Is there any symbolism in Ellie Oscar's name in "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?"

Although it is easy to discover that "Arnold Friend" can
be easily read as "An Old Friend" (that is, as a reference to the devil), "Ellie Oscar"
is a bit more difficult to analyze. There is not unified critical agreement in regards
to the meaning of this character's name, but we can be sure that Oates intended for the
name to be meaningful, because of the symbolic meaning found in the story's names,
number combinations, physical descriptions, etc. Here are some of the ways in which we
might interpret Ellie's name:

1. Ellie as "Ally." If Arnold
Friend is the Fiend, then Ellie is his ally, or
friend/sidekick.

2. Ellie as "Eli," which is a biblical
reference.

3. Ellie as short for "Elvis" -- this is
particularly interesting if we see the story as representative of a teenager's
experience with the dangers of adulthood. The pair are rock-and-roll personified.
Rock-and-roll can seem glamorous and fun, but can lead to dangerous
things.