Essay on Arnold Friend - 669 Words

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 Friends 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†¦show more content†¦He states that he is only eighteen years old but he looks to be at least thirty, possibly even older. #8230;Friends much older self begins to emerge through his painted lashes, black wig, reflecting sunglasses, and cosmetically tanned face#8230; (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 #8230;were chips of broken glass that catch the light#8230; (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 devils 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 asShow MoreRelatedThe Hidden Identity of Arnold Friend Essay824 Words   |  4 PagesThe Hidden Identity of Arnold Friend The world is full of people who portray themselves as someone or something else. People usually hide their identity to obtain things that they want. It is common to be fooled by someones appearance. In Joyce Carol Oatess, Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been, Arnold Friend is an example of someone trying to trick another person into believing that he is something that he is not. In the story, a girl named Connie is confronted by a man who is tryingRead MoreWho Is Arnold Friend?1591 Words   |  7 PagesWho is Arnold Friend? Joyce Carol Oates was born June 16, 1938 in Lockport New York. At a young age Oates started writing. Scenes from her early environment are frequently used as settings in her stories. In her elementary years she wrote stories and â€Å"constructed 200 page books, which she designed and bound herself† (Helterman and Layman 371). 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In the short story â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,† Joyce Carol Oates uses characteristics of serial killer Charles Howard Schmid Jr. to develop her fictional character Arnold Friend. Charles Howard Schmid Jr. was convicted of murdering three girls in the mid-sixties. He was coined with the nickname â€Å"the Pied Piper† by Don Moser, a writer for Life Magazine who wrote a piece on the killer in 1966. The nickname suited CharlesRead MoreArnold Friend Symbolism1115 Words   |  5 PagesOut of her works, one of her publications consisted of the short story â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been†. This particular story was about a teenage girl, named Connie, who encounters an unknown, demonic â€Å"stranger† (Arnold Friend). Throughout the story, Arnold Friend caused much awkwardness and puzzlement, by his demanding actions and odd, but true knowledge. It had became apparent that he wanted more than a friendship with Connie, and never took rejection as an answer. Within the short storyRead MoreEssay About Arnold Friend1388 Words   |  6 Pageslevel. â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?† is a short story written by Jo yce Carol Oates. Through her writing, she expresses the devil with her use of the character, Arnold Friend. Throughout this story, one can tell Arnold Friend is a symbolic Satan through his description, use of language, and his knowledge. Arnold Friend’s physical description resembles Bob Dylan’s appearance, but the devil is known to take on tempting forms. One source goes on to claim that â€Å"Arnold’s â€Å"shaggy, shabby blackRead MoreArnold Friend Character Analysis853 Words   |  4 PagesEnglish 21011 James Friend Spells ‘Sociopath’ The persona of a sociopath appears to be much like any human. In many cases, one would not be able to pick him out of a crowd. Their minds, however, differ greatly from the average mind. A sociopath is extremely smart and methodical and most often is very meticulous in the way in which he acts. While many people are not thinking beyond the norm, a psychopath thinks about his every breath, step, and word. In the short story Where are youRead MoreMisfit And Arnold Friend Essay748 Words   |  3 PagesComparing The Misfit Vs Arnold Friend In the two short stories â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† by Flannery OConnor and Where are You Going, Where Have You Been? by Joyce Carol Oates, there are many similarities in the characters ‘Misfit’ and Arnold Friend; although they aren’t clear at the beginning they become clearer after analyzing. For instance, they are both charming and know how to talk to their prey and get what they want. We see this in A Good Man is Hard to Find with the Misfit, he staysRead MoreAnalysis Of Arnold s Friend 1126 Words   |  5 PagesArnold s Friend Everything about her had two sides to it, one for home and one for anywhere that was not home(200). This quote depicts the life that Connie lives. Connie is a tall, skinny, and pretty fifteen year old girl. She loves to go out with her friends, and spend her evenings with boys at movies and diners. This Connie, that loves to have a good time, is unknown to her family. She lives a totally different life when she is at home. Connie appears to be a totally different person to herRead MoreArnold Friend Symbolism Analysis790 Words   |  4 Pagesunexpected visitors. Oates uses symbolism throughout the short story to support her theme of evilness and sinfulness. There are many examples of symbolism being used in this story, with Arnold Friend being the most important symbol. When Arnold Friend and Ellie arrive to Connie’s house she notices something strange about Arnold. For one, they pulled up in a bright gold car with writing all over it. His name is written on the car along with a grinning face with sunglasses and three random numbers. She notices