Summary:
In "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" by Joyce Carol Oates, the character of Arnold Friend represents Satan. That's because Arnold takes on the characteristics of Satan, disguising himself as something he is not and that his ultimate goal is to harm Connie.
Interpretation of Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?
The story Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? by Joyce Carol Oates is about a fifteen year old girl named Connie who has a strange encounter with a man named Arnold Friend. I agree with Joyce M. Wegs' interpretation of the story, that Arnold is symbolic of Satan.
Connie first encounters Arnold in a parking lot while she is out with her friends, but she does not yet know who he is. She notices him standing near his car, a gold colored convertible jalopy, staring at her. When she walks by he says he is going to "get" her, but Connie does not think anything of it and just turns away.
One Sunday, not too long after the parking lot incident, Connie is home alone listening to.....
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