Temptation in Where Are You Going , Where Are you Been...

The Theme of Temptation in â€Å"Where Are You Going , Where Are you Been?† by Joyce Carol Oates In â€Å"Where are You Going, Where Have you Been?† Joyce Carol Oates uses an allegorical figure of evil to illustrate the theme of temptation. Oates alludes to hell through the character Arnold Friend, as the devil, and his victim Connie, who invites him in by committing the sin of vanity. The narrator implies that Arnold Friend is Satan by giving certain clues that the reader can easily deduce. The name that Oates gives to the character is one hint to the reader: â€Å"Connie looked away from Friends smile to the car, which was painted so bright it almost hurt her eyes to look at it. She looked at the name, Arnold Friend. She looked at it for a while†¦show more content†¦Besides Arnold Friend physical appearance, which makes the reader assume that his character is not a human being, Oates gives him supernatural powers that a normal person could not have. One example of this is the power that he has over Connie; he knows everything that involves her: â€Å" Just for a ride, Connie sweetheart. Arnold Friend says. I never said that my name was Connie, she said. And he replies: But I know what it is. I know your name and all about you, a lots of things, Arnold Friend said †(584-585). The security of Arnold Friend words gives to reader the impression that he has been watching her closely and all the time without her knowing it or noticing it. This confirms the reader’s hypothesis that Friends is Satan. Moreover, when Connie tries to hide from him in her house, Arnold manipulates her into leaving the house simply by telling her what to do, like a puppeteer and his puppet: â€Å"You won’t want your family to get hurt. Now get up all by yourself. Now turn this way. That’s right. Come over here to me. Now come out through the kitchen to me honey and let’s see a smile, try it, you are brave sweet little girl†(591). Oates makes the reader infer that Satan’s only way to make her comes out is by using his demon powers, because the devil cannot get into your house unless you have invited him in. Therefore, he uses hisShow MoreRelatedCommentary on Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been1491 Words   |  6 PagesCommentary on Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been 10/17/06 Joyce Carol Oates has achieved many things through her writing, and is recognized worldly for her short story Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? This story is centered on a young teenage girl as many of her stories are. Oates as a writer is fascinated with adolescence of young females. She chooses to write about the trials and tribulations of growing up in modern society. She pries on the dark aspects of youth oftenRead MoreEssay on Growing Through Temptation and succeed: The Garden of Eden863 Words   |  4 PagesGrowing Through Temptation and succeed One of the problems in our lives today was sin, and it was caused by temptation. Most people after going through temptation they succeed, others are not. Temptation is something really interesting to you and you want to know more of it or experience it, but once you have done it, it will last only for a short time period and surely it will bring you suffering. The first temptation in this world was from the beginning in the Garden of Eden. Eve was told not toRead MoreWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been?723 Words   |  3 PagesPsycho, Demon, Dreams, Oh My! â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?† by Joyce Carol Oates is a short story about a 15-year old girl named Connie that falls in the trap of Arnold Friend. 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ThroughoutRead MoreWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been1249 Words   |  5 PagesThroughout many cultures, age has been seen as a determinate factor of maturity. And with this maturity, comes power. This belief is clearly defined in Joyce Carol Oates’ short story, â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been†. In this story, the main character, Connie, struggles to reach maturity. Wielding her sexuality in hand, Connie charges into the battle for power, leaving her vulnerable to Arnold Friend’s temptation. Through the use of a symbolic figure, Arnold Friend, who representsRead MoreTales From The Mekong Delta Essay1127 Words   |  5 PagesEverything turns a beautiful blue. Sights, sounds, touch, and mind-sets are changed. Creativity flows freely from your mind to the hand to the pen and to the paper. This blue is the blue that knows you and where you live and its never going to forget(107). The blue is the fix and excitement an addict gets from drugs. Addicts look for an escape. They feel that if they just have that hit they will enjoy life and its experien ces to a fuller extent. In Kate Bravermans short story Tall TalesRead MoreLove, Hate, and Temptation1560 Words   |  6 PagesLove, Hate, and Temptation In March 2013, Tyler Perry released Temptation: Confessions of A Marriage Counselor. This is Perry’s 15th movie, which he both wrote and directed. This film, like all of Perry-made movie, gratifies values of the African-American church-going audience. Perry grew up in New Orleans, La. Perry’s childhood was full of hard times, but was soothed by church attendance with his mother. His father, Emmitt Perry Sr. was a carpenter. The family makeup included Perry senior’s