An Old Fiend

Varun Mokhashi
AP 1
666

The Lure of an Old Fiend

At first, the story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, written by Joyce Carol Oates, seems to be about a young, insecure, and vain teenage girl, Connie, living her summer vacation joyfully, and without any cares; but as one reads on, themes of death, the devil, and evil make themselves apparent. The story details Connie’s encounter with Arnold Friend, a sexual predator, who entices Connie into leaving her house and safe haven, so that he may abduct her. While early on in the story, Arnold Friend seems to be a normal kid around Connie’s age, she soon discovers that he is actually much older than she is. She realizes that he is not what he seems, and her curiosity of Arnold begins to turn into a terrible fear of him. He threatens her and tries to get her to leave the safety of her house and come outside into his outstretched arms. Arnold Friend comes to represent death and the devil in the story; in contrast, Connie—a young girl who seeks to jump into adulthood before she is ready—represents an innocent maiden turned victim to her insecurity, vanity, and curiosity.

An article Joyce Oates read in Life Magazine, about a young man who “enticed” and then killed several young women in Tucson, Arizona, acted as the inspiration for the story (Answers Corp.). In fact, it seems that Connie faces a similar fate. Before she exits the door through which Arnold stands, she thinks to herself, “I’m not going to see my mother again…I’m not going to sleep in my bed again.” While the conclusion of the story and Connie’s eventual fate is left ambiguous by the author, these hints are a clear foreshadowing of Connie’s death. Also, the story was originally titled, “Death and the Maiden” until Oates changed the story, making it more realistic and subtle.

More hints toward death and the devil are shown when Arnold first introduces himself to Connie. In response to Connie’s question, “What’s all that stuff painted on your car?” Arnold responds by telling her that his name is painted on the car. Then he continues on about other parts of the car including numbers that represent “a secret code.” “He read[s] off the numbers 33, 19, 17.” Surprisingly, in the 33rd book from the end of the Old Testament, 19th chapter, and 17th verse, the title of Oates’s story can be found as the quote “Whither goest thou? And whence comest thou?” Also, after the r’s are removed from the name Arnold Friend, the name spells An old Fiend.

Even Arnold’s physical description seems similar to that of the devil. In his frustration at Connie’s refusal to give in to her “temptations” and go along with his plans, Arnold’s smile momentarily drops from his face, but almost instantly, Connie once again “watche[s] his smile come, awkward as if he were smiling from inside a mask. His whole face was a mask.” Once Arnold is on the porch, Connie notices that “One of his boots was at a strange angle, as if his foot wasn’t in it. It pointed out to the left, bent at the ankle.” This fits the description of the devil, being that the devil is supposed to have hooves for feet.

Throughout the story, Arnold tries to force Connie to give in to her temptations. Connie’s fantasies about escaping her life, and her daydreams of alternate lifestyles serve as the pathway Arnold uses to gain control of Connie’s mind. Arnold successfully entrances Connie. Her wishes to hang out with the older guys and her desires to jump into an early adulthood leave her vulnerable to Arnold’s deceitful mind tricks. Arnold capitalizes upon Connie’s insecurities and innocence to lure her from her safe haven and into the devil’s clutches. (666)




"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? (Style)." Notes on Short Stories. Answers Corporation, 2006. Answers.com 30 Sep. 2008. http://www.answers.com/topic/where-are-you-going-where-have-you-been-story-5.




Discussion Questions:
1. Why do you think Connie walked out to Arnold at the end of the story?
2. Paragraph 135.
3. What is the role of Ellie, Arnold's friend?
4. Why do you think the author left out Connie's eventual fate?
5. What was the role of music in the story?