Objectives

• Analyse how Oates constructs Arnold Friend as a figure of supernatural and predatory menace through diction, physical description, and dialogue in the driveway confrontation.
• Identify and explain how Connie's sense of self erodes across the story, tracing specific moments from her double life at the drive-in to her final steps out of the door.
• Evaluate how Oates uses the allegorical register of the story — Arnold as Death or Devil — to comment on the vulnerability of adolescent girls in post-war suburban America.
• Write a sustained, evidenced analytical paragraph that embeds and analyses at least two quotations from the text to support an argument about power and identity.
• Connect the story's biographical and cultural context — Charles Schmid, Bob Dylan, 1960s suburban America — to specific textual choices Oates makes.

The sequence

1. Lesson 1: How Oates Builds a Monster: Close Reading Arnold Friend's Arrival

   60 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   Without opening the story, jot down two or three sentences from memory in response to this question: what is the first thing about Arnold Friend that makes Connie — or you — feel uncomfortable? If you can’t recall a specific detail, describe what you might expect a menacing stranger in a story to look like and explain why. Be prepared to discuss your answer in relation to the text.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the paragraph starting with 'His name was Arnold Friend' and ending with '…like a wig' — the moment when Connie first realizes that something is off about him. Think aloud: demonstrate to students how the name 'Arnold Friend' serves both as an alert through its anagram and as a disturbing promise at the same time; explore how the comparison to a wig highlights the contrast between the facade of youth and the older, more predatory nature lurking beneath; and note how Oates's sentence structure shifts to a list ('his nose long and hawk-like, his teeth large and white') to compel the reader to scrutinize him just as Connie does, unable to turn away.

   Independent task

   Students annotate the passage starting from Arnold's first words—'Connie, don't fool around with me. I mean— I mean, don't fool around'—up to his unsettling revelation that he knows the layout of her house and where her family is during the barbecue. Working individually, they need to: (1) underline every detail that suggests Arnold knows things he shouldn’t; (2) circle any instance where his language changes tone—from teenage slang to something older or more formal—and write a note in the margins explaining the impact of that change; (3) compose two complete sentences at the bottom of the page arguing whether Arnold is more frightening because he has supernatural qualities or because he could realistically be a human predator, using at least one quote from the passage to support their argument. Students then return the annotated passage along with their two written sentences.

   Exit ticket

   In one sentence, name one specific word or phrase from the driveway confrontation that Oates uses to suggest Arnold Friend is not entirely human, and explain in a second sentence why that detail is more unsettling than an overtly monstrous description would be.

2. Lesson 2: Writing the Argument: Power, Identity, and Connie's Final Steps

   60 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   Re-read the final paragraph of the story — from 'She watched herself push the door slowly open' to the last line, 'the vast sunlit reaches of the land.' Write one sentence explaining whose point of view controls this moment: is it Connie's, Arnold's, or the narrator's? Write a second sentence describing what the phrase 'vast sunlit reaches of the land' evokes for you, and consider why Oates might have opted for an image of openness rather than darkness to conclude a story centered on abduction.

   Teacher input

   To construct an analytical paragraph using the Point–Evidence–Explain–Link (PEEL) structure, we can focus on the sentence, "She was hollow with what had been fear but what was now just an emptiness." This quote illustrates the profound emotional transformation Connie undergoes, emphasizing her sense of being 'hollow.' This word captures not only her fear but also a deeper loss — a loss of identity. Connie's self-worth has been closely tied to her appearance, her secretive lifestyle, and her desires. With the erosion of these aspects, she experiences a void that extends beyond mere emotion; it's as if her very essence has been stripped away. This aligns with Joyce Carol Oates's allegorical portrayal of Arnold as Death, suggesting that her identity is not just fading but is being consumed. Furthermore, this depiction resonates with the cultural context of 1960s suburban America, where teenage girls were often taught that their value depended on being desired. Connie's hollowness reflects the societal pressures that can lead to such a disintegration of self, illustrating the vulnerability of young women grappling with their identities in a conformist environment.

   Independent task

   In "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?", Joyce Carol Oates presents Arnold Friend as a sinister embodiment of power that ultimately leads to Connie's disintegration of identity. His dialogue, such as when he states, “I’m your lover. You don’t know what that is but you will,” showcases a predatory diction that reveals his manipulative nature, positioning him as an authoritative figure who seeks to dominate Connie psychologically. Oates further deepens Arnold’s menacing presence through his physical description, where the “two shadows” that accompany him symbolize the duality of his character, suggesting both charm and danger. This juxtaposition serves to enhance the theme of power dynamics, as Connie's initial attraction quickly gives way to terror. In the story's final paragraph, the ambiguity surrounding Connie's fate is captured through the chilling line, “She was not thinking of herself at all,” illustrating her complete surrender to Arnold's overpowering influence. This syntax emphasizes the loss of her agency and identity, reinforcing how Arnold's power transforms her from a vibrant young girl into a mere object of desire. Through Arnold Friend, Oates critiques the darker aspects of 1960s suburban America, reflecting societal fears of predation and the erosion of self amidst societal expectations and male dominance.

   Exit ticket

   Write one sentence explaining what the word 'hollow' in the phrase 'she was hollow with what had been fear but what was now just an emptiness' tells us about what Arnold Friend has done to Connie's sense of self — and whether you think Oates intends this as a comment on Connie specifically or on adolescent girls in 1960s America more broadly.

Activities

Assessment

• Lesson 1 do-now: teacher scans responses to check whether students can recall a specific unsettling detail from memory, indicating initial comprehension of Arnold Friend's characterisation.
• Lesson 1 annotation task: teacher circulates to check that students are identifying register shifts in Arnold's dialogue and writing marginal notes that name an effect, not just a feature.
• Lesson 1 exit ticket: teacher reads responses to check whether students can name a specific word or phrase and explain why indirection is more unsettling than overt monstrousness — this reveals whether the modelled close reading has transferred.
• Lesson 2 do-now: teacher checks whether students can identify narrative perspective in the final paragraph and respond to the connotations of 'vast sunlit reaches of the land', signalling readiness to write about Oates's craft.
• Lesson 2 peer review checklist: teacher collects completed checklists to see whether students can apply the paragraph criteria to a peer's work before receiving written feedback on their own.

Standards covered

Common Core 11 12

• RL.11-12.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• RL.11-12.3 — Analyse the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story, including where a story is set, how the action is ordered, and how the characters are introduced and developed.
• RL.11-12.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyse the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
• RL.11-12.6 — Analyse a case in which grasping a point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g. satire, irony, understatement).

AP Literature

• Literary Argumentation (LAN-1) — Make a defensible claim about the interpretation of a literary text using relevant evidence from the text.
• Figurative Language (FIG-1) — Explain the function of figurative language in a literary text, including how diction and imagery contribute to meaning.
• Character (CHR-1) — Explain the function of a character, including how a character's choices, actions, and speech reveal and reflect the broader meaning of the work.
• Narrator and Perspective (NAR-1) — Explain the function of point of view in a narrative, including how a narrator's reliability or distance shapes the reader's understanding of events.

AQA

• AO1 — Read, understand and respond to texts; maintain a critical style and develop an informed personal response; use textual references, including quotations, to support and illustrate interpretations.
• AO2 — Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where appropriate.
• AO3 — Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written and received.

Edexcel

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts, with reference to language, form, structure and literary context.
• AO5 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received.

IB Lit

• Criterion A — Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the literary work, including its themes, characters, and authorial choices.
• Criterion B — Analyse how the author's use of literary features and techniques contributes to the work's meaning and effect.
• Criterion C — Evaluate the work in relation to its cultural and historical context, including the author's stated intentions where relevant.