John Updike a&P Analysis

Sammy see’s that in the group there is a leader he nicknames her queenie. “She kind of led them, the other two peeking around and making their shoulders round. She didn’t look around, not this queen” (149). Sammy recognizes that these two girls are like the people in the A&P that he wants to set himself apart from. The word queen symbolizes great stature, high rank to which others are below her. He chooses to name her this because of how she carries herself with no care about what people are looking at he.. Critic Gilbert Porter brings up a question that ties into the conformity that is expected in the A&P; “Does the attire of the girls satisfy the requirement of “decency” which the policy of the A&P demands?” The answer is no. When Sammy’s manager Lengel see’s these girls he responds by saying “We want you decently dressed when you come in here” (151). Lengel using the word we represented the unity of attitudes of all the people like Lengel that the girls are not “decently” dressed. Sammy finds it amusing but also does not agree with how Lengel treated the girls.

First it all, Sammy decide to quit his job because of his boss, Lengel has insulted the girls inside the store. Sammy feel unsuspected hero when he defend the girls to the manager. For example,

Sammy is obviously intelligent and is able to describe his thoughts so eloquently; it’s as if the reader is looking through a peephole in his mind. The first time Queenie speaks, he offers up an inner thought, “Her voice kind of startled me, the way voices do when you see the people first, coming out so flat and dumb yet kind of tony, too, the way it ticked over “pick up” and “snacks.” All of a sudden I slid right down her voice into her living room”. (18) This brilliant passage is not a random thought of a normal grocery store clerk with no education or ambition. It is the voice of a scholar who hasn’t yet found his true calling.

As people age, maturity and wisdom is gained through every experiences. From the time a child turns eighteen and becomes an adult, they are required to deal with the realities of the real world and learn how to handle its responsibilities. In John Updike's short story, "A&P", the narrator Sammy, a young boy of nineteen, makes a major change to his life fueled by nothing more than his immaturity and desire to do what he wants and because of that, he has do deal with the consequences.

In “A&P”, the author John Updike utilizes symbolism, point of view, setting, and imagery to convey the message of choices and consequences in Sammy’s life. The protagonist, Sammy, makes immature decisions that he believes that’s what adults do. But what he thinks is an act of courage and chivalry doesn’t catch Queenie and her friends’ attention, but he still facing the consequences of his child-like behavior.

Updike’s portrayal of each character is the audience’s first glimpse of symbolism in its purest form. Updike purposefully does not give his characters names in the traditional sense, rather, he has Sammy assign appropriate “names” according to the character’s actions. The leader in the group of girls, as Sammy names her “Queenie”, was the epitome of seduction. She floats around the store with her swimsuit straps pulled down slightly off of her shoulders and holds her head high, which exudes confidence. Queenie obviously knows she has power and status, as described by Sammy, “[She] turned so slow it made my stomach rub the inside of my apron” (Updike 983).

Work continues as usual until one day three girls walk into the store “… in nothing but bathing suits” (Updike, 108). The girl who appears to lead the others is given the name “Queenie” by Sammy. This disruption in Sammy’s life reflects the importance of rebellion. While straying from the norms of life can lead to uncertainty, it is a risk people must take to achieve true happiness because disruptions force people out of conformity and eventually to see the infinite perspectives of life.

Through Updike’s detailed descriptions the audience is able to visualize the events taking place in the A & P. Therefore, when the manager, Lengel, addresses the girls the reader can feel the tension in the store. Lengel reprimands the girls for wearing swimsuits in the store. As he continued to embarrass the girls Sammy becomes angry with Lengel. Walter Wells describes Sammy’s reaction when he says, “Sammy witnesses Queenie's mortification up close with profound, if complicated, sympathy.” Because Sammy is able to see Queenies embarrassment, he feels it is his responsibility to act as her hero and stand up to her.

As the story continues, Sammy curiously watches the provocative young ladies as they stroll through the store looking for groceries. In this fictional story, Sammy describes all three noticeable ladies, the main girl, "Queenie" he describes her as the leader of the two other girls. The second young lady he described was the

Even though Sammy’s mindset is childlike, he still tries to portray himself in an adult manner. The reader can observe throughout the story the way in which Sammy thinks to be immature and quick to judge. Having his concentration only on the girls, he made a mistake while ringing up a customer. Because he is so focused on how the girls are dressed and what they are up to, he has full descriptions of each girl and thinks he has them all figured out. He points out the leader and even names her “Queenie” while not giving the other two as much attention. The reader can see how Sammy sort of mocks some of the customers when he sees Lengel “checking the sheep through” (Updike 435). Sammy’s priority, which should only be ringing up customers, but happens to be seeing what the girls are up

but he is also part of the group that makes the policy for the store.

The story of A&P (written by John Updike, a US writer born 1932 in Pennsylvania, died in 2009) Is one of lengthy descriptive details of places, people, and things that take place in a town north of Boston, Massachusetts. This first person point of view type of story features a seemingly normal 19 year old cashier named Sammy who is stuck at work on an average Thursday afternoon when 3 girls in bathing suites come in to buy some kingfish snacks. As he describes the 3 girls; it becomes apparent that the most attractive girl of the group who has her top straps loose in such a way that they reveal a little bit more than should be showing becomes the main focus of the story , along with his reactions and details of other people’s reception

A&P, a short story by John Updike, would best be analyzed by using the school of New Criticism and analyzing the journey Sammy, the narrator, experiences throughout the story. The school of New Criticism believes that the work’s overall meaning depends solely on the text in front of the reader. This is the primary way that students are taught to analyze literature in high school, or early in college. Using this school, there are many different elements to evaluate or interpret; including theme, allusion, and point of view. When analyzing the hero’s journey, a reader should look at seven characteristics. By looking at these seven characteristics of the story, the reader will be able to see into the mind of narrator and see what he/she is going through emotionally and physically. The point of using these two techniques to analyze this story is to gain insight into the writers’ and characters’ minds and see what drives them to do what they do.

In John Updike’s best known story “A&P”, a tale of a young 19 year-old boy name Sammy, who works in a local supermarket ; A&P, as a cashier. Sammy is attempting to tell the story of why he impulsively quit his job one day. He narratively gives a very vivid description of everything that happens. Sammy acts decisively when standing up for what he thinks is right. Standing up for what you believe in is an essential life skill.

John Updike wrote “A&P” which takes place in a poor town north of Boston in 1961. Sammy is a nineteen-year-old young man who works as a cashier at the A&P grocery store. Three females show up in the store wearing only their bathing suits, which attracts Sammy. When Sammy’s manager, Lengel, sees them, he says, “We want you decently dressed when you come in here, after this come in here with your shoulders covered; it’s our policy” (Updike). Sammy believes Lengel’s reaction and tone is mean and disrespectful. He makes an immature decision and quits his job. This type of attitude from Lengel toward the girls’ portrays that they are living in a society that is much different from today’s culture. In this time period, it was not normal to see woman dressed in bathing suits in stores or other public places right in the middle of town; the girls dressing this way was considered inappropriate and degrading. Sammy states, “There are people in this town who haven’t seen the ocean in twenty years” (Updike). During this time, women were expected to behave and dress conservatively, experienced discrimination, had limited rights and many families were living under the poverty line, relying on one another to survive. People had very low incomes; making $1.15 per hour on the average (“Wage and Hour Division”). Sammy should not have quit his job because he does not gain anything, and faces consequences.