Character Analysis Of Arnold Friend

The story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” by Joyce Carol Oates, is a one where the idea of how girl who struggles with wanting to be a mature woman, faces her demon full form. The protagonist of the story is Connie, a 15-year-old rebel girl, obsessed with her look; and through fault of her own, meets the antithesis of herself, the antagonist of the story, Arnold Friend. Connie seeks to be a mature adult and desires an emancipation from her family. Seeing herself as mature woman through the desires of her attraction by other boys and men, as well as her mother. Its this same desire which acts as the main fault for her character. Consistently presenting a self-absorbed attituded (like a typical teen), while still presenting the want

The word deceit means to take action or practice deceiving someone by concealing or misrepresenting the truth. In the novel Much Ado About Nothing, a theme of deceit is constantly present, and appears in many different forms. Deceit is used not only for wicked purposes, but mainly for good intentions. In Shakespeare's novel deception is used to initiate and continue the play's plot, by using the masking of characters, faking death and various other forms of deception to demonstrate how true deception can be in our lives.

One’s identity is not limited to what you look like or how you acted three years ago. An identity grows overtime as you encounter new experiences and learn new things about yourself. In Ursula Le Guin’s, A Wizard of Earthsea, we see the main character, Ged, find and develop his own identity. Identity ranges from your morals and values to your relationship with those around you. Identity is an important aspect in a person because it consists of a physical power and your own will power. Once you are able to understand who you truly are as a person and obtain a greater knowledge of your true self, you are able to access an ultimate personal power.

The story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” was written by Joyce Carol Oates, published in 1966. In this short story, we are introduced to a 15 year old girl Connie. She is described to be very conceited, and she is always obsessing over her physical appearance. Her family life is perceived as very dysfunctional. Her mother is always comparing her to her older sister June, and Connie’s father is pretty much absent from her life. Because the lack of family support and guidance, Connie lies to her parents of her whereabouts, and she sneaks away to local hangouts. While being out, she unfortunately catches the eye of Arnold Friend. This man will erase Connie’s innosense and expose her to how cruel the world can actually be. Many literary

When blindness is referenced the first thought that comes up is the actual disability. Blindness doesn’t always come in the form of a physical impairment but can often times have a figurative meaning. Sophocles, J.C. Oates and Nathaniel Hawthorne demonstrate this act of figuratively referencing blindness in “Oedipus the King,” Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” and “Young Goodman Brown.” Although some may say that the truth will set you free, for the characters in these stories it decides their fates.

When Connie and her friend are sitting at a restaurant, a boy named Eddie appears and converses with them (371). Connie, enthusiastic about the positive attention Eddie is giving her, agrees to go with him to his car (371). As they walk to his car, Connie catches multiple glimpses of Arnold Friend (371). She is attracted to him not by his looks alone, but by the positive attention that he is giving her. It is this positive attention that fills the void of self-worth that defines Connie as a character. Arnold Friend takes advantage of this attraction and vulnerability and utters the chilling declaration, “Gonna get you, baby,” as Connie and Eddie immerse themselves into the Saturday night darkness

Religion and temptation of a forbidden object is a major theme in Joyce Carol Oate’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”. The story features Connie, a pretty 15-year-old girl who is given the opportunity to go on a date with Arnold Friend, who is described as being a mysterious man of 30 years of age or older. While this first excites Connie, she becomes increasingly hesitant as to whether or not going with Friend is a good idea as she starts to notice flaws in his character. Arnold Friend takes the form of a devil-like character and displays both physical and mental characteristics of this biblical creature. Friend makes multiple references to numbers and symbols that would give up his identity, and each time he makes these references

Joyce Carol Oates takes everyday life situations and turns them into something much more realistic, by showing the dark and uncut version through her writing. She was an author born in Lockport, New York, who developed a passion for writing. Oates then went on to becoming a very successful author who wrote novels, stories, and even poetry. In her story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, there’s a character named Arnold Friend who has an evil to him. I argue that Arnold Friend is the devil, and here’s why.

America, in its brief history,. There have been murderers, thieves, and villains, but there is one man who is more infamous than all others, a man whose very name is synonymous with everything evil in America—Benedict Arnold. What was his crime? It was Treason, disloyalty, and treachery. He betrayed America, his own country. Truly, he deserved all the disgust and hatred the American people can muster. But who was he, and what exactly did he do? Benedict Arnold life was, in fact, a tragedy. He rose to fame, glory, and power, and slowly, he lost it all. The small failures that he suffered swelled until they brought about his ultimate downfall, his treason. And then, as the most reviled figure in America, he exited the stage, a broken

When Arnold came to the restaurant for the first time he didn’t know the real Connie. To Arnold was just it is girl who is chiefly considered as a desirable rather than a girl to take seriously. Connie is amazed with by the boy appearance with shaggy black hair, in a convertible jalopy (car) painted gold. Connie has dreamed about the boys she saw ever since she went to the restaurant and she believed she like. This wouldn’t have happened if Connie's aspect wouldn't have captured Arnold eyes. Both of these characters confuse their characteristics with a each other's perspective, love, or attraction. Connie vanity causes attention from Arnold Friend and all that is bad. Arnold Friend is the devil in “Where have you been,” it is supernatural and attraction to Connie vain. Arnold Friend to because her attractiveness she believes that she is is better than everybody else and puts people down like Arnold Friend her vanity causes Connie to think that she is superior than anybody, but is mistaken when Arnold wants

Several individuals throughout history have shown an abnormal attraction towards psychopaths. Psychopaths commit crucial acts such as rape, murder, or armed robbery. There have been several cases where the psychopaths have been caught and placed in prison but remain to have fans and groupies outside of the bars. What is the reason behind this unusual attractiveness? In “Where are you going, where have you been”, Joyce Carol Oates introduces her readers to Connie, an average 15 year old, who later meets Arnold Friend. Arnold randomly shows up to Connie’s house one day and shows that he knows Connie from the back of his hand without Connie knowing a thing about Arnold. He refuses to leave unless Connie comes with him. Not having the necessary

Smooth Talk is slightly based on Joyce Carol Oates’ story titled “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” but isn’t as straightforward and frankly gruesome. The story focuses on the 1960’s suburbia from a teenagers perspective. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” focuses on topics relevant in the 1960’s including the Sexual Revolution. Oates’ focuses on major issues and topics such as feminism, sexual freedom, and adolescent sexuality.

As the wise philosopher Albert Camus once said: “The evil that is in the world almost always comes of ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence if they lack understanding” ("Albert Camus."). In the captivating short story Where Are You Going, Where Are you Been? Joyce Carol Oates is trying to show the readers that beauty and vanity can be sometimes harmful. Bored and tired of being ordinary, and still being treated as a child, the main character engaged in a rebellion that think will make her look older, more like an adult. The author also shows the readers how Connie’s obsession with her beauty, her dreaminess and carelessness of the world made her more ignorant and lack awareness. That also made her become more vulnerable to the real dangers and the evilness that exists in the world. That danger was represented by an old man who pretends to be an eighteen year old boy that seduced and kidnaped Connie. The end of the story Joyce Carol Oates leaves it open to the readers, because that way it makes the reader think of what might have happened, whether she got raped or whether she is killed, after the main character leaves with the antagonist of the story. Oates shows that ignorance, narcissism and the lack of

The character Connie in Joyce Carol Oates short story “Where Are Going, Where Have You Been?” has a lot of issues. The problems Connie has with her social life, family, and the people that she talks to come to control her future which anticipates the development of her character, this correlating to her unfortunate death. The Bob Dylan song “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue,” perfectly describes her situation which was the inspiration for Oates 's story. In 'Where Are You Going Where Have You Been ' music is a big influence on Connie and Friend specifically rock ‘n ' roll music. Throughout this story, there are plenty of references to music becoming a lifestyle and characters mimicking their favorite artists ' clothing trends. The revolution

In The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger portrays a fascinating juvenile misfit character extensively named Holden Caulfield. Holden goes to school at the age of sixteen and is said to be a misfit in society. However, even though society is corrupt in some ways, Holden Caulfield is a misfit no matter if people say he is misunderstood in the eyes of society.