friend or fiend
The persona of a psychopath appears to be much like any human. In many cases, one would not be able to "pick them out of a crowd". Their minds, however, differ greatly from most. A psychopath is extremely smart and methodical in thinking and most often is very meticulous in the way in which he/she acts. While many people are not thinking beyond the norm, a psychopath thinks about every breath, step, and word a person lets out into the open. In the short story "Where are you going, Where have you been?" by Joyce Carol Oates, the depiction of a psychopath is quite apparent. His mannerism, thoughts and tactic all create the perfect portrayal of a truly deranged character. Arnold Friend follows Connie from the beginning of the story. When Connie finally notices his presence, "he [stares] at her and then his lips widened...and there he was still watching her," (Oates 589), revealing his true desires and aspirations. Arnold not only wants to kill Connie, but to see and understand every breath she takes. Although unaware of his closeness, it becomes quite apparent that Arnold Friend is stalking Connie when he states, "I know my Connie" (Oates 592).
The mind of a psychopath vastly differs from any sane human. Arnold Friend is only a figment of a story, as well as a part of our society in which most people would never recognize or comprehend. And I'll come inside you where it's all a secret and you'll give into me and you'll love me" (Oates 600), showing his true misconceptions of reality. Recalling seeing Connie at the drive-in the night before and had "wagged a finger and laughed," saying "Gonna get you, baby" in response to Connie's smirk (Barstow 2577), divulging his true obsession with Connie. Slowly, Arnold devises a plan to lure Connie into the car, as she repeatedly refuses his offer he begins to act more hostile, "as if the heat was finally getting to him" (Oates 599). You don't know what that is but you will. Although Arnold pursues Connie stealthily, there are many other elements to his psychopathic mind. The conceptions in which Arnold believes to be reality are deranged and unfathomable to most humans. The way in which Arnold acts in front of Connie is far from normal. The way in which Arnold acts when confronted with another human is far from normal, divulging his truly disturbed mentality. Once again, Arnold attempts to entice Connie into the car, stating, "I'm your lover. The most significant and unfathomable component of a psychopath is his/her manner of thought. Arnold Friend may seem ordinary at first glance, but his mind works far differently than most.
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Acceptance Essays
