in, like a maiden entranced by a vampire's gaze. His appearance, sayings, and doing all combine to form a terrifying character that seems both reasonable and unlikely at the same time. There are people like Arnold Friend out there, not as incoherently assembled, and still he seems an extraordinary case of stalker. A small and even insignificant aside about his name, Arnold Friend, is that with the R's his name would read A'nold F'iend, or "An Old Fiend" i.e. the devil. But, regardless, Arnold Friend is very precisely portrayed as a corrupter of youths and a deflowerer of virgins. Without his useless sweet-nothings or his strange balance problem, he would come across less dangerous and alluring.

    Read More

  • Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Analysis Essay

    1213 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Comparing Where Are you going, Where Have You Been and Hills Like White Elephants

    1329 Words  | 3 Pages

    The short story where are you going, where have you been is about a teenage girl who is, vain, self-doubting and affixed in the present. She does not know anything about the past or doubts it and has no plan of the future. She argues with her mother and she thinks she is jealous of her. The start of the plot is not very dramatic rather it is more like an introduction. We get a good description of the story’s Protagonist, Connie at the beginning of the story and through out. She is familiar, the typical American teenager, who dream, fantasize and have difficulty differentiating the real world from fairytale. Kozikowsky compares the story to the popular recent Disney tale “Cinderella” (1999). In “Where are you going, where have you been?” the setting of the story is not revealed at the beginning. The reader slowly learns about Connie’s family and her living condition throughout the story.

    Read More

  • Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

    1013 Words  | 3 Pages

    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”

    Read More

  • Ignorance In Where Are You Going Where Have You Been?

    832 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

    1099 Words  | 3 Pages

    During the teenage years they no longer want to be labeled the “child; matter of fact, they have a strong desire to rebel against the family norms and move quickly into adulthood. This transition and want for freedom can be a very powerful and frightening thing as there are evils in this world that cannot be explained. Most parents try to understand and give their teens certain freedoms, but at what expense? Joyce Oates gives us a chilly story about a teenager that wanted and craved this freedom of adulthood called “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”. This is a haunting story of a young girl by the name of Connie who gives us a glimpse of teenager transitioning from childhood with the need for freedom and the consequences of her actions. Connie is described as a very attractive girl who did not like her role in the family unit. She was the daughter who could not compare to her older sister and she felt her Mom showed favoritism towards her sister. Connie is your average teen who loves music, going out with friends, and she likes the attention she receives from boys. During this time, Connie is also growing into her sexuality and is obsessing with her looks as she wants and likes to be noticed by the opposite sex. Her sexual persona and need to be free will be what is fatal to her character’s life and well-being.

    Read More

  • Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Loss Of Innocence Essay

    470 Words  | 1 Pages

    Joyce Carol Oates’s short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” clearly illustrates the loss of innocence adolescents experience as they seek maturity, represented by Connie's dangerous encounter with Arnold Friend. Connie symbolizes the many teens that seek independence from their family in pursuit of maturity. Connie’s great desire to grow up is apparent from the beginning of the story, as she experiments with her sexuality. However, it is clear that Connie is not interested in pursuing a relationship, but relishes the maturity she feels after being with the opposite sex. After following a boy to his car, she was “gleaming with a joy that had nothing to do with Eddie or even this place” (2). This suggests that Connie's exploits

    Read More

  • Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Analysis

    881 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Where Are You Going?

    704 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Arnold Friend

    1278 Words  | 3 Pages

    Everyone has a fantasy – an unrealistic dream about what they hope their lives will become. Some can push those thoughts aside and continue on comfortably in the real world, but others have a difficult time ignoring their inner desires. This easily relatable situation is the driving force behind “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates. The story follows Connie. She is a teenage girl living a simple, unfulfilling life who dreams about a reality where she is adored by all. Her small world turns upside down when a strange man forces her to quite literally step into adulthood against her better judgment. Oates successfully details the sinister coming of age tale through her usage of limited omniscient third person point

    Read More

  • Connie's Point Of View In The Short Story Of Arnold Friend

    265 Words  | 1 Pages

    This story was an interesting read; the use of dialogue, setting, characters and tone made the story a fascinating read. The story was told mostly from Connie's perspective. We learn, feel, and get befuddled about things in the meantime she does. Since a significant part of the story is constrained to her point of view, Arnold Friend stays as a baffling, malicious, and dreadful character. An example of this story perspective is the scene in which Connie is so deadened with fear that she can't force herself to call the police. Since the story is told mostly from Connie's point of view, it's normally empathetic towards her as it investigates her thoughts and feelings. Even when condemning how exterior her romantic beliefs are, you get the sense

    Read More

  • Arnold Friend

    1892 Words  | 4 Pages

    Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?” follows a fifteen year old Connie, who acts like any rebellious teen her age. She is self centered and loves thinking about boys. One in particular is Arnold Friend, who catches Connie’s attention from the moment he drives by the restaurant. It was only a short encounter, but his gold convertible would stay in her mind. At first he seems like a normal boy just passing by in his convertible, but as the story progresses he shows his true self. He is not what and who he says he is. From the beginning Arnold seems to be a very scheming and assertive person. While this story is following Connie the person the reader should be paying attention to is Arnold Friend, a manipulative, controlling,

    Read More

More about Arnold Friend: The Old Fiend Personification

Open Document