Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Arnold Friend Character Analysis
"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" is a short story filled with ideas of vanity and judgment through references of music and the Bible. The main character, Connie, is a vain teenage girl in the 1960s who spends her days exploiting her beauty to fulfill her personal desires. Joyce Carol Oates uses the symbols of Arnold Friend, music, and the deceit of appearances to develop the allegory of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. Oates uses several symbols through her characters, such as Arnold Friend, to create a religious allegory about the temptation of the devil. At first Arnold tries to come across as kind, but soon readers become aware of how truly dangerous he is. As stated in Marie Urbanski's analysis, "… he represents a superhuman force" (Urbanski 2) which is further explained by his manipulative …show more content…
Connie's vain personality is hidden behind her good looks that she uses to receive attention. When Arnold Friend first appears in the story, he catches Connie's eye as she walks by, but after learning more about his motives he appears fake. Joanne Creighton explains that "Connie's encounter with Arnold Friend is... not just one girl's perception of the deception of appearances and the terrible reality of evil, but a particularly vivid instance of a universal experience: the loss of innocence" (Creighton 3). Marilyn Wesley then describes Friend as a transgressive other "...who is defined by a narrative position in contrapuntal relation to domestic norms and standards of communicability within which the text is located" (Wesley 1). In other words, Friend is a character based on common practices during a specific time that shapes his personality. However, his appearance is only a mask because he disguises himself as a popular teenage boy, but in reality he was actually in his thirties. The serpent in the garden of Eden also disguised himself as a temptation towards
Analysis Of Joyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been
1092 Words | 5 PagesOne of Connie “trashy daydreams” “Where are you going, where have you been” is a short story written by Joyce Carol Oates in 1966 about a young girl 15 year-old girl named Connie. In the story Connie is boy crazy and very into her looks. She is young and beautiful and because of this her relationship with her mother is strained with jealousy. She is left home alone one day while her family goes to a barbecue and a man by the name of Arnold Friend pulled into her very long driveway and tries to convince Connie to get in the car with him.
Arnold Friend Annotation
851 Words | 4 PagesSatanic References in Literature Depictions of the ultimate force of evil have existed for thousands of years. In Christianity, the name Satan or Lucifer has been given to define this evil, depicting him as a half human and half goat. Lucifer is fabled to exist since the beginning of time. Due to Lucifer being the representation of the most ancient evil, he is presented in many different forms in dark literature. This is shown in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”
Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Character Analysis Essay
1092 Words | 5 PagesWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been is a short story written by Joyce Carol Oates, centered on the protagonist 15 year old Connie. In this short story Oates sets the frame-work for religious allegory- the seduction of a young woman coming to terms with the hand she has been dealt as a result of her choices [you need to something here] similar to that of Eve (Urbanski, 1978). In the first paragraph, we are introduced to Connie who is an eccentric, and spoiled fifteen year old with middle class parents. We become aware of the fact that Connie has an unhappy home life, the story states that her father “was away at work most of the time," and he "didn't bother talking much to them,"(422); as a result, Connie never received any form of love
Analysis Of Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?
607 Words | 3 PagesThe short story Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Is about a girl named Connie and her encounter with a strange man calling himself Arnold Friend. Connie is a young girl in high school who takes great pride in her looks. Her looks mean everything to her and gives her a sense of vanity. However, she does not have a good relationship with her family members.
Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Arnold Friend Character Analysis
1709 Words | 7 PagesShe doesn’t want to go to the BBQ which will be her ultimate rebellious act with her family. This is where Arnold Friend shows up. She becomes aware that her mother’s nagging is not as bad as what it seemed. It is evident that Oates’s use of rebellion through character like Connie begins to form a stance on youth rebellion. If Connie would not have been so reluctant to what others were telling her then
Arnold Friend Short Story
245 Words | 1 Pages“And his face was a familiar face, somehow: the jaw and chin and cheeks slightly darkened because he hadn't shaved for a day or two.” 3. Arnold Friend’s conflict in the story is, he uses an aggressive approach to take a defensive Connie. Arnold Friend’s background, in the story 4. N/A 5.
Analysis Of Joyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?
1229 Words | 5 PagesThe short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates is about a teenage girl named Connie who is in the midst of her adolescent rebellion. She wants to prove her maturity to others and herself. In the story, Oates describes that Connie always lets her mind flow freely in between her daydream. She even creates and keeps dreaming about her ideal male figure in her mind to make her happy and satisfied. Oates allows the reader to step into Connie’s “dream world” through the appearance of Arnold Friend.
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.
Examples Of Allusions In Where Are You Going Where Have You Been
854 Words | 4 PagesHe tries to seduce and persuade her to go with him for a ride similar to how the Devil lured Eve with a shiny and mysterious apple. Oates displays evidence of biblical allusions regarding Arnold Friend’s appearance and persona in the story by depicting his physical characteristics, his supernatural knowledge, and his demeanor as an image of evil. Connie wants to be desired for her sexuality and Arnold possesses this by his tone throughout the story. His appearance comes
Compare And Contrast The Misfit And Arnold Friend
1018 Words | 5 PagesMyles Hypse February 3rd, 2017 English 1B 3:30-4:40pm Two Psychopaths Both of these stories give the reader a good look into the eyes of two psychopaths, who both refuse to take no for an answer. One of them, Arnold Friend although at first appearing friendly, is nothing more than a malicious predator, similar in kind to The Misfit, who greets his victims in a much more sinister way. The two characters, when stood side by side, almost seemed as they become one, yet are polar opposites. When one compares the character Arnold Friend to that of The Misfit, more similarities come forward than differences.
Where You Going Where Have You Been Arnold Friend Character Analysis
1413 Words | 6 PagesConnie’s vanity causes her make terrible choices about Arnold Friend. The Trouble of being notice is blaming yourself if what you deserve is horrible things like getting unwanted attention someday you get what coming to you. In Joyce Carol Oates’s story “Where You Going, Where have you Been,” one of the protagonist Connie is a fifteen year old girl who wants to look and act like an arrogant child. She isn’t herself.
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 Summary
552 Words | 3 PagesIn the short story, “Where are You Going, Where have You Been?,” Joyce Carol Oates provides an account of a typical fifteen-year-old girl whose days are spent disregarding her parents, hanging out with her friends, and daydreaming about boys. That is, until she meets Arnold Friend. The story takes an unexpected turn soon after the ironically named character is introduced. Eventually, Arnold Friend’s cunning deception leads to Connie’s unanticipated demise.
Character Analysis Of Connie In 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been'
984 Words | 4 Pages“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” is about a teenager named Connie who is trying to come to terms with her transformation from childhood to adulthood. Through this process, Connie attempts to act older than she is an tries to gain the attention of boys. In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” Joyce Oates portrays Connie as obsessed with men to symbolize how one’s obsession and narcissistic attitude can cause danger to seem surreal. In the short story, Carol Oates describes Connie as having two different personalities, one being a narcissistic attitude.
Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Literary Analysis
694 Words | 3 PagesBut he himself is almost a reflection of her sharing such similar traits only he comes out as the winner which is the ironic part. A big clue to Arnold representing what Connie doesn’t like is when he says “None of them would have done any of this for you” praying on her feeling of being unappreciated. Arnold is not only a demon in a physical from but also Connie’s eternal demon as
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