Arnold Friend

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In Joyce Carol Oates' eerie short story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” readers are introduced to the dark side of a young girl's childhood. Oates uses the character Connie as a lens for readers to understand the danger that can come from too much freedom, plus society’s expectations towards young girls. The story guides us through the highs and lows of Connie’s life, allowing us to understand the character and the story on a deeper level. All these experiences lead to her encounter with the predator, Arnold Friend. The deeper we get into the story, the more information Oates gives us. This detail-oriented story allows us to truly understand Connie and the complexities of her journey. It walks us through the dangers young girls …show more content…
Connie’s vulnerability allows her to be an easy victim for Arnold Friend. He senses her excitement from this attractive, older boy wanting her. She displays this sense of desperation for him when she leaves another boy for him. “He wagged a finger and laughed and said, ‘Gonna get you, baby,” and Connie turned away again without Eddie noticing anything.” Once she did this, Connie unknowingly gave Arnold Friend power, and his power slowly grew when her excitement clouded her judgment, leading her to not notice how much older he truly was. To dive deeper into gender roles and vulnerability, I’ll be using the article “‘Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?’:Overview” by Linda Wagner-Martin. Martin discusses how Connie “yearns” to be viewed as this beautiful, sexual being. How she desperately wants a life where she's beautiful, and goes off to see older boys. She then discussed how she noticed red flags, like his misshapen feet, but overlooked them. “She paints him as she wants him to be, even denying that the slogans on his car are out-of-date. She tries to believe his representation of himself.” (Wagner) Now with Connie being so naive and ignorant she easily played into Arnold Friend’s
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