In Joyce Carol Oates' "Where Are you Going, Where Have You Been", Oates used figurative language to show the evil in Arnold Friend and how he as a Fiend tries to pull Connie into his corrupted world. The harsh reality that Oates includes in her story is that there are fiends that may seem like a friend around us like Arnold. By using figurative language Oates can create a fiend from what Seem to be …showed first 75 words of 573 total…

…showed last 75 words of 573 total…eventually gives in and left the safety of her home and into Arnold's world Oates tries to incorporate the idea that not everyone is your friend and love is not always what you see in the movies or hear in music. She gave life to the story by the use of symbolism and simile. Oates used figurative language to show extreme reality but to bad for Connie because she had to learn the hard way.