"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" by-Joyce Carol Oates

The Devil And Connie In Joyce Carol Oates's, "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?", the problem of evil encapsulates the theme of the story. Oates uses an allegorical figure of evil to illustrate this theme. She also alludes to hell through the character Arnold Friend, as the devil. His victim is Connie, an average teenage girl, just realizing her beauty. Arnold Friend comes to personify the devil who Connie unintentionally invites in by …

…force. In conclusion, the problem of evil encapsulates the theme of the story in "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?", by Joyce Carol Oates. She uses Arnold Friend to represent the devil. Connie's vanity is used to mask his real intentions. Oates also personifies evil through Friend and his persuasive ways. In the end Connie goes with Arnold without him using any physical force. Only the devil could do this to a person.