be at least thirty, possibly even older. “…Friend’s much older self begins to emerge through his painted lashes, black wig, reflecting sunglasses, and cosmetically tanned face…” (Creighton 118). He is a short man who in order to stand erect; he must push his shoulders back. At one point, Friend removes his glasses, and reveals his eyes which “…were chips of broken glass that catch the light…” (Oates 474). Friend has a mask-like face that stops when it reaches his neck, almost as if it is painted on to his head. Whenever Friend speaks, his words seem to come out in a singsong style sounding as if he were repeating the lyrics of a song. There are two specific details in this story that lead someone to believe Friend is an evil man. The first one is the way his boots turn almost as if his foot is not even in it. Marie Urbanski states that “his feet resemble the devil’s cloven hooves,” which explains why his feet do not fit into the boots properly (403). The other detail is the fact that Friend has a muscular neck. Often times this “suggest the reptillian, as does the fact that he slid rather than stepped out of the car” (Urbanski 403). In this last statement, Friend is being portrayed as a snake, which is often meant to be a symbol of evil, or the devil himself. In several instances, Friend appears to be holding himself up by leaning on different objects, such as his car and a post. “He was standing in a strange way, leaning against the car as if he were balancing himself” (Oates 474). Friend has hooves, so it is more difficult for him to stand while he is wearing shoes. Friend asks the question “Don’t you know who I am?” (Oates 479). Marie Urbanski states “he asks in an eerie fashion, as if she had encountered him before, as one does evil” (Oates 403). Arnold Friends evilness is the basis for th...
