Many critics have interpreted Arnold Friend as a symbol of some larger idea or force, such as the devil, death, or sexuality. Connie, also, has been said to represent many things: Eve, troubled youth, or spiritually unenlightened humanity. Such interpretations can be validated by Oates's initial title for the story, "Death and the Maiden," which she explains was chosen to suggest "an allegory of the fatal attractions of death (or the devil)" for a young woman who is "seduced by her own vanity." Oates also points out, though, that as she revised the story her interest shifted toward a more realistic, rather than allegorical, treatment of her character and situation.
Several images are used to give readers insight into Connie's perspective in the story. These images frequently relate to popular music, which serves as a background throughout the entire story and takes on a near-sacred religious function for Connie since "none of them bothered with church." "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been" is subtitled "For Bob Dylan,"' and at least one critic has noticed the similarity between Arnold's car and the "magic swirling ship" that Dylan Wrote about in his 1960s song "Mr. Tambourine Man." Connie believes that life and love will be "the way it was in movies and promised in songs." This belief in the simplistic thoughts of popular music makes her unable to discern Arnold Friend' s true nature until it is too late to' escape. Arnold, too, relies on song lyrics to seduce Connie. In a "half-sung sigh" he calls her "My sweet little blue-eyed girl," a possible reference to the Van Morrison song "Brown-Eyed Girl" Connie, in fact, has brown eyes, and the misstatement is further evidence that Arnold is not what he seems.
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