Sympathy For The Devil?
The Rolling Stones once sang, "Please to meet you, hope you guess my name, but what's puzzling you is the nature of my game." On a recent trip home from Macon, this song was playing on the radio. I was reminded of the story Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been by Joyce Carol Oates. Although Oates wrote the story after listening to Bob Dylan's song "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue."(Davidson) I couldn't help thinking how much the Rolling Stones song "Sympathy For The Devil" fit the story. Connie was fifteen and pretty. Her mother was always comparing her to her older sister June who was very plain to look at. June always helped around the house and had a job at the school to help her parents pay the bills. Connie spent most of her time admiring herself and daydreaming about boys. Connie and her friend would go into town with her friend's father. They would tell him they were going to the movies but very seldom did. They spent most of their time at the town's drive- thru restaurant searching for boys. One night, while with a male friend, she saw a strange boy staring at her. She pretended that she wasn't interested in him but she couldn't stop looking at him. One Sunday her family went to a ba
"He spoke in a simple lilting voice, exactly as if he were reciting the words to a song. This, too, is a demon reference, referring to the ancient belief that a demon cannot enter a house without an invitation. (Window) The day her family went to the barbeque at her aunt's house starts out by saying that they had never bothered with church (Oates) suggesting that there is no god. , thus confusing her as she tries to assess him. " (Window) It seemed as if he knew what she liked and used it against her. " " Part of these words were spoken with a slight rhythmic lilt, and Connie somehow recognized them - the echo of a song from last year, about a girl rushing into her boyfriend's arms and coming home again. Arnold told her he wouldn't come in the house as long as she didn't touch the phone and if she did call the police that something bad would happen to her family. "Please to meet you, hope you guess my name. Friend also knows that her mother disapproves of her, which makes Connie seem vulnerable. This is why the song "Sympathy For The Devil" by the Rolling Stones fits this story so well. (Phil) This suggests that Arnold was actually the devil. While in her room she listened to the radio until she heard a car coming down the driveway. Arnold even fools Connie initially with his dress, because he has studiously created (with wig and elevated shoes for boots) the look which young women like Connie approve of: "Connie liked the way he was dressed, which was the way all of them dressed. (Oates) Much can be said about Arnold Friend, even though he wasn't the main character in the story. (Joyce) Arnold uses other ways to fool Connie.
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Acceptance Essays
