People don't reveal their true selves until it's too late. When time passes, people finally show their true colors. In Joyce Carol Oates' short story, "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" Arnold Friend is portrayed as something akin to the devil himself. Through Oate's description of his appearance, he could tell readers what a devil might also look like. Furthermore, the actions he takes to get what he wants could be described as disturbing and could even hurt another person. Also, Arnold Friend's dialogue might tell you some things that are on his mind. Oates creates a well-developed chapter giving specific details about what Arnold is like and who he really is. Oates makes the story something realistic because before writing it he examined other stories that would be useful for his story. Throughout the story, the reader gets an in-depth look at what Oates is trying to portray by portraying a devil within the character. At the end of the story it might shock many because Arnold talks mostly to Connie. Oates describes Arnold as a strange guy, it seems Arnold is fake to the core. “He had shaggy, scruffy black hair that looked crazy like a wig and he was smiling at her” (Approaching Literature p. 131), in the description you see a random guy who dresses up to be another person and wants much more than to be friends . Immediately afterwards he also says that he and his friend were wearing sunglasses, without showing how old he actually was. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay There is an important part describing what a devil would look like when Connie says, “He was standing in a strange way, leaning on the car as if he were balancing himself” (Approaching Literature p. 132). When a person thinks hell, he is sometimes portrayed as a goat. Saying he needs leverage to be able to stand he appears to have snorts for feet. Plus, the suit he wore protected him by showing his true identity When Oates he studied his background before writing the story, he wanted to come up with a man who was almost the same as the man who raped and killed three people. He wanted it to look like a handsome man who saves a girl in trouble. Showing how Arnold was interested in the Connie's music and her appearance, it was a little easier for Connie to accept her fate with him. Although Arnold's friend Ellie didn't speak during the story, she seemed a little out of place Connie had described him, he couldn't seem to do much, just sit there and watch Arnold work his magic. It also seems like he might be the one helping the devil. In fact, Ellie might be another type of devil-related character, but she isn't really shown to the readers. Arnold knew that Connie would fall in love with him and eventually take him because of his looks and what he liked. He was the perfect man for her and no other person could have caught her eye. Although describing Arnold shows what he may seem like, the actions he takes make him what he truly is, a devil. The actual actions are shown right before and right after Arnold says, "Ellie and I came here especially for you," he said. “Ellie can sit in the back. What do you think?". When Connie first met Arnold outside the restaurant, she felt a strange vibe with him around her. After finding out he was out of the house the next day, she gained courage about him and who he was. At first, Arnold is shown as a great guy who knows what Connie likes and asks her question after question. After a while,.