Arnold Friend
Arnold Friend is a seductive man, or should I say ArN OLD FrIEND with a dark appearance hiding something deeper, something evil? Arnold, posing as a teen-age boy, is none other than the devil himself, which shows in his words and actions, and in his physical traits. From the very beginning of, Joyce Carol Oates', "Where are you going, Where Have you been?" a certain number of religious references are interspersed throughout. These references help to maintain a biblical feeling, as well as to set a path for Friend's entry into the story. They also foreshadow that; powers beyond a human level will be presented. Friend looks like one person in the beginning, but as the story unfolds, he is shown as someone else or
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He states that he is only eighteen years old but he looks to be at least thirty, possibly even older. "…Friend's much older self begins to emerge through his painted lashes, black wig, reflecting sunglasses, and cosmetically tanned face…" (Creighton 118). He is a short man who in order to stand erect; he must push his shoulders back. At one point, Friend removes his glasses, and reveals his eyes which "…were chips of broken glass that catch the light…" (Oates 474). Friend has a mask-like face that stops when it reaches his neck, almost as if it is painted on to his head. Whenever Friend speaks, his words seem to come out in a singsong style sounding as if he were repeating the lyrics of a song.
There are two specific details in this story that lead someone to believe Friend is an evil man. The first one is the way his boots turn almost as if his foot is not even in it. Marie Urbanski states that "his feet resemble the devil's cloven hooves," which explains why his feet do not fit into the boots properly (403). The other detail is the fact that Friend has a muscular neck. Often times this "suggest the reptillian, as does the fact that he slid rather than stepped out of the car" (Urbanski 403). In this last statement, Friend is being portrayed as a snake, which is often meant to be a symbol of evil, or the devil himself. In several instances, Friend appears to be holding himself up by leaning on different objects, such as
In where are you going, where have you been the major conflict is the lack of self-confidence and immaturity of Connie. From that, the complication of being stalked by Arnold arises. The author does not just tell us Connie is a naive girl but discusses her actions and lack of actions leading us to believe so. Because of that, by the time the complication start taking shape, the reader can almost guess what would be next, that is Arnold is one of the boys that are Connie’s age. Knowing a lot about Connie by now, we will guess after being reluctant for a while she will take off with him like she has done before so many times, there how ever is a surprise waiting. Once we start following the dialogue between Connie and Arnold and know more about his awkward looks and language we start understanding the symbolism Oates has been using. He is the prince of darkness and he is there to take Connie to her final destiny, the land of the dead. Talking about the old woman down the street who was also murdered he is
Through plot, Oates demonstrates how Arnold Friend can be seen as a symbolic Satan. Plot starts when Arnold makes sure to tell Connie he is interested in her as he says,“Gonna get you baby” (Oates 1). Connie is in a drive-in restaurant for an older crowd when Arnold sees her for the first time. Once Connie leaves the drive-in dinner with a boy named Eddie, Arnold decides to make a move on Connie. Arnold uses foreshadowing to let her know he will meet her again. Just as Arnold says he is going to get Connie, he shows up in her driveway, creating a creepy situation. That Sunday afternoon, Connie is alone in her house while her parents and sister are on a picnic at one of their neighbor’s house, Arnold decides to use this opportunity to make his
Friend is an example of someone trying to trick another person into believing that he is something
In the story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” Connie, the main character, is already struggling with many things in life and sneaks her way to date guys. There was also conflicting between her and her mother due to her mother favoring her sister, June and describing her as someone who is a good example of what she wants Connie to be. Her father is never at home due to work and when he is home, the girls do not relate to him. Arnold Friend is described as a dangerous figure with his pale complexion and his slick black hair looking like trouble by not presenting himself in a pleasing way to Connie, by not walking properly. This was an indication on how he was not in the right state of mind and how Arnold shouldn’t be near Connie. There was one scene in the story where Arnold Friend shows up, uninvited, notifying Connie that he is not a friend, but has come to take her away from her home to possibly kidnap her. "Connie felt a wave of dizziness, rise in her at this sight and she stared at him as if waiting for something to change the shock of the moment, make it alright again”. Connie feels safe in the house and does not come out until Arnold convinces and demands her that she come out. Things took an unpleasant twist when Arnold tells Connie not use the phone or he will break his promise of not coming in the house
First, Arnold Friend’s physical traits portray him as Satan. Oates says that “There were two boys in the car and now she recognized the driver: he had shaggy, shabby
The narrator implies that Arnold Friend is Satan by giving certain clues that the reader can easily deduce. The name that Oates gives to the character is one hint to the reader: “Connie looked away from Friend's smile to the car, which was painted so bright it almost hurt her eyes to look at it. She looked at the name, Arnold Friend. She looked at it for a while
At the beginning of the novel he is very nice and extremely trusting. (Pg. 22 “ Their my frends and they really like me.” And then later in the novel he becomes more suspicious about his “ Friends”.
"conned" into leaving with Arnold Friend, whose name becomes "An Old Friend" i.e. the devil,
“Nothing about Arnold Friend is genuine, except his violent intentions and his skill at psychological and physical intimidation. By the story’s end, Connie understands that she is not the confident flirt she thought, but a powerless pawn in the hands of a dangerous individual.” (Cormier)
The depiction of Arnold Friend runs parallel to the common conception of the Devil. Many aspects of his outward appearance, as well as his behavior, contribute to this by portraying him in a sinister manner. His nose is "long and hawklike" and he has a "slippery smile." His "greasy" boots don't fit him right, "as if his feet [don't] go all the way down." The stereotypical Beelzebub is often seen with hooves. When he draws 'his sign' – the sinister letter X
Arnold Friend is an ironic name for this character because he isn’t Connie’s friend, she doesn’t even know him. And if you say the name out loud, it sounds like “are no friend” He proves that he can’t be a friend in the first place, he left his so-called friend in the car and talked to him like he meant nothing to him.
1. Arnold Friend 's name can be interpreted as being "a friend." Also, by removing the r 's, his name becomes "an old fiend," which can be interpreted as a reference to a demon or even Satan. What other clues are there that Arnold is not who he claims to be?
Friendships can be positive or negative. A good friend is supportive, kind and trustworthy. However, a negative friendship can cause a bad influence and habits. Finny and Gene have many qualities that combine to create a terrible friendship. They are not supportive of each others decisions and are very envious of the others abilities. Throughout the novel, Gene’s friendship with Finny becomes unhealthy and detrimental.
Just like the devil that disguise himself to be alluring. Many literary critics point out that this Arnold Friend is no friend to her, but someone or something evil with even more evil intentions. Arnold Friend is the subconscious nightmare version of Connie’s waking desires and dreams, erotic love as promised in Bobby King’s songs. “He spoke in a simple lilting voice, exactly as if he were reciting the words to a song. His smile assured her that everything was fine” (1102).
Having a common threatening, horrifying occurrence and antagonist is also how Smooth Talk can give justice to a great short story by Joyce Carol Oates. Arnold Friend or “an old fiend” if you remove the R’s represents the outcome of irresponsible teenage behavior. By his character being inspired by a serial killer you get the horror struck feeling when he is around youth, more specifically the tactless Connie. The character of Arnold Friend, like how the review by Joyce M. Wegs, is one that represents a symbiotic Satan. The fact