Hey Arnold!

The short story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” presents a mid-nineties teenage haven full of music, drive-in movies, and obvious religious undertones. However in everything amidst this era, religious undertones, like the story’s antagonist, Arnold Friend, do not fit in. The story describe a quickly changing relationship with Connie, a fifteen year old girl and Friend. Oates uses various religious messages through the popular culture, which Joyce M. Wegs describes as, “…gods of modern society,” that have, “…substituted for conventional religion”(Wegs 100). These gods consist of music, dance, and general teenage amusement which Connie has devoted herself to. Connie is seen to only really concern herself with these teenage amusements, which Wegs relates as worship to a religious god. Wegs goes on to further the idea of religious symbolism through the story by relating the diner Connie and her friend enters as church-like, and her journeys there as, “…grotesquely parodied religious pilgrimage “(Wegs 100). The diner is seen as a teenage social hub, and contains in abundance the many references to the previously mentioned gods (i.e. jukeboxes for music, flirting, etc.), almost like a regular church. Wegs even describes the building itself resembling a place of worship, with pointed structure and symbols. 

However, one big religious hint seen was with Arnold Friend himself. Friend, whose, “…slippery friendly smile,” that all, “…the boys used to get across ideas they didn't want to put into words,” acted as the Devil did in biblical terms (Oates 5). Friend is constantly portrayed as a nice character on the outside, however seeming slightly off. This is until Connie begins to see through Friend’s deception, and begin to believe that Friend is merely a disguise intended to fool Connie. Arnold Friend, just as the Devil did in biblical terms, tried to persuade and talk over Connie into doing a horrible deed. Although in Oates’ story, the apple of Eden is more realistically depicted as the golden car which Friend tries to persuade Connie to drive off with him in.  

As a reaction, I believed the short story was eye opening. From merely a reader’s standpoint I was very intrigued and amused by the twists that ensued as Friend began to change personas, going from a light-hearted ladies man to a devilish and sinister villain. I was also fascinated by Wegs’ religious interpretation by connecting now obvious links with the short story to religion. Overall, I believe the short story’s value and hidden meaning give more to the plot, making this short story anything but short.