Arnold’s Friend in “Where Are You Going…” by Oates Report

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? is a wonderful short narrative by Joyce Carol Oates that addresses several important topics. In the story, there are different characters, including; Arnold’s friend and Connie. Arnold’s friend, one of the main characters, portrays specific characteristics that reflect throughout the story. In the short story, Arnold’s friend, the antagonist, symbolizes the devil who appears to take Connie to hell (Oates, 1994). Despite what he intends to lead, his strange appearance suggests that he is an inhuman character.

Arnold’s friend poses as a teenager as he filled his boots to look taller and younger. All of these actions were a part of his scheme to trick Connie into leaving her home so he could kidnap her, molest and kill her (Oates, 1994). Arnold’s entire face was a mask, browned down to his throat as if he had put on makeup but had failed to cover his neck (Oates, 1994). He wears mirrored spectacles, has wild hair that resembles a wig, and has translucent skin. When he asserts his knowledge of details about Connie’s family and neighbours that he was not capable of knowing, he incites fear instead of appeal and raises questions about his humanity.

Arnold’s friend was well aware of the whereabouts and activities of Connie’s parents. According to the narrative, Connie could feel her heart racing, and her hand appeared to be enclosing it. For the first moment of her life, she believed there was nothing inside of the body belonging to her and was instead just a thumping life form that was neither hers nor the body’s. (Oates, 1994). That incident could demonstrate that she had no control over the circumstance, suggesting that someone or something was in charge of her.

The character Arnold is shown as being scary and questionable as he is shown to be emotionally controlling during the course of the narrative, and his outward personality is misleading. The brief narrative presents persistent caution about the risks of strangers who initially seem nice before showing their true colours. Initially polite, Arnold’s friend eventually turns hostile and terrifies Connie due to his cunning play.

Reference

Oates, J. C. (1994). Where are you going, where have you been? Rutgers University Press.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2023, November 22). Arnold's Friend in "Where Are You Going..." by Oates. https://ivypanda.com/essays/arnolds-friend-in-where-are-you-going-by-oates/

Work Cited

"Arnold's Friend in "Where Are You Going..." by Oates." IvyPanda, 22 Nov. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/arnolds-friend-in-where-are-you-going-by-oates/.

References

IvyPanda. (2023) 'Arnold's Friend in "Where Are You Going..." by Oates'. 22 November.

References

IvyPanda. 2023. "Arnold's Friend in "Where Are You Going..." by Oates." November 22, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/arnolds-friend-in-where-are-you-going-by-oates/.

1. IvyPanda. "Arnold's Friend in "Where Are You Going..." by Oates." November 22, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/arnolds-friend-in-where-are-you-going-by-oates/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Arnold's Friend in "Where Are You Going..." by Oates." November 22, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/arnolds-friend-in-where-are-you-going-by-oates/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1