@Eng IV

-Are there certain truths that can be considered universal or absolute?

One thing that is universal throughout all teenagers and children and even adults, is that we all just want to be loved and we want to know someone cares that we exist. Connie is no different, and is neglected by her family and broken down emotionally by her sister who pales to her in comparison. This rejection leads to Connie looking to other people that may seem untrustworthy at best, to find the attention she so desperately requires. So when Arnold promises to deliver the love and affection that she is yearning for, she is conflicted and her feelings cloud her judgment.
All teenagers feel the need to be loved and seek attention and caring from their respective peers. Connie is no different, and when she is shunned by her sister and unseen by her family, she begins to yearn for attention. Then Arnold comes along and he starts offering all of the things she wants, he offers attention, love, and he tries to relate to her feelings of her family. Any normal person could obviously tell this man was very dangerous and would have immediately called the cops, but she was susceptible to his tricks because she really wanted the attention he promised. He related to her on an emotional level and persuaded her to come outside, only because she wasn’t in the right mind set, her mind was discombobulated.
It isn’t her fault either, though you could argue she is borderline crazy, she isn’t the one who denied her of these feelings of loving and caring. It’s her parents and her sister who caused her to be deranged and their actions ultimately lead to her going with the man. The knowledge that every human wants to feel needed is universal and is shared by everyone, so Connie naturally felt unneeded by her family. Which lead to her finally giving in to Arnold because, in her mind, he was a better choice for attention then her family who didn’t love her as much as him.