Evil in "Where Are You Going"

Paper Summary:

In the short story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been", a pretty teenage girl, Connie, is severely frightened by a predatory male character whose terrifying evil is reminiscent of Little Red Riding Hood's "Big Bad Wolf". This paper examines how through descriptions of Arnold Friend, his accomplice Ellie Oscar and the fear of this pair that fills Connie, Joyce Carol Oates uses the concept of evil, as represented by Arnold and Ellie, as an omnipresent, fairy tale-like symbolic force that exists only in relationship to Connie as prey.

From the Paper:

"In 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been' Joyce Carol Oates seems to define evil not only through the actions of the evildoer(s), but also from within the imagination of the victim. Oates "describes" the embodiment of evil as that of the predatory older men in the gold jalopy, especially the more talkative and aggressive one, a shaggy-haired individual who calls himself (ironically) Arnold Friend, though he is anything but a friend. As Connie grows more frightened of Arnold's escalating threats, she eventually allows her own imagination to run wild, to the point where she can neither think clearly anymore, nor even manage to use her own telephone to call the police. "

More papers on Evil in "Where Are You Going":

• Analytical Essay # 46598 : "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been"
• Book Review # 108265 : "Where are you Going, Where Have You Been?"
• Analytical Essay # 1698 : "Oates' "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?"

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