Arnold Friend Character Analysis

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A character study of Arnold Friend from “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is a complicated thing to do. Arnold can be interpreted in many different ways. Joyce Carol Oates gives the character Arnold Friend an interesting part by taking historical ideas and re-introducing them in a character. Some examples of historical ideas would be things such as the Pied Piper, music, and even the devil. First off, in instances, Arnold Friend was thought of as the devil. The ways that he seduced girls, sometimes killed them, and the way he lied and acted, led some people to think this way. Mostly everything he did was a sin, and people knew this. He was terrifying and unforgettable. He was also even considered again as a savior. There is …show more content…
He does everything that he can to ensure that he gets what he wants, even at the cost of another individual’s innocence, or even their life. By the looks of it, this is not the first time that Arnold Friend has done this to a girl. It makes you wonder how many lives Arnold has ruined. He manipulates them to make them think they are doing something that they want to do, but really, it is what Arnold wants them to do. Slowly, throughout the story, it is noticeable that Connie has started to become more and more of the “typical teenager” and it is because Arnold is influencing …show more content…
The problems with rats could be Connie's life, filled with problems. There are certain things that she wouldn't mess with. Then, the Pied Piper comes in. Which Arnold Friend represents. Promising them hope and to free them of their problems. Arnold Friend presented the same options to Connie. Then, when they offered the Piper fifty thousand florins for doing the job, he accepted. Arnold wanted to give Connie anything that would get her to do what he wanted. Arnold played his music, and Connie followed, falling for this stranger. He seduced Connie, but when she wouldn’t go with him like he wanted, he punished her. Arnold threatened to hurt her family. He was not going to come inside unless she touched the phone. She went for the phone, and he came inside. No one knows how the story ended, but in the end, the moral is always the same. Don’t trust
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