Premium Essay

The Truth Behind Arnold Friend

In:

Submitted By kadie798
Words 1241
Pages 5
The Truth Behind Arnold Friend In Joyce Carol Oates short story, “Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?”, it is argued that the antagonist in the story is the incarnation of evil; Arnold Friend. Connie, the protagonist in the story, was a naïve fifteen year old who was fascinated by boys and was constantly out of the house with her friends. She always talked about the positive effects of her looks, but never realized the negative attention that could draw from how she dressed and acted outside of her house. Arnold Friend was drawn to Connie from the first time he saw her. One day Arnold visited Connie's house harassing her to come take a ride with him and he would not take no for an answer. That was the negative attention that Connie did not want. It is concluded at the end of the story that Connie gave in and went with Arnold knowing her fate would probably be death. Joyce Carol Oates never actually let her audience know who or what Arnold Friend represented, but it is argued that he may or may not be the devil. Throughout the story, Oates used many different ways to show that Arnold could be the incarnation of evil including lust, symbolism, and various religious references. At 15, most young girls in the 1960s were not as adventurous with boys as Connie. It was looked down upon by just about any adult for girls to be alone with any boy at her age. Connie was never really interested in the individual boys she had met, but more of the feeling she got from being in that atmosphere. “But all the boys fell back and dissolved into a single face that was not even a face but an idea, a feeling..”(Oates 13-15) Connie said that she really liked how Arnold Friend looked, and that she was attracted to him. Arnold, just like the devil, used lust as a temptation device to lure his victim in. He made himself out to be the typical boy that every teenage girl day dreamed

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Arnold Friend Character Analysis

...as the “Pied Piper,” written by Joyce Oates. As the story follows a teenage girl named Connie, the reader is introduced to several different people in Connie’s life, including friends, family, and foes. One foe in particular, Arnold Friend, makes a strong impact on Connie’s life and the reader’s mind. The big question here is whether or not Arnold Friend’s impact is positive or negative: civil vs. evil. The appearance of both a civil and evil Arnold Friend shows us how complex human nature is, and the intricacies that go into creating someone’s personality. This complexity of human nature is shown through Arnold Friend’s actions and...

Words: 1705 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part Time Indian Analysis

...Hamad Yousef Professor: Joanne Martin English 113B 20 Apr 2015 Identity Crisis and Resolution in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian It is natural for every person that he finds himself in a conflicting situation where he thinks that he has no identity. In such a situation of crisis, he asserts himself through different means though it may be a bitter truth or he himself gets insult in response. Arnold in The Absolute True Diary of a Part Time Indian faces the same situation, but he does not leave the truth. Whatever he has encountered in reservation or at Reardan, he has plainly told it in a very simple language that it seems touching obscenity and crossing the limits of decency. However, the struggle Arnold waged in order to...

Words: 1473 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Who Is Arnold Friend

...My Analysis for who is Arnold Friend Since the beginning of time, stories have been told about the forces of good and evil. Some say the devil is the personification of evil, the enemy of God and humankind, and the evil force that never seems to prevail. In a biblical interpretation of Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” one can see how Oates portrays one character, Arnold Friend, as the devil. The story is about a 15-year old girl, Connie, caught up in the insecurities and fantasies of puberty. After Connie sneaks to the movies with her friends one evening, the wicked eye of the devil spots her and decides to take her for his prey. Friend decides to go to Connies’ home one Sunday afternoon, when he knows her parents aren’t home, and, through the evil he is capable of, change her life for the worse. Oates demonstrates that Friend is the devil by giving him devilish characteristics such as a deceiving appearance of friendship, preying on the weak, and a persistence to do evil. Most evil things appear to be good at first, the later deceive, for who would want to take part in something that seemed evil to begin with? Just as the devil is dressed in a deceiving way, so is Arnold Friend, something more then a mere coincidence. Sex before marriage may seem like a fantastic, satisfying experience, yet “over half of all teens that had sex at least once reported that they wish they had waited (till marriage).” People are drawn into the evil...

Words: 1329 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Smoke Signals Film Analysis

...Americans don't know who they really are. Today, Native Americans struggle to fit into the mold of behavior and appearance that Hollywood has constructed for them. In “Smoke Signals”,a screenplay by Sherman Alexie, and later a film by Chris Eyre, two youths, Victor and Thomas, must journey to Phoenix Arizona to retrieve the ashes of Arnold, the father of Victor who left him and his mother years earlier. The journey of these two young men is, in a way, a metaphor for the identity search. Though “Smoke Signals” is a road movie, as claimed by...

Words: 1920 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

Truth Blinded by Fantasy

...Fantasy Versus Reality Fiction Analysis Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?: Truth Blinded by Fantasy It's not uncommon to catch ourselves snapping out of a daydream only to realize how extent our Imagination was. Not only do we fantasize what isn't possible, but also what we want to believe disregarding how close it is to reality. Joyce Carol Oates, the author of a short story, "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" uses Connie's character to successfully portray the conflict between fantasy versus reality. Connie, who views the idea of maturity as being experienced with men and exceedingly independent, tries bit too hard to follow those approaches to appear sexually attractive. However, Connie's flirting comes to an end as Arnold's unexpected visit to her house escalates into a horrific incident of kidnapping. This experience forces Connie to confront the reality, ultimately having her fantasy world crumbled. As mentioned previously, the biggest fantasy of Connie's is her perception of maturity. Oates describes Connie as an attractive fifteen year old girl who had a "habit of craning her neck to glance into mirrors, or checking other people's faces to make sure her own was all right" (323). Clearly, Connie's major concern consists of finding her sex appeal and having her looks approved by older boys. Without having any proper preparation, Connie throws herself into the merciless world of adulthood. "Someone leaned out a...

Words: 1653 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Analysis Of Joyce Carol Oates 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?'

.... . initiation" (Winslow 238). Somehow Friend is "the answer to Connie's unuttered call and to her erotic desires" (Tierce and Crafton 724). But reducing the story to a tale of mere sexuality is an oversimplification that denies the true power of the piece. Analysts contend that the numbers on Friend's car "add up to 69" (Winslow 239), and his verbal threat to her "is explicitly sexual" (Winslow 239) in nature. Yet these numbers could mean anything; they could be the age of himself and his victims, they could be a secret code only he knows. The numbers are not definitively sexual. Friend's threat to Connie is, on the very basic surface, sexual. But his imposition on her goes far deeper than that. The story is not about Connie's innocence only in terms of sexual matters, although that is a part of it. It is about Connie's youthful incompetence of all things in life. "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" deals with Connie's interaction with life in all its facets. Consequently, Friend's invasion of Connie's world is not a purely sexual one, although it does simplify the story to say so. Friend invades her home property and threatens her family and illusion of love and life. Her house becomes, as a result of Friend's appearance, "nothing but a...

Words: 2406 - Pages: 10

Free Essay

Life Changes

...Life changes at a quick pace, changes can happen in a blink of an eye. Some of changes are small, like making new friends. Other times these changes aremajor, like the transition between being a child, and becoming an adult. In Joyce Carol Oates “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” the author dramatizes the decisive moment people face when at the crossroads between the illusions and innocence of youth and the uncertain future. Joyce Carol Oates' message of life and transitions is best understood when the reader brings his or her interpretation to meet with the author's intention at a middle ground. In this story of life passages and crucial events, it is imperative that the reader has a solid response to Oates' efforts in order to fully comprehend the message. The author begins her message with the title of her work, which conveys the idea of passages of time in life. The phrase where are you going asks of the future, and the phrase where have you been wonders of the past. The reader is let into Connies thoughts making her the focal point of the story. The reader is let into a world that we can all be familiar with. Connie an attractive fifteen year old girl, the typical teenager. A world full of music, friends, fun. She spends the summer going to town, hanging with friends, listening to music, and meeting with boys. She and her friends sharesimilar interests in boys and fun, and would lean together and whisper andlaugh secretly (Oates 703) when they gathered together...

Words: 1939 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Lisel Mueller's 'Why We Tell Stories'

...In Lisel Mueller’s work “Why We Tell Stories,” she explains the value of sharing stories. She reveals in her poem, “because we were always defeated, we invented impossible riddles that only we can solve.” Mueller explains how tales were conjured up in favor of the narrator; it was an escape from reality, where you are able to jump into the world where you were the hero. Thomas Builds-the-Fire, protagonist in the film “Smoke Signals,” created based on a story told by Sherman Alexie, is an imaginative storyteller. He spends the entire movie pasionately sharing his stories across the states as he helps his childhood friend, Victor Joseph, travel to Arizona to see his father. As an eccentric, emotional storyteller, he creates a stories that allows...

Words: 258 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Xcase

...in such an effort. He had no trouble getting functional support for the R&D effort necessary to put together a technical proposal. All of the functional managers continually remarked to Gary "This must be a biggy. The director of engineering has thrown all of his support behind you." On December 2, the RFP was received. Gary identified one trouble area. The technical specifications stated that all components must be able to operate normally and successfully through a temperature range of -65 degrees F to 145 degrees F . Current testing indicated the Scientific Engineering Corporation design would not function above 130 degrees F. An intensive R&D effort was conducted over the next three weeks. Everywhere Gary looked, it appeared that the entire organization was working on his technical proposal. Gary and Henry Larsen met a week before the final proposal was due to develop a company position concerning the inability of the preliminary design material to be operated above 130 F. Gary was concerned. Every approach he tried indicated that the original design wouldn't work. He didn't think the specification requirements could be met without a change in materials . **Gary wanted to tell the customer the truth, let the...

Words: 1357 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Joyce Carol Oates

...jg1DX

Words: 10421 - Pages: 42

Free Essay

Ghhg

...Дневник читателя READER’S JOURNAL Ernest Hemingway. The Old Man and the Sea (1952). Joseph Heller. Catch-22 (1961). Tennessee Williams. A Streetcar Named Desire (1959). Iris Murdoch. The Black Prince (1973). Jerome David Salinger. The Catcher in the Rye (1951). Michael Ondaatje. The English Patient (1992). Ray Bradbury. Fahrenheit 451 (1953). Ken Kesey. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1962). Edward Albee. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1962). Arthur Miller. Death of a Salesman (1949). ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- Ernest Hemingway. The Old Man and the Sea (1952). ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- FULL TITLE · The Old Man and the Sea ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- AUTHOR · Ernest Hemingway ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- TYPE OF WORK · Novella ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- GENRE · Parable; tragedy ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- LANGUAGE · English ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- TIME AND PLACE WRITTEN · 1951, Cuba ------------------------------------------------- ...

Words: 43588 - Pages: 175

Free Essay

Jurassic Park

...Jurassic Park Michael Crichton Copyright Michael Crichton (c) 1991 All Rights Reserved The right of Michael Crichton to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published in Great Britain in 1991 by the Random Century Group 20 Vauxhall Bridge Rd, London SWIV 2SA Century Hutchinson South Africa (Pty) Ltd PO Box 337, Bergvlei 2012 South Africa Random Century Australia Pty Ltd 20 Alfred St, Milsons Point, Sydney, NSW 2061 Australia Random Century New Zealand Ltd PO Box 40-086, Glenfield, Auckland 10 New Zealand A CIP Catalogue Record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN: 0 7126 4686 8 Printed in England by Clays Ltd, St Ives plc For A-M and T "Reptiles are abhorrent because of their cold body, pale color, cartilaginous skeleton, filthy skin, fierce aspect, calculating eye, offensive smell, harsh voice, squalid habitation, and terrible venom; wherefore their Creator has not exerted his powers to make many of them." LINNAEUS, 1797 "You cannot recall a new form of life." ERWIN CHARGAFF, 1972 Introduction "The InGen Incident" The late twentieth century has witnessed a scientific gold rush of astonishing proportions: the headlong and furious haste to commercialize genetic engineering. This enterprise has proceeded so rapidly-with so little outside commentary-that its dimensions and implications are hardly understood at all. Biotechnology promises the...

Words: 129902 - Pages: 520

Premium Essay

Eclectic Therapeutic Approach to Counseling: Developing Personal Style of Counseling

...counselor’s job is to hold a ‘mirror’ for the client to see himself or herself. The counselor understands that sometimes it takes a while for the client to see what he or she needs especially if there are more subtle things needing recognition. The counselor knows how to hold the ‘mirror’ in such a way that the client can see himself or herself from a caring, supportive and sympathetic perspective. Sometimes counselors may appear to be repeating what the client says or paraphrasing the clients rather than giving answers. When counselors are doing this there is a strategy behind it. Counseling is not about expect fixing problematic people, they just motivate people to pick up the broken pieces in their behaviors that need attention. Because counselors have a lot of experience witnessing human beings in various forms of life challenges, they use techniques or share observations that are more revealing than what friends or family members might say. With these revelations, clients make decisions and with the support of the counselor, clients take action towards positive growth in their lives. This paper is an expression of my current thinking regarding a theoretical approach of individual counseling. The counselor’s approach is unique based on his or her personal belief systems and values. I have adopted and integrated counseling approach to understanding the individual’s irrational beliefs and the implications of these beliefs on thinking, feeling and behavior. In this paper, the...

Words: 4419 - Pages: 18

Premium Essay

The Incineration of Knowledge and Wisdom

...“the incineration of knowledge and wisdom” Fahrenheit 451 Kati Hernandez 10/28/14 AP English 12 Period 1 Three Questions 1. When the story starts, what are the forces acting on Montag? 2. Why would Montag read the poem “Dover Beach,” by Matthew Arnold to Mildred and her friends and how is it significant to the novel? 3. Once Montag becomes an insubordinate, why does the government capture an innocent man instead of tracking down Montag? Literary Criticism Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 follows the protagonist Guy Montag, a fireman living in a dystopic society where books are illegal and burnt if found. Instead of reading citizens watch copious amounts of television . Conversations with pedestrians are unheard of until Montag meets Clarisse, “seventeen and insane”(Bradbury 7). She asks multiple questions about his life, one question which changes his outlook on his entire life, “Are you happy?”(Bradbury 10). After his conversation with Clarisse, Montag is conflicted with his job, his disposition, and his desire for knowledge and wisdom. Using a variety of literary elements throughout Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury emphasizes that wisdom and knowledge are acquired through experience and critical thinking. Bradbury uses allegory and alliteration to develop the idea that the censorship and the distractions of society leads to the gradual decay of knowledge. While on the subway, Montag remembers his childhood memory of himself sitting on a yellow...

Words: 2422 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Samson H Chowdhury

...like-minded people in Pabna with Tk 80,000 capital each started a pharmaceutical company 54 years ago, in 1958? And we might have not seen Square Group in today's position unless the idea of manufacturing life-saving drugs had come out from Samson H Chowdhury, the founder chairman who had conceived the idea from a tiny dispensary at Ataikula in Pabna. Family background: Samson H Chowdhury was born on 25 February in 1926 in Faridpur district. He was the eldest child of EH Chowdhury and Latika Chowdhury. His siblings included five brothers and a sister. Eakub's second son Sotten Chowdhury. Youngest son Samar Chowdhury. After the death of their parents, Samson led the family as a guardian. His Residence was Baridhara, Dhaka. Samson left behind wife Anita Chowdhury, three sons, Samuel H Chowdhury, Tapan Chowdhury, a former caretaker government adviser, and Anjan Chowdhury, daughter Ratna Patra and a very large number of admirers to mourn his death. Sanson’s Eduction: Samson Educated in Mymensingh and Kolkata, and he completed his Bachelor's degree. he also Studied at Senior Cambridge. Completed Management Training Course jointly sponsored and conducted by...

Words: 3468 - Pages: 14