Preview

Arnold Friend Maturity

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1365 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Arnold Friend Maturity
Teenagers have always been very rebellious, independent, and felt the need to mature faster than they’re supposed to. These traits were very frequent in Connie from Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been. Connie continued to disobey her mother and go out in town to try and prove to herself that she is mature. She is a typical teenage girl trying to explore her sexuality through her looks, boys, and her friends. Since Connie was very rebellious and trying to become independent, she came to realize that she is not as grown up as she thought she was. She was acting very far out of her maturity level and she was brought into the reality of adulthood harshly when a horrifying event occurred with the first person that treated her as a mature …show more content…
She was not being cautious and allowed a creepy man to take advantage of the situation. If she did not go outside of her comfort zone to experiment with her maturity, then Arnold Friend might have never noticed her and taken advantage of her. As a teenager, you are very vulnerable and need to be very careful about who you hang out with, especially as a female in this day in age. Connie got too wrapped into her experimentation that she was unable to see a threat when it stood in her face. Arnold Friend gave off a very creepy aura when they first met in the plaza “He wagged a finger and laughed and said, ‘Gonna get you, baby,’ and Connie turned away again without Eddie noticing anything,” (319). She completely brushed this situation and did not think anything of it. If anything, she liked the attention that Arnold Friend gave her because he was an older man. Since Connie was so young, she hasn’t experienced anything threatening in her life. Therefore, when Arnold Friend came up to the driveway at Connie’s house, she wasn’t scared, she seemed interested about how this random guy is giving her this much attention. This is proved by how Connie is reacting in the beginning of their conversation at the house when the author says, “Connie blushed a little, because the glasses made it …show more content…
Teenagers are about to leave the house in a few years to start their own lives and most teenagers will have a really strong urge to get out of the house sooner than they’re ready. Connie’s rebellious and independent traits grew throughout the story but, eventually gave her the realization that she was not mature as she always thought she was. Arnold Friend gave her a taste of reality and showed her that she was still a child and shouldn’t have talked to an older guy. When she realized that she wasn’t as mature as she thought she was, it was too late. Arnold Friend brought her from her childhood ways into the life as an adult by treating her like she wanted to be treated before they met. Connie grew up a great deal towards the end of the story. She realized that she should’ve been cautious while experimenting with her sexuality and to not be interested in strange men showing her
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Themes In Joyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?
    • 137 Words
    • 1 Page

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

    In Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You been?” readers are introduced to a young female, Connie, who wants to do be herself. She wants to experience a lot of things and her experiencing got her in a stage where she cannot get out. Oates portray in the story that you should not want to be an adult before your time. Connie had not realize that she is not ready to be an adult because there is a lot of things that she do not understand yet. In Oates’ story she has several themes in which she uses them to get her point. Themes such as Connie’s search for independence, Connie’s fantasy, Connie’s freedom, Connie’s identity disclose that she wants to have her own way and not let others tell her what to…

    • 137 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Summary Of The Story 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?'
    • 139 Words
    • 1 Page

    Summary Of The Story 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?'

    When I finished reading the story Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? I couldn't believe the ending. The main character Connie is your average teenage girl, however, she is a little more conceited than others. In the story, the author describes that the setting is in the summer and that's why she is going out with her friends almost every other day. The author also gives a hint by foreshadowing the line "Gonna get you, baby," which shows what's going to happen in the near future. I think the theme of this story is that when Connie goes out with her friends, she is going through adulthood. For example, at the end of the story when she opens the door to go outside with Arnold, she is leaving her childhood and making a jump straight into…

    • 139 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Summary Of 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?'
    • 650 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Summary Of 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?'

    “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is the suspenseful tale of fifteen year old Connie and her situation with a strange man. Connie, who usually enjoys the attention of the older boys, sees the man randomly when she is on a date. Some time later, the man shows up to Connie’s house and asks her if she wants to go for a ride with him and his friend. The man introduces himself as Arnold Friend, claiming to be eighteen years old. Connie soon begins to realize the two men look much older than eighteen, and she becomes frightened. Arnold begins revealing an uncomfortable amount of information he knows about Connie, which surprises her. When Connie threatens to call the police, Arnold assures her that he will not come in the house unless she picks up the phone. Connie picks up the phone at one point, but puts it back after she cries into it and Arnold instructs her to be a “good girl.” A feeling of emptiness takes over Connie after she finishes sobbing, and she finds herself eventually being lured out of her house by Arnold.…

    • 650 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Character Analysis Of Arnold Friend In 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?'
    • 433 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Character Analysis Of Arnold Friend In 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?'

    Arnold Friend is a mysterious character and nothing is known about what happens to him and Connie after the story ends, but their short interaction could be compared to long-term abusive situations in relationships, friendships, and families. When Connie first interacts with Arnold he seems like a…

    • 433 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Character Analysis Of Connie In 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?'
    • 1242 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Character Analysis Of Connie In 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?'

    This is obvious in Connie's situation through her actions. She endangers her own life to spare her family from the wrath of Arnold Friend, "‘You don't want them to get hurt,' Arnold Friend went on, ‘Now get up, honey. Get up all by yourself.' She stood." (p. 510). If she had refused to go, her family would have been put in danger, yet, through the story Connie appears to be very unattached from her family. There is a large amount of tension between her and her mother, "her mother, who noticed everything and knew everything and who hadn't much reason any longer to look at her own face, always scolded Connie about it," (p. 499). Connie's father is uninvolved in her life, "their father was away at work most of the time and when he came home he wanted supper and he read the newspaper at supper and after supper he went to bed. He didn't bother talking much to them…" (p. 499) and Connie shows no appreciation for her sister, "she was so plain and chunky and steady that Connie had to hear her praised all the time by her mother and her mother's sisters," (p. 499). She is leading a typical rebellious teenage life where she avoids parental guidance but still has a deep appreciation for them and would risk her own life to spare…

    • 1242 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Are You Going, Where Have You Been? By Joyce Carol Oates: Summary
    • 1152 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Are You Going, Where Have You Been? By Joyce Carol Oates: Summary

    “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is a short story written by Joyce Carol Oates. This popular short story made its debut in 1966. Dependent upon the interpreter, this short story may seem to be based upon many different themes, although my goal is to focus on analyzing the author’s use of stylistic devices such as a recognizable setting, and symbolism that Oates has effectively implemented in this story to convey the most important theme, which is maturity and coming of age. Oates uses many symbolic devices such as; words/thoughts, relationships amongst characters, and even objects to effectively symbolize Connie’s coming of age adventure.…

    • 1152 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Arnold Friend Analysis
    • 701 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Arnold Friend Analysis

    He sees her the night before at the restaurant, she does not even tell him her name, or where she lives. Being the predatory person he is, Arnold Friend talks to Connie as if she is his possession when says “I know my Connie.” Connie then tries to use reverse-psychology against Arnold Friend to make it appear as if she is not who he thinks she is. Unfortunately, being the crafty person Arnold Friend is he informs Connie, “I know your parents and sister are gone somewheres and I know where and how long they're going to be gone, and I know who you were with last night, and your best girl friend's name is Betty. Right?" Eventually, Connie tells Arnold Friend and Ellie they have to leave before her dad gets home. As always, Arnold Friend has an answer to Connie’s statements when he states. “He ain't coming. He's at a barbecue.” Just like an animal in the wild, they will stalk and intimidate their prey before the…

    • 701 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Arnold Friend or Fiend
    • 952 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Arnold Friend or Fiend

    Arnold Friend has an interesting description in this story. He is described initially with “shaggy, shabby black hair that looked crazy as a wig.” He is also wearing metallic sunglasses that reflected everything. Eyes are known to be windows into the soul. The fact that his eyes were not able to be seen may suggest that he didn’t have a soul, another reference to the possibility of Arnold being Satan. He is also described has standing awkwardly, “He was standing in a strange way, leaning back against the car as if he were balancing himself” (468). He is has trouble walking, “She watched him take a step toward the porch lurching. He almost fell. But, like a clever drunken man, he managed to catch his balance. He wobbled in his high boots and grabbed hold of one of the porch posts” (472). It also says that the boots seem to be stuffed. Some argue the fact he “stuffs” his boots was to compensate for the hooves. The narrator also comments that his legs don’t seem to function like the average human legs. This could also be a reference to the hooves of Satan. His skin seems to be painted on, “His whole face was a mask… tanned down onto his throat but then running out as if he had plastered makeup on his face but had forgotten about his throat” (472). Satan can take the shape of his victim’s weakness. Connie’s weakness is boys, he is dressed as a teenage boy and Connie says that he isn’t bad looking but his demeanor is strange. She also doesn’t believe that he is just a “few” years older than she. He appears to be over compensating, using a dated expression such as “MAN THE FLYING SAUCERS” (469). This shows that he is trying to act…

    • 952 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Arnold Friend Character Analysis
    • 2082 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Arnold Friend Character Analysis

    The short story by Joyce Oates, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” leaves many readers uncomfortable with the actions of “Connie” the main character who is in the midst of adolescent rebellion. Connie is a character who argues with her mother and sister, neglects family life in favor of scoping out boys at the local restaurant, does everything she can to appear older and wiser than she is, and has a mind filled with daydreams and popular music that feed her unrealistic ideas of love and romance. When the stranger, Arnold Friend, arrives at Connie’s house, she must confront the harsh realities of adulthood, which bear little resemblance to her fantasies.…

    • 2082 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Character Analysis Essay
    • 913 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Character Analysis Essay

    This is a horrifying and haunting story that shows a girl who resulted in an awful situation. She rejects the role of being a daughter, sister, and a nice girl to refine her sexual personality. She has an obsession with her looks, loves to hang out with her friends and flirts with boys older than her. This award directly goes to Connie which is the main character of the book called, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol. Connie is a very attractive, inconsistent, and disobedient person.…

    • 913 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Theme
    • 455 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Theme

    Arnold Friend is not a figment of Connie’s imagination and does not represent anything more than what’s presented in the story: as a psychopath willing go to great lengths (hiding his real age) to prey on young girls.…

    • 455 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Theme Analysis
    • 1016 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Theme Analysis

    At this point her descriptions of Arnold make it seem like he isn't a real human being, “ his whole face was a mask”(Oates 320). Reality hitting her makes the world around her an unknown place , she doesn't even recognize her kitchen where she grew up. There is no escaping the change Arnold symbolizes for Connie, “ The place where you came from ain't there no more, and where you had in mind to go is canceled out”(Oates 325).Connie can't go back to her past self and she can't live in the world of her daydreams. Connie is given the “choice”, to go with Arnold Friend or stay and have her family hurt, but she really has no choice but to accept the change that has come for her. “ She watched herself push the door open slowly as if she were back somewhere safe somewhere in the other doorway”(Oates 326), Connie is leaving the girl she is at home behind. When she steps out her door it's not her street she sees it’s, “ vast sunlit reaches of the land behind him and on all sides of him- so much land that Connie had not seen before and did not recognize except to know that she was going to it”(Oates 326).…

    • 1016 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Essay On Where Are You Going Where Have You Been
    • 1154 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Essay On Where Are You Going Where Have You Been

    Joyce Carol Oates, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been is about a fifteen year old girl named Connie who is searching for her independence from her mother. The exposition is in the month of July at their home, where Connie is being scolded by her mother about her being obsessed with her looks. Her mother says, “Stop gawking at yourself. Who are you? You think you’re so pretty? (171) Her mother wants her to be more like her sister June who is twenty-four years old and helps around the house instead of daydreaming like Connie does. Their father is always at work and does not have much interaction with the family. Connie sometimes “wished her mother was dead” (171). Since June always went out with her friends, their mother let Connie go out too. Connie’s friend’s dad would drop them off at the plaza and pick them up at eleven. Connie had “two sides, one for home and one for anywhere that was not her home: her walk… her mouth… and her laugh” (172). But instead of going to the plaza, they liked to go across the road to a drive-in restaurant for older kids. The rising action occurs when Connie is asked to eat by a boy named Eddie, but as they walk through the parking lot there is a man in a gold convertible that says “Gonna get you,…

    • 1154 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Where Are You Going Where Have You Been
    • 839 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Where Are You Going Where Have You Been

    “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, starts off with Connie and her mother. Connie is a typical teenage girl, and acts that way towards her family. Connie is always checking out how she looks in mirrors or through other people. She cares a great amount about her appearance and what people think of her. Connie lives with her mother, father, and older sister June. June is the favorite child as she is very successful and helps out the family financially and mentally. June has the exact opposite personality of Connie, making her the favorite of their mother. Connie struggles with getting along with her family, as many young women or tennagers…

    • 839 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Analysis
    • 875 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Analysis

    “[Connie] had a quick, nervous giggling habit of craning her neck to glance into mirrors or checking other people's faces to make sure her own was all right.” (1) In the story “Where are you going, where have you been?” the author Joyce Carol Oates, deliberately shows us the level of innocence of the protagonist Connie, as well as the similar features an inexperienced young girl who lived in 1966 compares to those of a young girl who is raised in our era. Young teenage girls in 1966 are no different than those now in 2018, as one day I too was a teenage girl myself, who cared a lot about how would see me.…

    • 875 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics