Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Arnold Friend Character Analysis
People’s desires can vary from person to person. Some want power, others want to find the love of their lives. However, getting what we want is difficult. People can go through their entire lives not fully receive their deepest longings. Some desires have consequences that can lead to terrible ramifications. The short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” written by Joyce Carol Oates, is about the main character Connie and her life. Connie is self-centered, preoccupied with her looks to attract boys. She despises her parents and wishes that she could escape from her family. Freedom and men are what she desires most but sadly, sometimes people are not careful for what they wish for. Arnold Friend is an evil and a physical manifestation …show more content…
Connie is an average fifteen year old girl. Connie wants boys and freedom. Her conflict is what started her motives for what she wants. Connie feels trapped in her own home. She also does not think too highly of herself. Like most girls, she is interested in boys and infatuated with her looks. She “glances into mirrors or checking other people’s faces to make sure her own was all right” (Oates 305). As A.R Coulthard writes in her paper “Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” as Pure Realism” that Connie “like many teenagers, is in love with love” (507). Coulthard believes that she is too young to understand what love means and how it works, instead of thinking more of the shallow …show more content…
But the way he acts and looks draws many parallels to another known evil entity to what is known as the satyr. As Joan Easterly say is "The Shadow of a Satyr in Oate's `Where Are You Going, Where have you been?" it elaborates that satyrs are “notorious for their lechery, aggressive in their pursuit, and pastoral in their habitat” (538). Joan continues to make similarities between the satyr and Arnold Friend like how he uses music to get her attention. Making it seems like the music Arnold is using to charm or enchant into Connie; methods that satyr would use. His aggressive nature can be seen when he threatens Connie to come out of the house when everything he uses fails. Satyrs have similar attitudes of this behavior. The major point between Arnold Friend similarities to satyrs is that the devil is more interested in possession of human souls than the sexual attraction of Connie. Satyrs were more interested in sexual advances than the
Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Arnold Friend Symbolism
596 Words | 3 PagesConnies scary encounter with Arnold Friend as a dream vision or
Arnold Friend In Where Are You Going
824 Words | 4 PagesAs many teens have been asked these same questions multiple times by their parents as well as Connie has, one could assume. She is fifteen with long blonde hair which seemed to draw everyone’s attention. Oates begins the story explaining how Connie was gawking at herself in the mirror, as just about any other ordinary fifteen-year-old girl would; and that’s just what Connie is portrayed to be, ordinary. She shows a mighty interest in boys, she knows that she is very beautiful. She’s superficial, very naïve, and self-centered.
Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Connie Character Analysis
1325 Words | 6 PagesOates explains how Connie is always “dreaming about the boys she had met” and all the boys “dissolved into a single face…” which portrays her creating the perfect boy (Oates 2). Arnold knows Connie is desperate for love and he is willing to give it to her if she comes with him. Clifford J Kurkowski says in his article that Connie is “joining someone who… cares about her more than either of her parents or her sister has” which displays the isolation and neglect Connie had in her life (Kurkowski 5). Clearly, Arnold was the not the only one who had made Connie a victim. Her parents have prevented Connie from ever having that sense of care in her life and was always insulted and compared.
Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Character Analysis Essay
792 Words | 4 PagesJoyce Carol Oates’ short story, “Where are You Going, Where have You Been?” , shows how the devil used his tactics to trap and capture Connie. The devil worked in creating a predisposition in Connie that made her more susceptible to him. He deceived her in the beginning by showing her a false appearance. That false appearance only lasted a short while.
Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Literary Analysis
1630 Words | 7 PagesAnalogous to Connie’s personality, this setting is split into two opposite places: Connie’s house, a place where Connie feels trapped and lost and suffers from insecurity, low self-esteem, and a general feeling of being unloved, and the nearby town, where she feels content and secure and gains a sense of confidence and power. Constantly being exposed to these two sharply contrasting environments leads Connie to develop an unstable identity, one which is always changing to match her surroundings, reflecting both the characteristics that others attribute to her and the atmosphere of the setting. Therefore, it can be argued that our own identity is not something that we are born with and that remains constant, but instead is something that acts like a mirror, only a reflection of what others see in us and the influences of our own
Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Character Analysis Essay
670 Words | 3 PagesConnie's choice of life style and attitude shows her lack of morals. Connie constantly has conflicts with her family. She is beginning to break away from them. Because the mother is jealous, she likes to put Connie's self esteem down: " Stop gawking at yourself. Who are you?
Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Arnold Friend Character
890 Words | 4 PagesAt first glance, we are made to believe that Connie is a static character through her infuriating naivety and cliché persona. When we delve into the story we see the altruistic and sincere characteristics, which
Symbolism In 'Where Are You Going Where Have You Been?'
700 Words | 3 PagesIn the coming of age story “Where Are You Going Where Have You Been?” Joyce Carol Oates uses symbolism, conflict, and the third person to foreshadow fifteen-year-old Connie’s unfortunate, yet untimely fate. While one may think that the conflict stems from Connie’s promiscuity, it is clear to see her promiscuity is only a result to a much bigger conflict, her mother’s constant nagging and disapproval, alongside the lack of attention from her father. the author paints a vivid picture of what happens when a fifteen-year-old girl such as Connie goes elsewhere to find to find the love, attention, and approval that she lacks at home. All which is vital for her growth and wellbeing as a person.
Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Arnold Friend Comparison
1190 Words | 5 PagesIn Joyce Carol Oates fictional short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” the majority of the story lies beneath the surface. More specifically than just the story, you realize that there is more to the character Arnold Friend than what may appear. The author has always remained silent and ambiguous about the real meaning of Arnold Friend’s true nature and she leaves room for the readers to make their own interpretation of him. Readers can analyze Arnold Friend and see him as the devil, he could just be the personification of popular music imagined by Connie in a dream, but Arnold Friend could also be the result of drug use.
Literary Devices In Where Are You Going Where Have You Been
804 Words | 4 PagesIn her short story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?", Joyce Carol Oates utilizes a variety of literary devices to strengthen the story in its entirety. This short story is essentially about a 16-year-old girl named Connie and the conflict between her desire to be mature and her desire to remain an adolescent. Throughout the story, the audience sees this conflict through her words in addition to through her behavior. The audience is also introduced to Arnold Friend, a rather peculiar man, who essentially kidnaps her. This short story by Joyce Carol Oates functions and is additionally meaningful because of her usage of literary devices.
Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Psychological Analysis
657 Words | 3 PagesThe short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates can be interpreted in a multitude of ways due to its ambiguity. A psychological lens, however, provides the most accurate viewpoint for analyzing the story as it clarifies certain obscure scenes and actions of Connie. One psychological issue of Connie that is easily inferred from the beginning of the story is her insecurity about her looks. Connie constantly worries about the way that she looks and takes any opportunity to do so, “craning her neck to glance into mirrors or checking other people's faces to make sure her own was all right” (1).
Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Arnold Friend Analysis
817 Words | 4 PagesReluctantly, her parents allow her to stay home alone. A few hours later, a familiar gold jalopy pulls up to her house. The driver announces to Connie that his name is Arnold Friend. His unusual physical appearance, his tone of voice, and what he may symbolize frighten the Connie.
Analysis Of Carol Joyce Oates Where Are You Going Where Have You Been?
1777 Words | 8 PagesCarol Joyce Oates’ “Where Are You Going Where Have You Been?” presents how falling into temptation leads to giving up control and innocence. Though her mother is unapproving of her actions, Connie spends her time seeking attention from male strangers. Home alone, Connie is approached by a compelling creature who convinces her to leave her life and join him on his unknown journey. Through disapproving her family, having multiple appearances, listening to music, and her desperation to receive attention from boys, Connie gives up control of herself losing the purity of adolescents and contributing to her detrimental fate. It is imperative that one should not be controlled because of a desire to impress others.
Character Analysis Of Connie In 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been'
984 Words | 4 PagesInstead of realizing the danger that she was in, Connie was focused on what Arnold Friend was wearing and how attractive he was. Connie’s obsession with finding her own sexuality overpowered her gut feeling of danger. In an analysis of “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”, Barbara Wiedemann discusses how the antagonist Arnold Friend is based upon serial killer Charles Schmid, who murdered several young girls during the 1960s. In the analysis, Wiedemann
Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Literary Analysis
694 Words | 3 PagesHe knew her name even though she had only quickly glimpsed at him the night prior with no communication from her at all. He knows where her parents are, what they are doing, how long they will be, how they look he even knows who her best friends are. Essentially Arnold Friend is the very essence of nightmare to Connie he is everything she is afraid of. He pressures her in to a situation out of her control. He takes away her pride of rejecting people and forces her to choose her family being hurt of facing her demons and going with him.
More about Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Arnold Friend Character Analysis
Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Arnold Friend Symbolism
596 Words | 3 PagesArnold Friend In Where Are You Going
824 Words | 4 PagesWhere Are You Going Where Have You Been Connie Character Analysis
1325 Words | 6 PagesWhere Are You Going Where Have You Been Character Analysis Essay
792 Words | 4 PagesWhere Are You Going Where Have You Been Literary Analysis
1630 Words | 7 PagesWhere Are You Going Where Have You Been Character Analysis Essay
670 Words | 3 PagesWhere Are You Going Where Have You Been Arnold Friend Character
890 Words | 4 PagesSymbolism In 'Where Are You Going Where Have You Been?'
700 Words | 3 PagesWhere Are You Going Where Have You Been Arnold Friend Comparison
1190 Words | 5 PagesLiterary Devices In Where Are You Going Where Have You Been
804 Words | 4 PagesWhere Are You Going Where Have You Been Psychological Analysis
657 Words | 3 PagesWhere Are You Going Where Have You Been Arnold Friend Analysis
817 Words | 4 PagesAnalysis Of Carol Joyce Oates Where Are You Going Where Have You Been?
1777 Words | 8 PagesCharacter Analysis Of Connie In 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been'
984 Words | 4 PagesWhere Are You Going Where Have You Been Literary Analysis
694 Words | 3 Pages