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Real Arnold Friend Essay

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Who is the Real Arnold Friend?
Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is a chilling tale based on true events that involved a serial killer and his young victims that occurred in the 1960’s. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? “ Is a story about a young girl’s daydream that turn into a nightmare as she faces the evil of reality in the form of Arnold Friend. Arnold Friend represents a supernatural figure that creates a forbidden dream life that Connie craves, but fears at the same time. Arnold has set his sight on Connie; he will become something so familiar to Connie that she will lose her ability to discern fantasy from reality. Arnold Friend will take Connie from the safety of her home and childhood dreams …show more content…
. . everything about him and even about the music that was so familiar to her was only half real" (321). The narrator shows that Arnold has supernatural control over Connie and he is able to manipulate her to his will. Also Arnold Friend states that he knows several things about Connie; this suggests that he has knowledge of Connie that cannot be explained. The knowledge that her family is at a barbeque and the names of several of her friends are just a few examples of the intimate details that Arnold Friend shares that he knows with Connie. This type of knowledge is also an attribute of the demonic representation and danger in the real world.
Although Connie’s conscience tries to warn her of the pending dangers that await her in the company of Arnold Friend, his forbidden persona wins the battle for her soul. This is just another example of the unquestionable control that Arnold Friend uses on Connie, and more evidence that he not human.
In conclusion, Arnold Friend is a complex character that Joyce Carol Oates has created in her story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” The name that Joyce Carol Oates chose for this person/entity also gives the reader an uneasy feeling. Arnold Friend’s character is a combination of the real world evil disguised in the supernatural and the dream world that a young girl has created that ultimately leads to her

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