A & P John Updike Analysis

The setting of this story is in an era where women's rights were not privileged in different areas. In this story, the store had a policy on women coming in modestly clothed. The issue is Lengel the manager would not allow the girls to explain themselves instead he comes rather harsh at them. The reason why the girls came to the store was to pick up a few items, but they were already on their way to the beach. Lengel could have a reason better with them, at least let the girls explain themselves, considering it is summertime, and there is no school. Lengel could have to ask Sammy to explain to the girls. This is discrimination of the fact that these girls are not ugly, Sammy thought each one was attractive in a way. Lengel is unfair and possibly biased of woman that come in the store

John Updike's short story "A & P" reveals nineteen-year old Sammy, the central character, as a complex person. Although Sammy appears, on the surface, as carefree and driven by male hormones, he has a lengthy agenda to settle. Through depersonalization, Sammy reveals his ideas about sexuality, social class, stereotypes, responsibility, and authority. Updike's technique, his motif, is repeated again and again through the active teenage mind of the narrator Sammy.

John Updike tells a coming of age tale in his short story “A&P”. Even though on the surface it may seem like a simple story about a boy lusting over a few girls that walk into his workplace, there are actually many lessons to be learned from it. There are metaphors and symbols within the story that add detail and depth; however, the reader might not catch them the first time he or she reads this. In “A&P”, the themes of standing up for what is right and never looking back are apparent throughout the whole story.

Sammy’s a young guy working at a grocery store called A&P. When three girls came in the store and he notice them right away. Lengel, the store manager, embarrassed the three girls for wearing swimsuit because it wasn’t allowed in the store. Sammy quit his job and wanted to be the hero for the girls. Sammy decision to quit wasn’t the greatest idea. He was a rebellion, judgment and an immature person.

As the 1950s ended and the early 1960s came to a near, a decade followed by a change in politics, music, and society in the United States. The 1960s was a total era of protest. This was due to events such as the Vietnam War, the movement for women, and a change in politics due to the assassination of John F. Kennedy. These events caused some people to branch away from the conservative ways and rise up against what they thought was wrong. Many wanted a liberation from traditional values, creating a gap between the young and old. John Updike speaks to these ideas in his much anthologized “A & P.” In the short story, three young girls walk into a supermarket wearing their bathing suits. Then, the boss, Lengel, kicks out the females for the way

In “A&P” by John Updike, Sammy is the narrator. If the story had been written from a different perspective, however, the story would have a completely different tone.

The conflict of the story quickly becomes apparent, when the girls walk into the local A&P they are immediately perceived as sexually inappropriate. The protagonist puts an emphasis on how the girls look; he takes a special interest in one who he nicknames, Queenie. Sammy notices her “prima donna legs” and how the top of her suit has “slipped” to expose most of her chest. Although it is normal for a man to notice a woman Sammy’s description is so sexualized it's inappropriate. Sammy also says that older women usually came in similarly dressed but that “nobody, including them, could care less.” In other words there is almost a double standard because younger females are perceived as more attractive. Queenie is not

Sammy plays the hero in the short story of A&P. By quitting his job he shows a symbol of rejection to social norms; he showed qualities of a hero and gained the independence that came with that action. Part of this action was influence by his quest for Queenies attention. During the story he romanticized her “long white prima legs”, white shoulders, arms, bikini, and chest bones. Her existence was his threshold of enthusiasm he felt for life. Queenie and her two friends walk in dressed in bikinis with no shoes into a public store. Manager Lengel had made the girls feel uncomfortable with his comments about their appearance, he consecutively told the girls, “This isn’t the beach.” or “We want you decently dressed when you come in here.” There exists these social norms that all must follow but in this story women are specifically restricted. Sammy is projecting his feelings against these norms by saying to his manager, “You

“A & P”, by John Updike, described the story of three girls walk into grocery store. They have bathing suits on. One cashier boy whose name is Danny watches them closely and among three he liked one girl and he names her “Queenie”, she is the leader of the group. The store manager, Lengel scolds the girls for entering the store in bathing suits. The girls are embarrassed and to show the girls Sammy quits the job. He thought the girls are watching while quitting the job but his quitting the job goes unnoticed. When he leaves the store and he finds the girls are gone. He just watched the girls and did everything to impress them but it all turns unproductive.

When the girls come up to his register to check out at the same time his manager notices the girls and he comes over to Sammy’s register. His manager then proceeds to tell the girls that if they are to shop in the A&P that they must be dressed decently. Of course this embarrases the girls and they walk out feeling uncomfortable. As the girls are walking out of the store Sammy, thinking he is doing the right thing, says he wants to quit and leaves the store to find the girls but by the time he leaves the store the girls are long gone. But, when he leaves he is soon struck with the sudden realization that life is not going to be any easier after

They began to joke around like always and they realize how similar they are. When Sammy arrived back to his checkout area, the store manager Lengel. Lengel is very iffy about the fact that the girls are wearing bathing suits which is against the store policy so he punished them. The girls get embarrassed very badly. Queenie goes against what Lengel is saying and is telling him that her mother just wanted them to come in for a few snacks. Lengel did not care. As the girls are walking out the store Sammy began to feel angry. Sammy went to Lengel and decided to quit his job because of the way Lengel embarrassed the girls hoping the girls notice his strong feeling toward the situtation. Lengel tried to talk Sammy out of quitting but nothing could change his mind. Sammy then walks out of the store and waits outside. He sees that the

John Updike’s short story, A&P, takes place on a summer afternoon in a grocery store. It tells the story of three girls shopping while employee, Sammy, observes them and comes to conclusions about the shoppers and his own life. Throughout the story Sammy is arrogant, apathetic and seems to be passive, which shows the reader that a person may be their own worst enemy when they choose not to be active and live life.

When his manager reproaches the girls for their inappropriate shopping attire, Sammy resigns in protest, “hoping [the girls will] stop and watch me, their unsuspected hero” (35-36). The girls don’t, and Sammy admits to himself, “It’s true, I don’t [want to

In the short story “A&P” the author, John Updike, shows that simple parts of American culture can be quite interesting and have significant meaning behind them. Shopping at a supermarket is a common activity in the everyday life of most Americans. Updike makes it a fascinating thing through the mind of a nineteen year old boy. This is a story that talks about negative choices having negative consequences. It also expresses a coming of age type of view. All these points of the short story combined to make an intriguing representation of American life and culture.

The short story is A&P to make a change the attention about Sammy was these Queenie. To his Updike was common with people in the compelling narratives is there impression. As the reader of the A&P for society because people will believe it conflict. Using a uncomfortable in the grocery store narrative for Sammy were working in casher. Then Queener was walked into the store for bathing suit show look alike fabulous. The available to looking for girls have swimsuits in the store. Some checkout to regarded as the cashier with Sammy was the force at work because of the concerned. That is effect of character in a story was told for Updike before explaining about Sammy into the A&P.