We have all experienced nightmares. Nightmares are very different from the
             everyday dreams that we have for many reasons. The feeling of utter helplessness
             is a major characteristic of a nightmare that seems to linger in our minds. No
             matter how fast you think you can run, how hard you think you can fight, or how
             loud you think you can scream, it is just never enough to save you in a
             nightmare. We seem to think irrationally, and eventually feel so helpless that
             we may just give up the fight for survival. In Joyce Carol Oates' short story
             "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" we meet a character (Connie) who
             seems to have fallen asleep and landed in a hellish nightmare.
             Connie is a young woman, just beginning to explore her interest in the opposite
             sex. She seems far too young to have wildly lustful ideas in her head, but
             exhibits a rather playful and innocent attraction to other boys of her age. She
             is far more interested in making sure her hair is nice and shiny, as opposed to
             wearing revealing clothing. In Connie's nightmare, we are introduced to a very
             evil figure, Arnold Friend. Arnold represents a greater evil in this dream
             because of the way he exemplifies a striking resemblance to the devil. Satan (in
             the Bible) is the most evil figure in the history of creation, but will not
             always seem that way. He often will present himself to an individual as one's
             friend or ally. He uses deception to gain an insight into one's life. Arnold
             pulls up in Connie's driveway and immediately displays that he just wants Connie
             to go for a drive with him, rather than be forceful or threatening. He pretends
             to be interested in the same subject as Connie, referring to a popular musician
             of the time, Bobby King. "I listen to him all the time. I think he's great...
             Listen, that guy's great. He knows where the action is." (156). Here, Arnold
             ...