Arnold Friend portrays the devil in many ways. In the story, Where are You Going, Where Have You Been by: Joyce Carol Oates Arnold friend is the devil, he went to Connie’s house and tries to get her to go for a ride with him and his friend Elli Oscar so, he can rape and kill her. Arnold Friend is none other than the devil himself, which shows in his appearance, his speech, his actions and supernatural visions, and in clues. Arnold Friend’s appearance is the main reason people think he is the devil. His hair is not natural looking “He placed his sunglasses on top of his head, carefully, as if he were indeed wearing a wig” (329).
His hair is shabby and all over his head like he is wearing a wig to hide his devil horns.
Arnold Friend’s eyes are another thing that is devilish. Arnold Friend’s eyes are very weird looking “He took off the sunglasses and she saw how pale the skin around his eyes was, like holes that were not in shadow but instead in light. His eyes were chips of broken glass that catch the light in an amiable way” (328).
Arnold Friend’s eyes look very weird as if someone could see many reflections through his eyes like as if he is the devil himself. Arnolds other devilish characteristics include his nose and neck. Arnold Friend’s nose does not seem to be natural “The nose long and hawked-like, sniffing as if she were a treat” (327).
Arnold Friend’s nose is not human like which means it must be the nose of the devil himself.
Arnold friend’s neck is so different form a human neck “Even his neck looked muscular” (327).
The Essay on Arnold Friend Devil Urbanski Oates
Refutation Of A Literary Review On "Joyce Carol Oate's Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been" Refutation Marie Mitchell Olesen Urbanski reflects on the parallels between a literary work and biblical suggestions in her essay Existential Allegory: Joyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going Where Have You Been (Studies in Short Fiction, 1978. ) In her criticism, she compares the story of Connies ...
Arnold Friend’s neck seems to be the neck of a muscular animal which is a devilish characteristic which makes Arnold Friend the devil. Some of Arnold Friend’s other characteristics is the makeup he is wearing and his boots. Arnold Friend’s face is weird looking “She watched this smile come, awkward as if he were smiling from inside a mask” (329).
He is hiding his devilish face under a mask of makeup so Connie want know he is the devil himself. Arnold Friend’s boots seem like they are too big for him “One of his boots was at a strange angle, as if his foot was not in it. It pointed out to the left, at the ankle” (330).
This means that he has no feet in his boots but that he has hooves in his boots which are of the devil.
Arnold Friend’s speech is another way to recognize he is the devil. Arnold Friend’s speech is very weird “She noticed all this and also the singsong way he talked, slightly mocking, kidding, but serious and a little melancholy” (328).
“Don’t crawl under my fence, don’t squeeze in my chipmunk hole, don’t sniff my glue, suck my popsicle, keep your own greasy finger to yourself”. The way he talks is not form this time period it is like he is not from around here which means he is the devil and he is from hell and that is why he does not know what the style of speech is for this time period. Arnold Friend’s s visions are very creepy and scary. His visions are very much like supernatural visions “If my father comes and sees you” He ain’t coming. He’s at a barbeque.” “How do you know that?” “Aunt Tillie’s. Right now they’re uh they’re drinking. Sitting around,” he said vaguely, squinting as if he were staring all the way to town and over to Aunt Tillie’s backyard.
Yeah sitting around. There’s your sister. In a blue dress, huh? And high heels, the poor sad bitch nothing like you sweetheart! And your mother’s helping some fat woman with the corn, they’re cleaning the corn—husking the corn” (329).
Arnold Friend is the devil because he is telling her things that only a supernatural being like the devil would know. Arnold Friend also gives us some clues that he is the devil. He has writing on his car “This here is my name, to begin with,” he said. Arnold Friend” (327).
Arnold Friend’s Name when the R is taken out of Arnold it read An Old Friend which means the devil in the bible. This tells us that he is the devil. Arnold Friend also introduced his friend Elli Oscar.
The Essay on Bill Of Sale Car Make Buy
Process Essay Thesis: The majority of the American population has very little, or no understanding of the used car trade. A simple understanding on when and where to sell, how to get your car ready, writing a classified ad, negotiating, and making a contract. With consumer demand rising and supply constrained by several factors, including the tendency of new-car owners to hang on to them longer, ...
Ellie Oscar is described as “He wore a bright orange shirt Unbuttoned half way to show his chest, which was a pale, blueish chest and not muscular like Arnold Friend’s” (328).
Elli Oscar’s chest being pale and blueish means that he is not of this world and more than likely is one of the devil’s demons and since he is with Arnold Friend that makes Arnold Friend the devil and Ellie Oscar one of his demons. Another thing about Arnold Friend’s car is the numbers on his car. The numbers on his car are weird “ Now these numbers are a secret code, honey, He read the off the numbers 33, 19, 17” (327).
The numbers 33, 19, and 17 adds to be the numbers 666 which is the devil number so, if the numbers on Arnold Friend’s car are the devil’s number then this makes Arnold Friend the devil himself.
Everything about Arnold Friend’s appearance says that he is the devil in disguise, his speech deceives him and makes him look like the devil, his actions and supernatural visions makes him look like he is supernatural which is a characteristic of the devil, and in his clues he reveals to everyone that he is the devil. Also he does everything he can to get what he wants just like the devil and in the end he gets Connie and he rapes and kills her which is just what the devil would do.
