Arnold Friend In Joyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

The protagonist of Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is a vain and stubborn girl named Connie. Fifteen years old, she believes beauty is everything and is nothing short of rebellious, maintaining two different personas: one for at home with her family and one for going out with her friends. One night out with her girl friends, Connie spots a young man watching her. He promises to come get her. The next day, the man comes to Connie’s house, keeping his word, and spends the remainder of the story convincing Connie to come along with him in his golden jalopy. The antagonist, Arnold Friend, is a literary representation of the devil, which can be surmised from his fake-looking appearance, his enticing demeanor, and other slight symbolism throughout the story. Connie remarks Arnold Friend’s strange appearance, regarding his face, his hair, and his gait. At first, she likes his clothes, his muscles––but as she gets a closer look at him, she develops an off feeling about him. Arnold Friend’s face appears to be covered in makeup; his lashes are “thick and black as if painted with a black tar-like material” (ibid. 670). He has used makeup to cover his red skin (discussion in class). To Connie, his shaggy hair “[looks] as crazy as a wig” (Oates, 667). The wig is used to cover up his horns. He also cannot stand in his boots properly and stands “so stiffly relaxed… with …show more content…
On a Sunday, Connie decides not to go to church and not to go with her family to a barbecue, drying her hair and dozing instead. In her moment of arrogance, Arnold Friend arrives to take her away, presumably to hell. On a realistic level, Arnold Friend is a creep preying upon young girls in his jalopy. One can deduce from his physical appearance, lustful nature, and other subtle symbolism that Arnold Friend is the devil in Oates’s short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You