Connie's Short Story Arnold Nature

Connie’s “two-sided” nature is apparent throughout the story, but the origin of that nature is less clear. Connie is this seemingly innocent pretty girl from a mundane family, bored with her home life. She often goes to town with her friends, where she reveals herself to be this haughty, almost cocky teen. Connie’s “two-sided” nature stems from what exactly? Who is she expected to be in the home? The story holds evidence that she is pressured to be more like her sister, June. Oates states, “If June's name was mentioned her mother's tone was approving, and if Connie's name was mentioned it was disapproving” (3). Did Connie not feel comfortable enough in her home to be her true self? Connie was dissatisfied with her home life with a jealous mother and barely present father; she felt ignored to the point where she felt that she had to go get the admiration she craved elsewhere. This created her other persona that “lured” something darker in. Later in the story, we are introduced to Arnold Friend, a shadier, stalker-like figure who Connie glanced at a local diner.
Arnold presents himself to be in Connie’s age group, but as the story progresses, there is evidence to support that he is not. When Arnold is introduced to Connie, she notices odd things that someone her age wouldn’t do. He, for instance, runs through many sayings as if he learned them but doesn’t know which one to use. Oates says, “Don't hem in on me, don't hog, don't crush, don't bird dog, don't trail me," he said in a rapid, meaningless voice, as if he were running through all the expressions he'd learned but was no longer sure which of them was in style, then rushing on to new ones, making them up with his eyes closed”