Character Analysis: 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?'

Evil Around Every Corner Humans have always been capable of doing evil things. It is almost instinct even if we know it is bad. Some of us are willing to do whatever it takes to get what we want even if it involves hurting someone or even killing them to get what we want. There are many instances that can prove just how evil man can be. Evil can come in many different forms, for instance persuasion and selfishness. The nature of evil derives from man himself. In Joyce Carol Oates shorty story, “Where are you Going, Where have you been?” The main character, Connie, is persuaded by Arnold Friend to go with him “for a ride.” Friends version of a ride was basically to have sex whether she liked it or not. Even though Friend described himself as “her lover,” we pretty much knew he had evil intentions to take advantage of a young girl. Friend noticed she was vulnerable and began to stalk her knowing if he showed up at the just the right time, with just the right words, he could attempt to seduce fifteen year old Connie. This shows how easily one is persuaded by evil. …show more content…
Oedipus’s father, the King, gives him away when he was a baby because of the prophecy that Oedipus will kill his father and marry his mother. Oedipus goes his whole life trying to avoid this prophecy and one day ends up killing three people out of rage not knowing that one of them was his father. Oedipus solves a riddle and becomes king and marries the Queen whom he later finds out is his actual mother when he is told by a herdsman, “If you are the one he speaks of—know your evil birth and fate!” Oedipus was born into a world of evil and selfishness which ends up getting the best of him. This is a great example of how evil selfishness can