Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Theme
“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” should not be read through a fantasy/allegorical lens, but through a lens of reality. Reading it through the former limits the potency of the story. Everything that takes place in the story is believable, and in fact, many details of the story are based on real events.
Arnold Friend is based on Charles Schmid, a real life serial killer who was responsible for the murder of three young girls. Schmid was arrested in 1965 for the rape and murder of Allen Rowe; the following year, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” was published.
• Some characteristics of Schmid that Oates, the author, transfers to Friend include: He stuffs his shoes to compensate for his short height, he has a muscular build, …show more content…
dies his hair to look younger, drives similar car, ect.
• Connie, the main character of the story, washes her hair before Friend arrives. This detail is analogous to what Allen Rowe does before Schmid arrived at her home. Both Rowe and Connie also share the same age (15).
• Ellie, the quiet friend of Arthur, accompanies him when he arrives at Connie’s home. He is based on Schmid’s accomplice, John Saunder, who took part in the murder of Rowe.
Connie’s psychological state
• Her parents hands off approach to raising Connie can explain why she acts the way that she does.
• Not complex, but, instead, just a typical teenager who is single minded and self-involved.
• Critics point to Connie’s dream like state at the end as evidence that the story is allegorical/fantasy based, but the mental state that Connie is experiencing is completely believable (Stockholm syndrome).
She understands that once she walks out that door, death awaits her.
• She is obsessed with boys, her looks, and sex. Her preoccupation with these things places everything else into the periphery.
• 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.
There are literary critics that claim that Arnold Friend is the incarnation of the devil, but throughout the story, there are instances in where displays less than supernatural abilities. Instead of being the devil, Arnold Friend merely represents mankind at its (believable) worst.
• Everything he knows about Connie can be attributed to his obsessive nature. He could have easily have stalked her (it’s implied that the town this story takes place in is small enough for this to not be much of a hassle).
• When pressed, he improvises what to say (what’s happening at the B-B-Q, coming up with current
slang).
Arnold Friend is based on Charles Schmid, a real life serial killer who was responsible for the murder of three young girls. Schmid was arrested in 1965 for the rape and murder of Allen Rowe; the following year, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” was published.
• Some characteristics of Schmid that Oates, the author, transfers to Friend include: He stuffs his shoes to compensate for his short height, he has a muscular build, …show more content…
dies his hair to look younger, drives similar car, ect.
• Connie, the main character of the story, washes her hair before Friend arrives. This detail is analogous to what Allen Rowe does before Schmid arrived at her home. Both Rowe and Connie also share the same age (15).
• Ellie, the quiet friend of Arthur, accompanies him when he arrives at Connie’s home. He is based on Schmid’s accomplice, John Saunder, who took part in the murder of Rowe.
Connie’s psychological state
• Her parents hands off approach to raising Connie can explain why she acts the way that she does.
• Not complex, but, instead, just a typical teenager who is single minded and self-involved.
• Critics point to Connie’s dream like state at the end as evidence that the story is allegorical/fantasy based, but the mental state that Connie is experiencing is completely believable (Stockholm syndrome).
She understands that once she walks out that door, death awaits her.
• She is obsessed with boys, her looks, and sex. Her preoccupation with these things places everything else into the periphery.
• 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.
There are literary critics that claim that Arnold Friend is the incarnation of the devil, but throughout the story, there are instances in where displays less than supernatural abilities. Instead of being the devil, Arnold Friend merely represents mankind at its (believable) worst.
• Everything he knows about Connie can be attributed to his obsessive nature. He could have easily have stalked her (it’s implied that the town this story takes place in is small enough for this to not be much of a hassle).
• When pressed, he improvises what to say (what’s happening at the B-B-Q, coming up with current
slang).