Essay Sample: What Does Arnold Friend Represent In Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been

Where are you going, where have you been is a short story written by Joyce Carol Oates. It is one of her famous works in the American history. The story talks about the life of a teenage girl who is in her immature stage. As she struggles with the challenges that come with adolescence, she meets a young man named Arnold Friend leading her into a very dangerous path (Oates, and Wolf). This story is a placed between 1950 and 1960 in America (Beauchamp). During this period, the world was facing a revolution, and some matters were rather conservative and private. It was also a period that the youths in America valued beauty, had idols in the hip-hop music of that time and placed a lot of meaning in their trips to the burger joints. Arnold Friend is one of the characters in the story. As though reading Connie's mind the lead character in the story, knows her weaknesses and how she loves her hair. Arnold friend takes advantage of this information to approach Connie.

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In this story, Arnold Friend represents ambivalent identities in the society. He acts and dresses like some musician of that time. He is a young man who is completely obsessed with music and has a picture of himself painted on the side of his car. Arnold Friend appearance makes him look like the idols American teenagers idolized during this period. Arnold Friends identity is fake and wanting. When Connie meets him, He presents himself as one of the teenage boys in the town. However, as the story develops it is clear that his appearance is hiding something dangerous (Oates, and Wolf).

He is also a representation of evil in the society. Arnold Friend from a distance can be able to tell the weaknesses of an individual. He observes Connie and immediately notices her secret fantasies about romance. Arnold uses this weakness against Connie who is unsuspecting of his intentions. He is a smooth talker and gives the illusion of a friend when he clearly is not a find to anyone (Cruise). Arnold Friend in the story never forces Connie to accompany him anywhere, however; the words from his mouth coerce Connie to join Arnold friend in his escapades. It is also evident that Arnold is outgoing and loves to talk about everything. It is quite funny though that during all his talks he avoids mentioning any information about himself.

Arnold friend in the narrative also represents evil in the world. Arnold in the story can imitate different sounds and voices. It is quite a strange ability that he possesses. He is also very skillful in the way he goes to pick her from home (Clinch, Sarah, and Denise). He has never stepped into their home to pick him up but always has ways to lure Connie out of the house. It is a one-sided friendship, since friends need to visit each others homes and know more about each others family. Ellie Oscar is Arnold's friend who is always in a different world every time she sees him. He is always encompassed with music and never aware of the world around him. When Connie looks at his face, she thinks it has the resemblance to that of an old baby. The young man has a profound ability to foresee things from the future (Clinch, Sarah, and Denise). For example, in the story, he tells Connie the specific activities her parents will be doing at the barbecue invite. He explains it in detail about how she is husking corn with a fat lady. These details are so precise that Connie wonders how he knew all these things. He is in control of Connie's mind and movements even though Connie does not want to do them. She tries to fight him and sometimes call the police, but she finds herself not doing so.

Arnold is also the representation of the poor choices youths make in their life thinking it is cool and trendy. He is into the latest music in town, has a car that has his face painted on it to attract the attention of people. Apart from poor dressing, he is into bad behavior that destroys the morals of the youths (Clinch, Sarah, and Denise). When teenagers grow up they try to get their self-identity, they might even disassociate with their parents and family when trying to create their image. This is what Arnold friend does. He does not speak of his family or immediate friends. It is even had for Connie to talk about Arnold and where he comes from. Arnold lives a life full of immoral activities and manages to convince Connie to follow the same path.

Arnold friend is also the representation of a lie and a fantasy world. First, he drives a car that has been repainted to gold with funny phrases written on it. He is also wearing stuffed boots to give the illusion that he is tall. Arnold's face seems to be close to thirty and not a teenager that he claims to be. Connie also looks at the face of his friend Ellie and states that he sounds like a forty year baby (Cruise). All these cover-ups give Connie the impression that Arnold is not what he says he is. This is entirely true since he never talks about his family and when Connie tries to think about his existence, it is all a blur since she knows nothing about the man (Oates, and Wolf). Arnold blurs the line that exists between the real and the fantasy world. First Arnold cannot be placed into a particular world. His physical appearance is quite different sometimes he is in makeup, and he also looks old but still dresses and acts like a teenager that he is not (Clinch, Sarah, and Denise). The writer if the story does not give any full details about Arnold friends background or the past. He also portrays to have supernatural capabilities that he uses to manipulate Connie. It is quite difficult to categorize him as a human being or a supernatural being. Their interactions with Connie expose her to things she could only dream about, and she is also forced to enter adulthood and forget about her childhood fantasies. These interactions completely change Connie's perspective of the world before she met Arnold.

Arnold friend is a big representation of the conflict that exists in Connie's world. First Arnold will not leave Connie alone he is persistent even though her conscious warns her against him, she finds herself accompanying him (Cruise). Arnold also conflicts Connie when he introduces her to the real world. She is used to the fantasy world dreaming about romance but Arnold is here trying to make her fantasies are a reality. Connie questions his motives and is hesitant to take the chance with him since she is not aware of his intentions or who the man might be. Arnold's appearance and dressing ultimately conflict who he says he is (Theriot).

Connie notices the different age of Arnold and Ellie and their dressing. She notes that there is something wrong. However, her attempts to run away from him are futile and she finds herself under the spell of a strange man. His name Arnold friend is a whole conflict of who he is. He talks too much but avoids giving up any details of himself. He gives Connie the illusion that they are friends, but in reality, they are not. First, Connie does not know him well, second, she has no single detail about his family or himself that can be used to trace him. His physical appearance also appears to be fake according to Connies judgment (Cruise). He also poses as a friend to Connie but near the end of the story, his true intentions are manifested. He is there to harm her conflicting his first statement and name friend. He even threatens to harm Connie's family if she does not go with him.

This story is an accurate reflection of the lives of adolescents and teenagers in the society. It shows the struggle to find self-identity and acceptance in the community. Arnold fined has been used as a warning and lesson to the teenagers. This young man represents all the evil forces, temptations, and conflicts that exist in teenagers life in the society. He is cunning, sly manipulative and controlling. He lures Connie to the immoral activities shoe would not have done in the right senses. Its moral lesson to the teenagers is to shun anything that knows suspicious to avoid falling into dangerous acts like Connie did.

Works Cited

Beauchamp, Sandra. "ENG 1002C-020: Composition and Literature." (2000).

Clinch, Sarah, and Denise Howard Long. "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?: Exploring Realistic Connotations." (2008).

Cruise, James. "" Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" and Cold War Hermeneutics." South Central Review 22.2 (2005): 95-109.

Oates, Joyce Carol, and Tobias Wolff. Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?. Difusion, Centro de Investigacion y Pubicaciones de Idiomas, 2013.

Theriot, Michele D. "The Eternal Present in Joyce Carol Oatess Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?." Journal of the Short Story in English. Les Cahiers de la nouvelle 48 (2007).