The Hidden Identity of Arnold Friend The world is full of people who portray themselves as someone or something else. Peopleusually hide their identity to obtain things that they want. It is common to be fooled by someone’sappearance. In Joyce Carol Oates’s, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” ArnoldFriend is an example of someone trying to trick another person into believing that he is somethingthat he is not. In the story, a girl named Connie is confronted by a man who is trying to persuadeher to “take a ride” with him in his car. She had seen this man the night before staring at her in thedrive in so she was a little scared that this man was now on her doorstep, not to mention she wasalone. He began by friendly asking to come with him, but after she denied him he becamethreatening to her and her family. She runs into the house filled with fear but then finds herself notable to call for help. She then walks back outside controlled by a strange force and going withArnold Friend. Arnold Friend clearly symbolizes the devil through his nonhuman physical traits, his clairvoyant knowledge of Connie, her family, and friends, and his dominant power over hereven though she knows he is evil. First, Arnold Friend has many nonhuman characteristics. The story describes ArnoldFriends hair by saying, “he had shaggy, shabby black hair that looked crazy as a wig” (Oates 285). Joyce Wegs says in her essay about the story that his hair really is a wig suggesting that he couldbe wearing it to cover up his horns (357). In addition, the story describes how careful he is when putting his sun glasses on his head (289) as if he is trying not to reveal something. The story alsosays, “He was standing in a strange way, leaning back against the car as if he were balancinghimself ”(286), which suggests that he has hooves not feet. Obviously it would be very hard tokeep balance and wal...
