Preview

Arnold Friend Character Analysis Essay

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
907 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Arnold Friend Character Analysis Essay
In Joyce Carol Oates story, "Where Are You Going Where Have You Been?" there are two main characters in the story one of them is Connie. She was a naïve fifteen year old teenage girl, and the other character is a psychopath named Arnold Friend. Connie is a typical teenager she hangs out with her friends going to the mall and movies, just basically out having fun without a care in the world. Arnold is a psychopath who appears to be like any human. In many cases, one would not be able to pick them out of a crowd. Their minds are completely different from most other people. They are extremely smart and very methodical in their thinking and in the way that they act. While most people barely think beyond the normal, a psychopath will think about every step, breath, and even every word anybody would say in the open. …show more content…
Arnold Friend follows Connie from the very beginning of the story. When Connie finally notices his presence, "He stares at her and then his lips widened into a grin. Connie slit her eyes at him and turned away, but she couldn't help glancing back and there he was still watching her," (320) reveling his true desires. Arnold wanted to know her every breath and also to kill her. It becomes quite apparent that Arnold is stalking Connie when he says "I know my Connie" (323). When he stares at her, she is unaware of his closeness. In Arnold's mind, Connie is like a puzzle that he must figure out. He states while bringing fear to Connie's eyes "I know your name and all about you, lots of things" (323), fully proving his intensions. Recalling seeing her at the drive-in the night before, he shook a finger at her and laughed "Gonna get you, baby" (320), showing his true obsession with
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Character Analysis Of Arnold Friend In 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been'
    • 121 Words
    • 1 Page

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

    When the character, Arnold Friend, was introduced I did not expect that he would play the role of the enemy in the story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been.” When he arrives at Connie’s home, I began to question my hypothesis. Similarly, Connie’s view of the mysterious man is reformed as Arnold’s true nature is revealed. The realization begins when he discloses all the information he knows about Connie and the whereabouts of her family. This is when I, the reader, and the character begin to suspect that Arnold is not a respectable guy. She then notices his eerily pale skin, aged appearance, unsettling remarks, and seemingly stuffed shoes. These suspicions were confirmed once he spoke of his intentions.…

    • 121 Words
    • 1 Page
    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’s threats escalate into hurting her family if she doesn't do what he wants. He has manipulated and put her down so much that now she feels trapped with no one else to turn to, which causes her to leave with him. Even though the abuse isn’t physical, this story is similar to feeling trapped in a relationship with someone you thought you could trust. Connie’s fragile emotional state was enough for Arnold to take advantage of her, and now the ending of her story in…

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

    A Thematic Analysis Of Suggest Arnold
    • 720 Words
    • 3 Pages

    A Thematic Analysis Of Suggest Arnold

    The final quote, “I ain’t made plans for coming in that house where I don’t belong” (Oates 318). Suggests Arnold knows he is an outsider, and does not quite blend in like a human. He is a narcissist and believes Connie supposed to cater to his needs. He thinks his presence is too good and the house does not deserve it, hinting why bother to think about stepping in that house where I do not belong. While asking himself, why do I have to in and get you? When there is no need for him to lift a finger because it is Connie, who has to come out to him. “but just for you to come out to me, the way you should” (Oates 318). It indicates, the minute Connie was born her destiny was sealed, she now belonged to Arnold. She might not know it now, but in…

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

    Arnold Friend Analysis
    • 701 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Arnold Friend Analysis

    Arnold Friend, is a middle-aged man that uses himself as bait to fool and befriend young Connie. His choice of appearance for himself to project as if he is the same age as Connie is, “light faded jeans stuffed into black, scuffed boots, a belt that pulled his waist in and showed how lean he was, and a white pull-over shirt that was a little soiled and showed the hard small muscles of his arms and shoulders.” With this appearance that Arnold Friend presents to Connie…

    • 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
  • Good Essays

    Where Are You Going ': Joyce Carry Oates' Where Have You Been
    • 663 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Where Are You Going ': Joyce Carry Oates' Where Have You Been

    When Connie saw Arnold sitting in a car listening to music, she recognized the music that was playing and his black hair and odd boyish figure left a imprint in her head. Arnold’s comment, “Gonna get you baby.” foreshadows the dreadful ending of the story Arnold fulfills what he says to her. Connie thought the comment was quote was playful, but it is a foreshadowing a very real threat.…

    • 663 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good 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

    Connie asks Arnold and his friend to leave. Arnold refused to leave without her. Connie noticed he was wearing a wig. Arnold begins to describe Connie’s family at the Barbeque. He gives Connie details about what her sister was wearing. He also stated that Connie’s mother was shucking corn. Finally, Arnold refers to himself as Connie’s lover and shows his sexual intentions, upsetting…

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

    Arnold Friend Symbolism
    • 1173 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Arnold Friend Symbolism

    Arnold Friend is just an image that he knows Connie wants to see in a guy and has seen in a lot of them. The narrator says, “[Connie] recognized most things about him, the tight shirt, an even that slippery friendly smile of his, that sleepy dreamy smile that all the boys used to get across ideas they didn’t wan to put into word…But all these things did not come together” (Oates 623). Arnold Friend has that look to him that most girls would think is attractive, but at the same time there is something that was not right about him. Arnold left his glasses on for most of the conversation, but when he took them off the skin around his eyes were so pale they made his eyes seem to glow in a supernatural way. The narrator states, “He took off the sunglasses and she saw how pale the skin around his eyes was, like hold that were not in shadow but instead in light. His eyes were chips of broken glass that catch the light in an amiable way” (Oates 622), making his eyes look like they were glowing like they would on something supernatural. Oates also goes on explaining that after Arnold Friend puts his glasses on top of his head he did it cautiously “as if he were indeed wearing a wig” (Oates 624). Arnold Friend could be wearing a wig to simply defy his age so Connie will go on a ride with him or also to hide the horns on top of his head, like the devil has.…

    • 1173 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Devil In Joyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?
    • 287 Words
    • 2 Pages

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

    Some say he is the devil, others claim he portrays the godly image of Bob Dylan, or that he is just the mere imagination of a salacious daydream in a young girl's mind. In Joyce Carol Oates acclaimed short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, a 15-year-old girl named Connie, with ever growing feelings of attraction toward the opposite sex, has a vexing encounter with a middle-aged man who goes by the name Arnold Friend. You can’t talk about Arnold Friend, his train of thought, and intentions without talking about and understanding Connie’s character. In the story, Connie is vain, self-centered, and fabricates the truth of her whereabouts to her parents. She and her friend both tell their parents that they are going to the mall…

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

    Character Analysis Of Connie In 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been'
    • 132 Words
    • 1 Page

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

    Throughout the story the reader can see that Connie’s looks are very important and it is a main focus in the beginning of the story. We are told about Connie looking in mirrors quite often and also her looks being compared to her mother and sisters. These are the first indicators in the story that “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” is an allegory of feminism. Connie is a beautiful teenager coming in to her sexual maturity. Arnold Friend manipulates and we assume rapes Connie. The story is representing a woman’s virginity or spirit being taken away by a male. In most of the story Connie and Arnold are separated by a screen door which could represent just how easy it is for a man to manipulate a young girl.…

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

    Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Literary Analysis Essay
    • 1013 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Literary Analysis Essay

    Since she has two sides to her, “one for home” and “one for anywhere that was not home,” Connie clearly lacked a true identity and sense of self worth. Thus, she is easily manipulated by Arnold Friend’s patronizing talk. Finally when Arnold says “That feels solid but we know better, be nice to me, be sweet like you can because what else is there for a girl like you but to be sweet and pretty and give in,” Connie feels lifeless and empty and “she thought for the first time in her life that it was nothing that was hers, that belonged to her, but just a pounding, living thing inside this body that wasn’t really hers either,” but rather, Arnold Friend’s. At this point, Arnold had finally lured Connie to maturation into the impurity adulthood, exemplifying his devil like character (Oates, pg…

    • 1013 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Where Are We Going, Where Have You Been? Essay Example
    • 1003 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Where Are We Going, Where Have You Been? Essay Example

    There was an antagonist-protagonist between Connie and Arnold. Connie was the protagonist and Arnold was the antagonist. Arnold kept telling Connie that she was going to take a ride with him. He kept on and kept on with her and he told her also that she was his. She didn’t want to go anywhere with him and…

    • 1003 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Analysis
    • 1288 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Analysis

    Connie exhibited the confusing, often superficial behavior typical of those facing the difficult transition from girlhood to womanhood. She really enjoyed music. Connie was more in love with the lyrics of the music than the boys themselves. She even said, “it was something to depend on” (1409). This is even typical for teenage girls now. Music allowed her escape from reality. Unfortunately, she got herself into a very dangerous situation with a 33 year old man. Even though she wanted to be a grown woman, whenever she was face to face with Arnold, we see that she regrets that decision. During the story, Arnold is talking to her about love and ends up saying something that made Connie “put her hands against her ears as if she’d heard something terrible, something not meant for her” (1416). The intentions of Arnold were only going to be harmful to Connie. Her journey may have ended tragically by him either raping or killing her, but the story doesn’t foretell her…

    • 1288 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Identity Analysis
    • 1247 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Identity Analysis

    Many articles state that she was the perfect target for Arnold Friend and all of his mischievous plans. Connie’s personality traits made her “vulnerable to Arnold Friend” (Wilson 259). Connie often showed her interest in boys throughout the story, which also made Arnold Friend even more attracted to her (259). Connie’s personality is pretty common for her teenage self. She comes across as rebellious, vain, self-centered, and deceitful. With experience with this behavior, I feel that this is a big reason to why Connie has some trouble with figuring out who she really is. Many of the times, Connie is too worried about what her mother and family thinks of her to really discover herself. After Connie’s encounter with Arnold Friend outside of the movie theater, she did not think too much of it. Later on though, when Arnold Friend shows back up, she realizes that her encounter was not just a coincidence. He was not just a nice guy complimenting her, she realized that “she has attracted a menacing force”…

    • 1247 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Symbolism In Where Are You Going Where Have You Been
    • 974 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Symbolism In Where Are You Going Where Have You Been

    Connie kept looking at him because she thought he looked familiar like she’s seen him .or talked to him before. As she was examining him she liked the way he dressed. He was wearing tight scuffed jeans, scuffed up boots; a tight white shirt to show off how muscular he was even his neck was really muscular as a result of doing hard labor or lifting. Connie was comparing him to the perfect guys she would hear about in the songs she listened to on her radio and because she was still young she had the temptation to have this guy. As Connie is one of those girls who is always looking in the mirror and making sure she looks alright her temptation to having a guy like the ones on the radio couldn’t let this one get away. “ I took a special interest in you, such a pretty girl, and found out all about you-like I know your parents and sister are gone somewhere and I know were and how long they will be gone, and I know who you were with last night, and your best friends name is Betty right? He spoke in a simple lilting voice, exactly as if he were reciting the words to a song. His smile assured her that everything was fine” (Oates 6). Arnold saw Connie the night before at the…

    • 974 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More