Not all good overcomes evil is one of the many themes in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates. This strange story revolves around Connie, a teenager who disobeys her family at home and makes questionable choices with her friends away from home. One night, Connie walked by a creepy man in a gold jalopy who scared her. As the story progresses, the same man drove to Connie’s house in an attempt to entice her to go for a ride with him and his grunt, Ellie. Connie initially was able to fend off the man, who called himself Arnold Friend (AF), from influencing her to go with him. However, AF was able to win the upper hand as Connie lost control of the situation. At the end of the story, AF was finally able to persuade Connie
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His attributes begin to show when he says Connie’s name for the first time. Connie asks him how he knows what her name is and he replies saying, “I know my Connie” (par. 51). AF first shows his knowledge of Connie when he first reveals that he knows her name. Later, when Connie is doubting AF’s knowledge, he starts naming off all of Connie’s friends. She wonders how he knows all the names of her friends and he says, “I know everybody” (par. 64). With his knowledge of everyone that Connie knows, AF shows that he is the all-knowing devil. After Connie becomes more nervous, she says that her dad might be home soon and AF says that he will not coming anytime. When Connie asks how he knows, AF answers saying, “Aunt Tillie’s. Right they’re uh--they’re drinking. Sitting around” (par. 98). Because he is the devil, he has the knowledge of everything that is going on in the world, thus knowing where Connie’s family is and what they are doing. AF also focuses on the fact that the day he goes to pick up Connie is Sunday. When Connie tells AF to leave he says, “Don’tcha know it’s Sunday all day? And honey, no matter who you were with last night, today you’re with Arnold Friend and don’t you forget it!” (par. 88). Sunday is usually the day people set aside to go to church or participate in their religion. Connie does not follow any religion and has no religious deity to worship, therefore AF, being the devil, …show more content…
These abilities are first seen when AF was trying to convince Connie to go for a ride with him. While he was talking, his voice was “the voice of the man on the radio” (par. 88). AF used his ability of changing his voice in order to present to Connie a sound she enjoyed and was comfortable with hearing, making it more likely that she would leave with him. While AF was talking to Connie, “he drew an X in the air, leaning toward her . . . After his hand fell back to his side the X was still in the air, almost visible” (par. 77). This supernormal ability that AF possesses is used to mark his victims for a future death. As the story progresses, Connie attempts to make AF leave her house by threatening what her father will do if he sees him. In response, AF squints “as if he were staring all the way to town and over to Aunt Tillie's” (par. 98). The reader might think little of this until AF begins describing the barbecue, saying, “There’s your sister in a blue dress, huh? . . . And your mother’s helping some fat woman with the corn” (par. 98). AF’s supernormal ability of seeing through numerous buildings all the way across town is a prime example of a devilish attribute. A final example comes from the lack of an ability AF possesses. When Connie threatened to call the police, AF replied, “Soon as you touch the phone I don’t need to keep my promise and can come inside” (par. 116). Initially, it
His attributes begin to show when he says Connie’s name for the first time. Connie asks him how he knows what her name is and he replies saying, “I know my Connie” (par. 51). AF first shows his knowledge of Connie when he first reveals that he knows her name. Later, when Connie is doubting AF’s knowledge, he starts naming off all of Connie’s friends. She wonders how he knows all the names of her friends and he says, “I know everybody” (par. 64). With his knowledge of everyone that Connie knows, AF shows that he is the all-knowing devil. After Connie becomes more nervous, she says that her dad might be home soon and AF says that he will not coming anytime. When Connie asks how he knows, AF answers saying, “Aunt Tillie’s. Right they’re uh--they’re drinking. Sitting around” (par. 98). Because he is the devil, he has the knowledge of everything that is going on in the world, thus knowing where Connie’s family is and what they are doing. AF also focuses on the fact that the day he goes to pick up Connie is Sunday. When Connie tells AF to leave he says, “Don’tcha know it’s Sunday all day? And honey, no matter who you were with last night, today you’re with Arnold Friend and don’t you forget it!” (par. 88). Sunday is usually the day people set aside to go to church or participate in their religion. Connie does not follow any religion and has no religious deity to worship, therefore AF, being the devil, …show more content…
These abilities are first seen when AF was trying to convince Connie to go for a ride with him. While he was talking, his voice was “the voice of the man on the radio” (par. 88). AF used his ability of changing his voice in order to present to Connie a sound she enjoyed and was comfortable with hearing, making it more likely that she would leave with him. While AF was talking to Connie, “he drew an X in the air, leaning toward her . . . After his hand fell back to his side the X was still in the air, almost visible” (par. 77). This supernormal ability that AF possesses is used to mark his victims for a future death. As the story progresses, Connie attempts to make AF leave her house by threatening what her father will do if he sees him. In response, AF squints “as if he were staring all the way to town and over to Aunt Tillie's” (par. 98). The reader might think little of this until AF begins describing the barbecue, saying, “There’s your sister in a blue dress, huh? . . . And your mother’s helping some fat woman with the corn” (par. 98). AF’s supernormal ability of seeing through numerous buildings all the way across town is a prime example of a devilish attribute. A final example comes from the lack of an ability AF possesses. When Connie threatened to call the police, AF replied, “Soon as you touch the phone I don’t need to keep my promise and can come inside” (par. 116). Initially, it