According to McCabe and Wauchope “The most common type of relationship was that of a stranger, with 55/130 or 42% of rapist selecting a stranger as their victim” (239). While some psychopathic serial rapists may pick someone close to them or someone they know, that is not the case with Arnold Friend. In Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Oates uses Arnold Friend’s stalker tendencies, use of Connie’s weaknesses, and deceiving looks to allow us to view Friend as a psychopathic serial rapist who has committed similar prior crimes. Throughout the story, Connie wants to grow up so quickly and have the attention that she thinks she wants but in reality it is nothing she could ever imagine and by doing this Oates shows …show more content…
When Arnold Friend threatens to hurt her family if she does not come with him, it made Connie go with Friend (Oates 136). Lynn Z Bloom discusses how her and her own class were discussing “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” when she started to discuss her own horrific encounter with a person like Friend. Bloom said that although she started screaming she stopped because, “then I thought, still screaming, ‘I don’t want my children to hear this.’” (825). Although the attacker may have not known about her motherly instincts of protecting her children from all evil in the world, it can be agreed that we put our family above ourselves just like Connie did. By going with Arnold Friend, Connie possibly saved her family from what most likely would have been their deaths. Friend is a psychopath that wanted nothing more than Connie and would probably do anything he had to too insure that he got her. Arnold Friend has gone through many drastic measures to lure Connie into his trap, at this point, nothing should be a …show more content…
Like Charles Schmid, Friend creeps at teenage hangouts in hopes of seeing a girl that catches his eye. Schmid and Friend have many things in common, so it is very likely that Joyce Carol Oates based Friend off of Schmid. Perhaps Oates had a reason for basing Friend off of Schmid, whether she meant to or not; perhaps she was trying to show how this is not just a story, that this could very possibly happen in real-life, because it in fact
The story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” had people in history asking questions of good and evil. Why do people have to suffer in the world? Arnold Friend is more than just an individual. He is a strong symbol of death, happiness, and everything that opposes the life we live in. This story was set in the context of the 1960s and the 1970s America and shows how strong violence is built into society (Laura Kalpakian).
In this context, Connie can be seen as the ego, which must decipher right from wrong. Friend is shady and eventually we discover him to be dangerous –as our Ids can be. Friend overpowers Connie, just as our Ids can overpower our egos to do certain things, and impact our decisions. Oates illuminates this concept in her story when she illustrates: “Arnold Friend was saying from the door, "That's a good girl. Put the phone back."
In addition, Oates expresses Arnold Friends control over Connie’s body through this quote, “She thought for the first time in her life that it was nothing that was hers, that belonged to her, but just a pounding, living this inside this body that wasn’t really hers either. You don’t want them to get hurt. Arnold Friend went on. Now get up, honey. Get up all by yourself.
Connies scary encounter with Arnold Friend as a dream vision or
Arnold Friend’s character was thought to symbolize the devil coming to take Connie because she wandered too far down the path of a sinner. Symbolism is a crucial part of the story because it helps the reader read between the lines and see beyond the obvious meanings of things. Some will argue that Arnold Friend symbolizes the serial killer Charles Schmid, but Oates makes it very clear that Arnold Friend is a symbol of the devil. According to History.com, Joyce Carol Oates was born On June 16, 1938, in Lockport New York.
“ A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself” (Friendship). Friends love each other and have the patience to love the person you are; following are two great example stories of this kind of friendship. Huckleberry Finn is a story of an orphan that wishes to be free from society; while a slave runs away and they both join together to achieve their dream of freedom. Of Mice and Men is based on two men that are trying to find work and survive; sadly many mistakes are made by one that causes many problems. We will compare and analysis who had the stronger relationships between Huck and Jim, and that of George and Lennie.
In the short story, “where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Arnold Friend tries to get Connie to do bad things to please him, which is revealed through arnold friend him Arnold Friend makes a promise to Connie at the drive-in-dinner In the short story it said “I'm going to get you baby”Oates. This foreshadows what is going to happen later on in the story it foreshadows that arnold will come for Connie and try to get her anyway possible .The
“Where are you going, where have you been”, discovers vivid threatening imagery when Arnold tells Connie, “Gonna get you baby” (Oates 455). The readers begin to gain knowledge and concern of what's about to come next. The imagery escalates when Arnold is at her house manipulating her. He compliments her blue eyes even though they’re brown and when she explains how she “ push the door slowly open as if she were safe back somewhere in the other doorway” (Oates 466). Oates language portrays her purpose explaining what happens to Connie when her sexuality (Rite of passage), leads to death or violence.
Friendship Friendship is a hard thing to find, but what can be even more difficult is finding someone who you can share a genuine friendship unconditionally. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is very heartbreaking and grievous novel that has many devastating aspects. Throughout the story, Lennie and George portray the many accurate qualities of true friendship. I have had one friendship in my life that I can more than confidently say was authentic. This friend shows her loyalty, honesty, and selflessness constantly, similar to George and Lennie.
In 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.
Overall, it is clear that Connie has three major psychological issues that caused her to make the decision to leave with Arnold Friend: insecurity, low self-esteem, and fear of relationships. While readers may not know where Arnold is taking Connie, they can infer the psychological problems from where she has been that led her to make the decision that she
The Role of Friendship and Its Effecting Nature Sherman Alexie’s Short Story “This Is What It Means to Say, Phoenix, Arizona” and the movie made about the short story, Smoke Signals, bring an insight to what life was like living on Indian reservation and what Indians like Thomas Builds the Fire and Victor had to go through. How does the role of friendship in the short story “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix Arizona?” and in the movie Smoke Signals work and how does it develop the way the story and movie go. The role of friendship in the short story comes into play when Thomas talks about ‘how he can lend Victor the money he needs but he must take Thomas with him and Victor says, “I can’t take your money I haven’t hardly talked to you in years and we’re not really friends Thomas says I didn’t say we were friends I said you just have to take me with you Victor says let me think about it” (875).
Instead 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
Although Connie works hard to present the look of being a mature woman, experienced with men, her encounter with Arnold reveals that this is only a show. Arnold asks her to go for a ride in his car and Oates writes, (“Connie smirked and let her hair fall loose over one shoulder.”) (161). As the conversation goes on the boy says his name is Arnold Friend. He begins to ask Connie repetitively, “Don’tcha
In Joyce Carol Oates’s short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” the main protagonist finds herself in a very hostile situation. With an all most fateful encounter with a man known as Arnold Friend. Forcing her to choose whether to run off with him or taking her by force. This man known as Arnold Friend to the reader comes off as almost a demon. A person who uses many temptations, word play, and threats to take advantage of the young protagonist Connie.