Is Arnold Friend meant to be the devil in Where are you going where have you been?

Many people interpret Arnold Friend as the devil, and I would have to agree. The entire story has religious implications so I would not say it is taken out of context if you refer to him as the devil. There are several points that can be made that relate him to the ultimate evil, read carefully and you will find all of them. I am about to write an essay about it myself and it is very interesting when you sit down and analyze it yourself.