Refutation Marie Mitchell Olesen Urbanski reflects on the parallels between a literary work and biblical suggestions in her essay “Existential Allegory: Joyce Carol Oates “Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?” (Studies in Short Fiction, 1978.) In her criticism, she compares the story of Connie’s passive submission to Arnold Friend with the seduction of Eve by the Devil in the biblical myth. She uses Oates’ descriptions of Arnold friend to prove that he is …showed first 75 words of 855 total…

…showed last 75 words of 855 total…Lover, a Demon, and all that.” (Fiction 100 p. 1113) For Marie Urbanski to state that Arnold is the devil seems to show a shallow view of Oates’ magical story and not give enough credit to a wonderfully complex antagonist. Bibliography 1. Urbanski, Mari Mitchell Olesen. “Existential Allegory: Joyce Carol Oates ‘Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?”’ Studies in Short Fiction. Newberry College. 1978. 200-03 2. Pickering, James. Fiction 100: An Anthology of Short Stories. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1998