A Devilish Predator in Where Are You Going, Where Have You...

A door to the beginning of her outcome is all that divides Connie in, â€Å"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, â€Å"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. One of the symbols in the story are the sunglasses Arnold wears. He wears them to hide himself from the real world and to hide what his intentions are to do with Connie once she gets in the car to go for a ride with him. Arnold Friend himself also plays a symbol in the story. When you see the name, â€Å"Arnold Friend† and take the R out you will get â€Å"An old friend† or if you take both R’s out you will get â€Å"An Old Fiend† that is referring to the devil. He keeps talking to Connie trying to lure her into the vehicle stating everything will be ok and her family will not be home anytime soon because he knows exactly what they are doing at the exact moment. The text also says Arnold stands up in his boots and wobbles as if his boots were stuffed to make him taller and not all the way in. Arnold’s car is another symbol. His car is one of the first clues that gives Connie a reason that Arnold could be there for the wrong intentions and something could goShow MoreRelatedWhere are you Going? Where Have you Been? by Joyce Carol Oates1100 Words   |  5 PagesWhere Are You Going, Where have you been? is a short story written by Joyce Carol Oates. The 75 year old American author and professor at Princeton University, introduce the story of 15 year old Connie who is rebelling against her mother’s whishes. A very arrogant and selfish girl that in her world the only thing that matters is how many heads she can turn when walking into a room. Through the story life gives her a test, to confront Arnold Friend, the antagonist of the story; who possesses a nefariousRead MoreArnold Friend In Where Are You Going, Where Hare You Been? Essay1161 Words   |  5 Pagesown menacing qualities and depraved actions. None, however, have struck such a devastatingly creepy chord as Arnold Friend of Joyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Seducer of young girls and embodiment of Lucifer, Arnold Friend is anything but a friend. Arnold Friend is presented through both actions and appearances, and these combine to diminish his likeability, while adding to his devilish persona. Although Arnold Friends traits are never stated outright, they are presentedRead MoreCharacter Analysis of Arnold Friend in Oates ´ Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been605 Words   |  2 PagesMost of us have heard of the famous story by Oates called ‘Where Are You Going, Where Have You been’, featuring the infamous Arnold Friend and plenty of adult themes. So many possible theories stem from just one character from a short story whether he could perhaps be death, or the devil in disguise coming to take Connie away; or perhaps just a mental creepy man coming to kidnap and rape Connie. So many things that Arnold Friend tells little vain Connie can be interpreted in either direction, itRead Moretheme of alienation n no where man by kamala markandeya23279 Words   |  94 Pagesshe is taken to a cave, her place of entombment. On Thebes: Thebes was the most important city of Boeotia, on mainland Greece. It was one of the chief city-states of ancient Greece, after Athens and Sparta. Sophocles described it as â€Å"the only city where mortal women are the mothers of gods.† According to Greek legends, the city was founded by Cadmus and was destroyed by the Epigonoi in the time before the Trojan War. In the sixth century B.C., Thebes recovered its glory to some extent, and in Sophocles’