Shaving Leslie Norris Analysis

Sammy from John Updike’s “A&P” and Sarty from William Faulkner’s “Barn Burning” are two great examples of young people raising their standards and doing what they believe is right. In “A&P”, Sammy is nineteen years old and works at a local grocery store named the A&P. His life changes the day he quits his job after defending three girls that are “called out” by Lengel, the manager, for breaking the unwritten dress code. In “Barn Burning”, Sarty is a ten year old boy who struggles between the fine line of right and wrong when his father, Abner Snopes, is put on trial for burning down a barn. When his father attempts to burn down another barn, Sarty takes charge and warns the owner. “A&P” and “Barn Burning” are short story classics that

In life, there are many decisions that everyone must make. And with decision-making comes consequences, some that we are ready for , and some that we may not be ready for. The author of ' The Man Who Was Almost a Man,' Richard Wright, portrays a young man who wants to be a man, but shows that he is clearly unprepared for manhood and the consequences that come with that responsibility. Through decision making based on self interest, wanting to gain respect from his family, and wanting to prove his dignity, Richard Wright brings forth the main character, Dave, a seventeen year old boy, whose actions show that he is only 'almost a man.'

Coming of age, another popular concept used by many authors, grasps firm control of the reader’s imagination. Neil Simon’s play, “Brighton Beach Memoirs”, is no exception. Throughout the play, Simon emphasizes many occurrences of characters coming of age. Eugene Jerome’s realization of puberty, Nora Morton asserting her independence are great, however when Blanche Morton finally identifies that, growing up and the need of beginning to take care of her own life, is best for her family.

Parents often say, “Listen to your elders.” This cliché can make some people apathetic, but when looking back, most appreciate the wisdom of their elders. The knowledge imparted to children is crucial for their ability to understand and improve the world. In XIV by Derek Walcott, the speaker uses imagery, metaphor, and other literary devices to convey the storyteller’s significance to his life.

A coming of age story is when the protagonist experiences climatic event that leads them to adulthood. The event is usually tough but leads to a realization or epiphany. The short stories “A&P” by John Updike and “Araby” by James Joyce both reflect coming of age stories. In the story A&P, the narrator, Sammy quits his job to stand up for the three girls wearing “nothing but their bathing suits”() In the story Araby, the narrator shows himself growing up through discovering his sexuality. In the stories A&P and Araby there are strong similarities in the plot and setting, however they are also different in the imagery and figurative language.

In the short stories “A&P” by John Updike and “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates, both authors tell of story of transitioning from childhood to adulthood. Sammy, from Updike’s story, is a nineteen year old boy whose parents got him a job as a cashier at the local A&P. Connie, from Oates’ story, is a pretty, blonde, fifteen year old girl who has an almost narcissistic attitude as she has a habit of constantly checking herself and comparing herself to others. Both of these teenagers are in the similar position of growing up, however, they are doing so in very different ways.

Even at such a young age the boy is beginning to develop the ability to form morals and values of his own. However, Sarty fears the harshness of his father, so he forces himself to abandon the thought of questioning his father’s judgments as evidenced by his thoughts “Forever he thought. Maybe he’s done satisfied now, now that he has…stopping himself, not to say it aloud even to himself.”

Tobias Wolff’s memoir, “This Boy’s Life”, explores the idea that an individual’s actions can be altered due to the people they are exposed to. The protagonist Jack Wolff lives an impressionable life where he undergoes somewhat of a dilemma in relations to his actions, being incapable of changing for the greater good of himself. The absence of a proper male role model plays a large role on Jack’s actions, though is definitely not the only reason. Jack’s actions are influenced by Rosemary’s abusive and power craving ex-husband Roy, as well as Dwight’s violent and arrogant personality. However, Jack is also responsible for his

The military is very strict on its policies for shaving in order to make its soldiers look more presentable. In the military’s view every soldier must be clean shaven with the exception of moustaches, profiles, or in the Special Forces.

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.

Although Milkman was too young to fully understand the implications, it set forth a feeling of confused shame that would be rehashed at a later age and that would have him questioning his mother’s actions as a ‘traditional mother’. Freddie looked upon the situation through the eyes of his own experience of manhood, ideals and thought process and insinuated “Milkman” as being a ‘boob man’ instead of a child receiving nourishment and bonding with his mother. In doing so, he also placed a subconscious learned idea of the expectation of manhood in the boys’ head at a very early age. Another result of Freddie’s interaction and comments that day placed a label on the young child as the “milkman” that would follow him all the way through to adulthood and indeed a perception of him being a ‘boob man’ and also as Ruth being inappropriate in her traditional role as a mother.

The most difficult time in a child's relationship with his/her parents is mainly during its teenage years. These are times of rebellion, disagreement, strong emotion, psychological changes and sexual experimentation just to name a few. In Mary Gaitskill's short story "Tiny, Smiling Daddy", the main theme "of how people seek intimacy but don't know how to achieve it" (Gaitskill, 289) is conveyed by the author through the characters, symbolism and setting and imagery.

Being in the army, means you are part of a team. Being part of a team means you have to rely on other people, and other people have to rely on you. If you aren't being a team player then you can let the team and your battle buddies down. By not shaving, you are letting your battle buddies and team down. The army is based on uniformity and cleanliness. When you don't shave you begin to expire that idea.

Porter reminiscences about his childhood experiences and how he and other boys were to strictly follow a set of rules that make a man a “man.” No crying or acting weak in front of other men, for instance, would be idealistic for a strong man. Porter even recalls meeting a teen football player who was deeply saddened and wanted to express his emotions. The teen, however, was in front of his guy friends at the time and he just could not express any emotions in front of them because he would seem weak and girlish. Peer pressure and conforming to society has pressured the boy into falling into the trap once again. The teen learned to be tough since everyone else was tough and did not cry. This story is similar to Pollitt’s statement on how “people aspire to what is possible and conform to what is necessary.” The teen aspired to become a strong man but knew he had to conform to society in order to do so. Pressures from other kids and parents play a huge effect on stereotypes. The teen, if he did not conform to society, would be considered an outcast. People ccannot handle the fact of being called an outcast or abnormal.

This particular short story is a satire about the two different worlds between adults and children. It may be narrated by someone who perhaps may have been an adult who was lost in a child's world, like an adult who still has a heart and soul of a child