Arnold Friend Analysis

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The final part of 1960’s culture the story focuses on is the increased danger of the 60’s. The story uses the character of Arnold Friend to establish how dangerous society had become in the 1960’s. The 40’s and 50’s are always idealized as clean cut wholesome. America while the 60’s are seen as a more dangerous and turbulent time. Most people view the 40’s and 50’s in a way similar to Happy Days or Grease. While they view the 60’s as a time of war protests and racial struggles. The character of Arnold Friend personifies the changes between the wholesome image of America and a more violent society. The reader does not know much about Arnold Friend, but the reader does know he has stalked Connie. She has no idea who he is, but he seems to know …show more content…
In today’s society with cell phones and social media someone like Connie would not be caught in this scenario. She could text, tweet, or speed dial for help if a situation like this happened in modern times. Arnold also threatened to break in by busting through the screen door and that is something else modern times fix. Since most screen doors now a days are placed in front of regular doors with locks and security systems. The way the story portrays the 60’s is as a time period more dangerous then modern times and more dangerous than the decades before it. Modern technology is able to prevent the danger experienced in the story. While some of the danger in the story might not have been as common in the 40’s and 50’s then in the 60’s. The actions of Arnold Friend in the story show how dangerous the 60’s were. It showed what type of crimes there were and how dangerous society had become towards women in comparison to previous decades. The story shows the 60’s as a more dangerous time then the past and future. It also shows society changed in the 60’s. From the wholesome society of the 40’s and 50’s to the violent and dangerous society of the …show more content…
The story shows how culture had changed in the 60’s. It shows how society had become less conservative, more rebellious and more dangerous. In the 60’s culture became less conservative as women like Connie were more willing to go out in public wearing clothes to draw the attention of men. While an older generation like Connie’s mother wanted them to drees in a plainer fashion. The story shows how society became more rebellious. As Connie rebels against her parents and her family. Rebellion was a huge part of 60’s culture as young people rebelled against war and the racial issues. Connie shows some of this young rebellion as she rebels against the authority of her parents. She does things her parents would not approve of and resents her family. The character of Arnold Friend is used to show how the 60’s were more dangerous and violent then the time before it. Arnold Friend is a stalker and might possibly be a murder and a rapist. People like Arnold were a real growing threat in the 60’s as more people begun to worry about strangers. The actions of Arnold stalking and threating Connie and possibly raping and or murdering her is a drastic change from the 50’s and 40’s The 50’s and 40’s are seen as a wholesome time in American culture, but with people like Arnold it is clear that the 60’s were not as safe or wholesome as the 40’s and 50’s. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” shows