Response to Where Are You Going Where Have You Been By J C Oates
I believe that the Oates is using the character of Arnold Friend to represent a true evil that is present in our world today. ... It is like Oates is showing that in the real world, there are people like Friend who are really out there and do act in the sick and twisted way that Friend does in the story. ... Connie sees Arnold many times as an evil character and Oates shows this by having Connie describe Arnold as a “pumpkin, except it wore sunglasses.