The Characteristics Of The Arnold Friend - 1436 Words

Many authors look for inspiration in ways such as reflecting on past experiences, art, movies, history, or even nature. There are endless ways to develop new ideas in our everyday lives. In 1966, author Joyce Carol Oates was inspired to write a short story in a very peculiar way. While reading Life Magazine, she stumbled across an article about a serial killer with a bazar style and personality, which prompted her to write one of her most famous works to date. In the short story â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,† Joyce Carol Oates uses characteristics of serial killer Charles Howard Schmid Jr. to develop her fictional character Arnold Friend. Charles Howard Schmid Jr. was convicted of murdering three girls in the mid-sixties. He†¦show more content†¦Charles Schmid’s accomplice came in the form of John Saunders, a close friend of Schmid’s. Together, Schmid and Saunders picked up Alleen Rowe, convincing her to get in the car and tag along on a double date with them and another girl. They later drove her out to the desert and beat her to death with a rock (Gribben). In the story, Arnold Friend also features an accomplice, a menacing creep named Ellie Oscar. Similarly to John Saunders, Ellie Oscar plays a quiet, right-hand-man role, letting his ally do most of the work. The unmistakable resemblances between Charles Schmid’s and Arnold Friend’s accomplices point towards Joyce Carol Oates directly basing her character on the tactics of the real life serial killer. Joyce Carol Oates also based Arnold Friend’s stature off of Charles Schmid, the Pied Piper of Tucson. Charles Schmid was well known for being a short, well built individual. He was small but very athletic, having an accomplished career in gymnastics (Moser). Charles Schmid’s build and background in gymnastics is what was able to give him the physical ability to perform the multiple murders. Oates likely wanted to give Arnold Friend thos e same characteristics to make the story as realistic and as similar to the actual murders as possible. We can tell that Arnold Friend also features a muscular appearance when Connie describes him: â€Å"He looked as if he probablyShow MoreRelatedThe Hidden Identity of Arnold Friend Essay824 Words   |  4 PagesThe Hidden Identity of Arnold Friend The world is full of people who portray themselves as someone or something else. People usually hide their identity to obtain things that they want. It is common to be fooled by someones appearance. In Joyce Carol Oatess, Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been, Arnold Friend is an example of someone trying to trick another person into believing that he is something that he is not. In the story, a girl named Connie is confronted by a man who is tryingRead MoreWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been By Joyce Carol Oates1032 Words   |  5 Pagesthese people genuinely? Arnold Friend, in the short story, â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been† by Joyce Carol Oates, managed to deceive with his false characteristics. Arnold Friend was brought to life from Oates’s imagination of the mischievous serial killer Charles Schmid. Arnold Friend and Charles Schmid similarly attempted to delude with false attributes, had an interest in women, deceived women, both tried to create a false imagine for themselves, however Friend knew about everything aboutRead MoreSimilarities Between The Devil And Arnold Friend907 Words   |  4 PagesCarol Oates’ â€Å"short story† â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?†, a fifteen year old girl named Connie comes face-to-face with a man named Arnold Friend. 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Throughout the story there are hints at a complex background behind the famed invisible man that contribute to the reason for his erratic behavior. This is the same with the Arnold Friend, the main antagonist for Wells short story Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? For instance there are suggestions about Friend’s self hate of his appearance and actions. Therefore this might provide a reason for his unstable personalityRead MoreArnold Friend Character Analysis853 Words   |  4 PagesEnglish 21011 James Friend Spells ‘Sociopath’ The persona of a sociopath appears to be much like any human. In many cases, one would not be able to pick him out of a crowd. Their minds, however, differ greatly from the average mind. A sociopath is extremely smart and methodical and most often is very meticulous in the way in which he acts. While many people are not thinking beyond the norm, a psychopath thinks about his every breath, step, and word. In the short story Where are you