What do the numbers (33, 19, 17) on Arnold Friend's car signify in "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?"

The way Friend leers at Connie, you might think these numbers are a woman's measurements: bust 33, waist 19, hips 17; but that would make an unusual looking woman.

Perhaps he is referring to John 19:17: "So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of the skull." Traditionally, Jesus was 33 when he was crucified.

At the end of the story, when Connie looks out over the fields as she walks out of the house, she realizes that she is walking to her own death.

One other thing that might link Friend to an anti (meaning opposite of) Christ is that he asks her, "Don't you know who I am?" Jesus asked the same question of his disciples.

What do the numbers 33, 19, and 17 signify in "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?"?

Joyce Carol Oates is known for leaving cryptic clues in her stories that provide points of deeper analysis, and this is one such clue.

When Arnold Friend introduces himself to Connie, he points out the numbers written on the side of his car. He even acknowledges that they are a "secret code" and wants to know what Connie thinks about them. Baffled and caught off guard, Connie doesn't seem to have any reaction to the numbers at all.

The numbers 33, 19, and 17 look loosely like a reference to Scripture, so that is a plausible starting place for an investigation. Counting to the thirty-third book in the Bible won't lead to any verse that is pertinent to this story. However, this is a story that centers around the way evil appears unexpectedly. What happens if we take a less predictable approach and count backwards thirty-three books, starting with the last book in the Old Testament? By using this method, we will land in Judges. Take a look at Judges 19:17 (NIV):

When he looked and saw the traveler in the city square, the old man asked, "Where are you going? Where did you come from?"

Here, we have a direct connection to the title of the story and to the mysterious characterization of Arnold Friend, whose name reads An Old Fiend if you remove the rs. Arnold Friend, who has seemingly supernatural powers of evil, appears out of nowhere. His plans for Connie are sinister, yet she fails to recognize this truth when it initially presents itself. The secret code is one of the first clues that Arnold Friend, a sinister traveler, is a malicious threat.