joyce oates
Is Arnold Friend the Devil in disguise in Joyce Carol Oates' short story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" If one were to look at the facts surrounding the actual event this story was based on, any assumption that "Friend" was anything but a man would be thrown out due to logic. However, if one were to look at the story alone, he could concede that Friend is indeed the Devil or at least the Devil's angel. First, there is the physical description of Arnold Friend. His "shaggy, shabby black hair that looked crazy as a wig," (591) his nose, "long and hawk-like," (592) and his eyes that "were like chips of broken glass" (592) all suggest that he is evil in some way. "His whole face was a mask, [Connie] thought wildly, tanned down onto his throat but then running out as if he had plastered make-up on his face but had forgotten about his throat"
------------------------------------------------------------------------**Bibliography**james, i wrote it. When they first meet, Connie is apprehensive of Arnold. This indicates that Friend is not of human race, and he is using the mask to cover his face and shield his true identity f!rom Connie. "After his hand fell back to his side the X was still in the air, almost visible" (593). Oates uses his name, Friend, as symbolic irony. The fact that Friend is short could mean he is an elf or dwarf-like creature, or it could merely mean that he is trying to be something he definitely is not. This could also imply that Friend was putting a "spell" on Connie to make her obey and succumb to his every demand. Sunday is the Holy day and Friend, in all probability, feels that by degrading God, he is proving himself more powerful. X is the 24th letter of the alphabet. Arnold is inevitably evil, and Oates uses his name to represent him as a Devil's Advocate playing both sides. Also, Arnold's boots "must have been stuffed with something so that he would seem taller" (596-7). Besides physical characteristics, the devilish nature of Friend is depicted through his subtle ability to manipulate Connie.
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