A friendly death

Recently in class we discussed the parallels that can be drawn between Emily Dickinson's Because I could not stop for death and Where are you going, where have you been? It was speculated that the character of Death in Dickinson's poem corresponded to Arnold Friend in Oats' story. They both arrive, unexpectedly, to pick up their passengers and take them away. Arnold Friend isn't explicitly labeled "Death" but parallels are much easier to draw if it is assumed that Friend is there to take Connie to her demise.

In both cases death is very polite to his intended victim. Arnold Friend is initally pleasant towards Connie, trying his best to put her at ease and make her comfortable but eventually loosing his temper. Dickinson says death is civil towards his passenger, implying a cordial, well mannered driver.

Despite the manner of each driver both stories imply an inescapable fate. Dickinson's character says that she "could not stop for death" so death came and picked her up. In the same fashion, Arnold friend arrives unannounced to pick up Connie to "go for a ride." In both cases the central character is going about her own business when "death" arrives, unannounced to take them away. When Dickinson's character says that she "could not stop for death" she could very well mean that she is refusing or at least hesitant to stop and go along with death. Connie is almost violently opposed to leaving with Arnold Friend, so much so that he threatens her family in an attempt to convince her to leave. Connie eventually leaves the house in a trance like state and joins Arnold Friend in his jalopy. Both characters eventually succumb and are taken away by death. It is as if they had no option but to go, as if fate dictated that it was their time and that they must leave there and then.