John Updike’s “A&P” Essay

Introduction, the beginning: sammy’s world, a&p: literary analysis of sally’s transformation, sally’s maturity, works cited, further study: faq.

This essay is an analysis of John Updike’s “A&P” and its main character, Sammy, in particular. Sammy’s life changes with one incidence at the A&P grocery store. Three young girls walk into the store dressed in bikinis and attract people’s attention. His vivid description of the store puts the girls in sharp contrast with the store, which appears to be a slow place. The events in the story change Sammy’s outlook of life, and he grows from a fantasizing teenager to a man who understands life’s reality. This transition from youth to adulthood is the main theme that Updike wanted to develop in “A&P” short story. The analysis of this transformation is presented below.

Sammy’s world is not open. Through a relaxed and casual tone, Sammy explains his work and experience at the store. The setting of A&P is at a small grocery store, and one can conclude that it is the wrong place for this young man. He works in a small grocery store where he sits checking customers’ purchases all day. The work at A&P is very monotonous and does not encourage Sammy to be creative such that his mind wanders off, and he rings a customer’s item twice.

From Sally’s point of view, his job is sometimes so dull that he can hear songs from the cash register. Becoming a manager is the best that he can hope for in his current position. Moreover, Sammy is unhappy at his place of work, and he is glad when the three girls walk in and take the mind of his work and away from his small and closed world. He desires a different kind of life that is represented by the three girls who are clearly from another social divide.

Sammy comes from a lower social class, and the beauty of the girls makes him desire to have the kind of life they have. For example, they even dare to go to the store in bikinis in apparent disregard of the norms of this small town. They are free from the rules, and Sammy wishes to gain such freedom that is not in his little world.

On the other hand, the incidence with the three girls transforms Sammy. To begin with, he changes from an immature teen drooling over girls in bath suits. When the girls walk in, he enjoys them and jokes about them with his colleague Stokesia. However, he changes his perception of the girls and gets annoyed when McMahon checks them out.

He is offended and feels pity for them; he now sees them as human beings and not only sex objects. He sees himself in McMahon, who objectifies the girls “patting his mouth and looking after them sizing up their joints” (J.Updike 1). Through the author’s use of first-person narration, Sammy finds chivalry and transforms from an admirer to a protector of the girls.

Also, he transforms and learns to take control. Sammy is unhappy with the way Lengel, the manager treats the girls and embarrasses them. He takes control of the situation by standing up for the girls. Sammy tells the manager off and goes ahead to quit from his position. His decision to leave is irrational because he does it for the girls who do not recognize his ‘heroic’ deed for them as they walk away.

Sammy does not get the girls as he had expected he would by defending them; however, by fighting for them, he does it for himself and gathers the courage to walk away from his job. He learns that only he can control his destiny. He “refuses to be captured by conformity and monotony” like the sheep in the A&P store; instead he chooses “live honestly and meaningfully” (Mcfarland 96). His refusal to follow A&P’s policy and opting to quit is a sign of self-liberation (Porter 1155).

As a sign of maturity, Sammy understands that every action has consequences. When Sammy quits his job, he knows things will not be simple on the road ahead. He is not from a wealthy background, unlike the three girls who make him lose his job. His parents had gotten him the job, as they are friends with Lengel.

Maybe it is not easy to get a job in this town, and Sammy has just left his secure one at the store. He knows the consequences of quitting his career will be hard, “…and my stomach kind of fell as I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter” (Updike 1). Sammy is initiated into a new reality that is harsh, just like other ordinary people do at one point in their lives when they have to live with the problematic outcomes of the choices they make in life.

This essay analyzed “A&P” by John Updike and the transformations of its main character, Sammy. Below is the ending of the story summary. Sammy eventually quits his job in protest of the girls’ embarrassing treatment at the store. He has changed from a teen who was only concerned with the physical beauty of the three girls to a mature person who emphases with their plight in the hands of the other patrons at the store as he says he felt pity for them.

Standing up against Lengel shows that he has matured and will no longer conform to the rules of the society that are so limiting as he wants to go out and explore the world that the three girls make him know exists. He has quit his job, and he must now deal with the reality of his actions. The events that make up the plot of the story and influence Sally’s transformations are presented in the above sections of the essay. Literary analysis of “A&P” shows that symbolism, imagery, and allegory are the main rhetorical devices used by Updike. That is why “A&P” is considered to be an example of postmodernism by many literary critics.

Mcfarland, Ronald. “Updike and the Critics: Reflections on “A & P”.” Studies in Short Fiction 2 (1983): 95+. Web. EBSCOhost database.

Porter, Gilbert. “ John Updike’s ‘A & P’: The Establishment and an Emersonian Cashier. ” The English Journal , 61. 8(1972):1155–1158.

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Analysis of John Updike's "A and P"

The story shares a unique perspective on social norms

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Originally published in The New Yorker in 1961, John Updike's short story "A & P" has been widely anthologized and is generally considered to be a classic.

The Plot of the Updike's "A&P"

Three barefoot girls in bathing suits walk into an A & P grocery store, shocking the customers but drawing the admiration of the two young men working the cash registers. Eventually, the manager notices the girls and tells them that they should be decently dressed when they enter the store and that in the future, they will have to follow the store's policy and cover their shoulders.

As the girls are leaving, one of the cashiers, Sammy, tells the manager he quits. He does this partly to impress the girls and partly because he feels the manager took things too far and didn't have to embarrass the young women.

The story ends with Sammy standing alone in the parking lot, the girls are long gone. He says that his "stomach kind of fell as I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter."

Narrative Technique

The story is told from the first person point of view of Sammy. From the opening line--"In walks, these three girls in nothing but bathing suits"--Updike establishes Sammy's distinctively colloquial voice. Most of the story is told in the present tense as if Sammy is talking.

Sammy's cynical observations about his customers, whom he often calls "sheep," can be humorous. For example, he comments that if one particular customer had been "born at the right time they would have burned her over in Salem ." And it's an endearing detail when he describes folding his apron and dropping the bow tie on it, and then adds, "The bow tie is theirs if you've ever wondered."

Sexism in the Story

Some readers will find Sammy's sexist comments to be absolutely grating. The girls have entered the store, and the narrator assumes they are seeking attention for their physical appearance. Sammy comments on every detail. It's almost a caricature of objectification when he says, "You never know for sure how girls' minds work (do you really think it's a mind in there or just a little buzz like a bee in a glass jar?)[...]"

Social Boundaries

In the story, the tension arises not because the girls are in bathing suits, but because they're in bathing suits in a place where people don't wear bathing suits . They've crossed a line about what's socially acceptable.

Sammy says:

"You know, it's one thing to have a girl in a bathing suit down on the beach, where what with the glare nobody can look at each other much anyway, and another thing in the cool of the A & P, under the fluorescent lights, against all those stacked packages, with her feet paddling along naked over our checkerboard green-and-cream rubber-tile floor."

Sammy obviously finds the girls physically alluring, but he's also attracted by their rebellion. He doesn't want to be like the "sheep" he makes such fun of, the customers who are befuddled when the girls enter the store.

There are clues that the girls' rebellion has its roots in economic privilege, a privilege not available to Sammy. The girls tell the manager that they entered the store only because one of their mothers asked them to pick up some herring snacks, an item that makes Sammy imagine a scene in which the "men were standing around in ice-cream coats and bow ties and the women were in sandals picking up herring snacks on toothpicks off a big glass plate." In contrast, when Sammy's parents "have somebody over they get lemonade and if it's a real racy affair Schlitz in tall glasses with "They'll Do It Every Time" cartoons stenciled on."

In the end, the class difference between Sammy and the girls means that his rebellion has far more serious ramifications than theirs does. By the end of the story, Sammy has lost his job and alienated his family. He feels "how hard the world [is] going to be" because not becoming a "sheep" won't be as easy as just walking away.  And it certainly won't be as easy for him as it will be for the girls, who inhabit a "place from which the crowd that runs the A & P must look pretty crummy."

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John Updike’s “A&P”: Literary Analysis

Introduction.

John Updike’s short story “A&P” is narrated from the perspective of a teenager Sammy, who belongs to a working-class family but strives to join the privileged part of society. The work is built around the three main motives: division of social classes, conservatism versus liberalism, and consumerism versus romanticism. Written on the brink of the old order, the story brings fresh, yet controversial ideas, challenging the established attitudes of the readers. In “A&P” the author utilizes bathing suits and herring snacks to symbolize the outdatedness of gender roles and the importance of individuality.

Bathing Suits

Bathing suits are one of the primary symbols of John Updike’s short story “A&P.” As suggested by Bentley, the author uses the unusual attire to characterize Sammy’s pattern of thinking throughout the story (121). Entering the supermarket while only wearing bathing suits, girls disregard the established social norms of the small town. Rebellious and deliberately provocative, the act of wearing bathing suits calls immediate attention from the towners who accuse young women of attracting unnecessary attention from male strangers (Bentley 121).

Lenger, the authority figure in Updike’s short story comments that girls’ attire is inappropriate for his store and forbids them from entering until they cover their shoulders. In a contemporary context, bathing suits would symbolize gender stereotyping and sex-shaming that still frequently occurs at school and the workplace. Unlike the regular grey clothing worn by housewives who enter the supermarket daily to do grocery shopping, the girls’ bathing suits drastically differed with bright colors, catchy patterns, and memorable prints.

A representation of sexuality and femininity for girls, bathing suits carry a different meaning for Sammy who is initially mesmerized by the female’s attractive appearance and young vibrant personality. Sammy perceives bathing suits as a symbol of freedom and an opportunity to escape from the limited society wherein he finds himself stuck since childhood (Porter 1158). Inspired by the girls’ ability to disobey the norms of social conduct, the man decides to go against the system, removing his apron and bowtie, symbols of the corporate uniform (Updike 614). Though Sammy dares to quit his job, the freedom communicated by the girls’ act remains inaccessible to him (Porter 1158). Unsure how to fight for his rights and grow his independence from the limiting social order, he ends up wearing the freshly ironed white shirt, combatting feelings of uncertainty and doubt.

Herring Snacks

Another notable symbol of Updike’s short story is herring snacks. When Sammy sees Queenie purchasing the Kingfish fancy herring snacks in pure sour cream in the store, he starts presuming her socioeconomic status (Porter 1159). The snacks bought in the shop take on a symbolic value in the man’s eyes as Queenie mentions that her mother asked her to get some food for the party organized in the house in the afternoon.

The vision of herring snacks helps Sammy to imagine the type of party held at Queenie’s mother’s house (Porter 1159). He unconsciously compares the official suits, luxurious cocktails, and expensive food served at the woman’s social gathering with the lemonade and Schlitz beer offered to his parents’ guests (Updike 618). Fascinated, yet puzzled with his discovery, Sammy understands that his family would never afford to buy herring snacks for a casual party, treating the occasion of purchasing new beer glasses as a festive event.

As the man attempts to predict Queenie’s social status based on her purchases, he also assumes her attitudes to people belonging to the working class. In his opinion, the girl treats people running the A&P store as inferior to her and her family (Porter 1159). Without having objective evidence for making such an assumption, Sammy feels heightened and euphoric with his realization. In a pointless effort to impress Queenie and approach her social class, Sammy quits his job. What may seem like a courageous gesture of self-liberation, from one perspective, may appear as a doomed attempt to overcome social constraints strengthened by envy and stereotypes.

Individual VS Collective

The theme of individuality is dominant in the plot of Updike’s short story, expressed through Sammy’s perception of freedom. The protagonist envisions liberty as an individual’s freedom to be different from the tendencies dictated by society (Bentley 124). Surprisingly, the author’s main goal is not to advocate the importance of individuality but approach the topic holistically with an argument presented on both sides. From one perspective, Sammy condemns the “sheep” instinct of the working-class people who are scared to express their personality through unusual appearance, looks, or patterns of behavior (Bentley 124).

In this case, conformity appears as a social curse that limits a person’s ability to progress and move forward, overcoming the restrictions of one’s social class (Bentley 124). The man emphasizes that compliance does not nurture creativity or growth, closing an individual in the frames of the old order.

From another perspective, conformity to the collective norms is convenient and secure. Following the established canons of behavior is a way to ensure financial stability and have a full-time job. Yet, Sammy does not seek security or convenience, willing to rebel against the limitations of a low-paid working-class job of a cashier (Bentley 126). The problem arises when the man fails to understand that expressing one’s individuality comes with a very high cost. Losing a job and failing to impress the girl from the upper social class, he starts doubting whether the collective attitude is that debilitative (Stearns 394). With such a conclusion, Updike makes a slightly pessimistic, yet important point, individuality is rare. Regardless of the current political or socioeconomic trends promoting authenticity and freedom of choice, most people will continue adhering to the collective attitudes.

Women VS Men

Another dominant theme that deserves closer attention in “A&P” is traditional gender roles. As per the story’s setting, the woman is still viewed as a housewife with a predefined set of activities and occupational possibilities (Stearns 397). The scope of the females’ rights is so limiting that, indeed, men have the privilege to choose their wives ’ clothes, accessories, and hobbies. Yet, the stereotypical chain of gender roles gets broken in the story when girls wearing bathing suits enter the supermarket, creating an opposite picture to what was common in the 1950s-1960s in the US (Toni 22). From one point of view, entering the supermarket in bathing suits is provocative and even scandalous. It may draw unwanted attention and spoil the women’s reputation.

However, the author does not incorporate this scene to emphasize ladies’ sexuality as such. Instead, he points out that women have a right to be in full control of their bodies, choosing what to wear and what parts of the body to show. Updike clearly marks his territory, condemning the scene of sex-shaming by the store’s manager (Stearns 398). With this powerful message, he suggests that males should be ashamed to make sexist comments on the basis of women’s looks.

Another interesting detail to mention is that Updike puts a line between the working class and upper class using the opposite gender roles. A woman is used to symbolize the luxury, wealth, and inaccessible privileged social class, while a man represents the middle class. Though the author does not give a background story of Queenie’s career, implying that she is rich by heritage, he raises an important point that females can belong to the privileged social class even without being married to a wealthy gentleman.

Working Class VS Upper Class

The motif of social classes division is particularly important for the understanding of the story’s symbolism. Sammy, an impulsive teenager belonging to the working class, divides the customers of the A&P store into two categories, working-class and upper class, on the basis of their purchases, appearance, and clothing (Toni 24). Though the man has never directly interacted with the representatives of the upper class, he deliberately pursues communication with rich people, envying their social advantages and societal position. His delusional outlook on wealth is formed through the prism of several foregone conclusions (Toni 22).

First, he views individuals belonging to the upper class as liberated because of their attire and material things owned. Second, Sammy suggests that rich people do not live according to the social rules dictated by the masses.

As the story progresses, the protagonist makes an even more outrageous distinction, comparing the working class with sheep, all of whom think, dress, talk, and act alike. Sammy’s fear to belong to the low socioeconomic class is so prevalent that Lengel, his manager, can easily scare him with a notion of having a working-class job for the rest of his life (Toni 20). Blinded by the superficiality of the upper-class life, the teenager defends the privileged society members while the latter fails to acknowledge his existence (Toni 19). Hoping to overcome the struggles of a working-class man, Sammy loses his job and embarks on a journey of liberation. Yet driven by adolescent romanticism, he fails to understand that there is much more to the privileged upper class than fancy snacks and less restricted clothing.

Conservatism VS Liberalism

One of the critical motifs for the understanding of Updike’s setting is the 1950s American conservatism, where the societal order was dominated by the assigned gender roles and strict social norms. Failure to adhere to the common rules frequently resulted in public condemn and exclusion from social gatherings (Stearns 394). Safe conformity to the peaceful routine order served as a valid alternative to the destruction brought by World War II.

Challenging the conservative order, the protagonist of the “A&P” characterizes “sheep” or so-called grey masses of housewives belonging to the working class using the term conformity (Stearns 394). In contrast, the girls wearing bath suits to the supermarket represent the new liberal beliefs, where complacence is the less prevalent and stereotypical confrontation of the appearance is rather an exception than a rule.

It is essential to understand that liberalism was only rising in the 1960s when Updike wrote his short story, meaning that the crash of old values with new attitudes effectively resonated with the audience. As the author describes rattled customers who lost direction after seeing young attractive girls wearing bath suits, he implies that readers, fascinated by the story’s motif, also felt confused with the rebellious provocative ideas (Stearns 395).

Liberal motives of “A&P” are expressed with the ongoing theme of freedom of choice, interrelated with the freedom of occupation. Ironically, opposing the conservative order, Sammy unties his apron and replies to the manager’s inquiry with an old-fashioned expression “Fiddle-de-doo” (Stearns 395). Yet, what the protagonist fails to realize is that liberalism comes with its own challenges. Coming to this conclusion at the end of the story, Sammy is left wondering regarding the convenient conformity of conservatism contrasted with the ambiguous freedom of liberalism.

Consumerism VS Romanticism

Consumerism is another prevalent motif, present in Updike’s short story. The author builds the fabula of his work around the major social problem of defining happiness through material wealth. Sammy, the protagonist, is stuck between the heightened romanticized ideas of liberalism and the stereotypical perception of freedom in regard to the owned goods (Dabek 3). Just like most of the people belonging to the working class, the teenager strives to accumulate wealth to purchase fancy food and clothing. As he pictures an image of freedom, he inevitably sees white jackets, herring snacks, and expensive drinks (Dabek 4). Instead of seeing freedom as a logical consequence of spiritual transformation and liberation from societal stereotypes, the man associates the abstract term with material things, blinded by their price.

The problem of consumerism depicted in Updike’s “A&P” echoes a common idea of the American dream, where every individual from the working class can build his/her way to the privileged upper class. Liberal ideas and romanticized concepts do not intrigue Sammy as much as the opportunity to spend money and own goods that are currently inaccessible to him because of his socioeconomic status (Dabek 5).

For some, the issue of consumerism is closely associated with greediness and the decay of moral values. Yet, the author does not describe Sammy’s outlook on the world as such, ironically pointing out his naïve adolescent beliefs regarding the division of social classes and the role of material things in life (Dabek 5). Though the protagonist actively attempts to show the reader that romanticism is outdated, his effort to transform his life due to romantic notions suggests the opposite.

In conclusion, Updike’s short story “A&P” is a twentieth-century hymn, commemorating a struggle of an individual from the working class striving to enter a privileged part of society. The two notable symbols that accompany the development of the plot are bathing suits and herring snacks. Bathing suits represent the rebellion against the established societal order, while herring snacks stand for the high socioeconomic status.

The two aforementioned symbols are intertwined with the corresponding themes of individuality and gender roles. The author raises an important point regarding conformity to the social norms and adherence to the assigned gender roles. Through the eyes of his characters, Updike condemns sex-shaming, suggesting that it is time for women to have full control over their bodies. The themes of the story are beautifully complemented with the three motifs, focused on class division, consumerism, and liberalism. Though tempting, the transition from the old order to the new way of life is not always smooth, pushing an individual to rethink his/her views and values.

Works Cited

Bentley, Greg W. “Sammy’s Erotic Experience: Subjectivity and Sexual Difference in John Updike’s “A & P.” Journal of the Short Story in English, vol. 43, 2004, pp. 120-141.

Dabek, Anna. Consumerist Society and its Impact on the Individual in “A&P” by John Updike . GRIN Verlag, 2014.

Porter, Gilbert M. “John Updike’s “A&P”: The Establishment and an Emersonian Cashier.” The English Journal , vol. 61, no. 8, 1972, pp. 1155-1158. Web.

Stearns, Jennie. “Resistance on Aisle Three?: Exploring the Big Curriculum of Consumption and the (Im)Possibility of Resistance in John Updike’s “A&P.” Curriculum Inquiry, vol. 41, no. 3, 2011, pp. 394-415. Web.

Toni, Saldivar. “The Art of John Updike’s “A & P.” Studies in Short Fiction, vol. 34, no. 2, 1997, 1-25.

Updike, John. “A&P.” Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers, edited by John Schilb and John Clifford, Bedford, 2012, pp. 614-619.

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essay on a&p by john updike

John Updike

Everything you need for every book you read..

Three girls walk into the A&P in their bathing suits , as Sammy rings up the groceries for a woman in her fifties. Distracted by the sight of the first girl who catches his eye—a "chunky" girl in a green plaid bathing suit, with a nice tan—Sammy accidentally rings up a package of crackers twice, causing the woman to complain. Sammy fixes the mistake for her and sends her on her way.

By this time, the girls are in the bread aisle, and Sammy observes them, describing each of their appearances. There's the girl in the green plaid bathing suit he saw first, and then another tall girl, who Sammy describes as the type of girl who other girls find "striking" though they know she'll never make it—and then there's the leader, Queenie . The leader walks deliberately in a pink bathing suit with her straps down, and Sammy admires the smooth plane of her chest and the rim of pale skin that her bathing suit exposes when she wears the straps looped loosely around her arms.

Sammy believes that Queenie can sense that people are watching her, but she pretends not to notice, turning slowly to confer with the other girls as they walk down the aisle toward the meat counter. The sight of the girls surprises the other shoppers at A&P, but they return their gazes quickly to their own shopping baskets. Sammy comments that someone could set off dynamite in the A&P, and the "sheep" would continue unfazed, looking at their grocery lists. However, a few "house-slaves in pin curlers" do turn to give the girls a second disapproving look.

Stokesie , another clerk, also ogles the girls and jokes with Sammy about them. At twenty-two, Stokesie is just a few years older than Sammy, but he already has a wife and two kids. He aspires to become the manager of the A&P one day.

The girls reach the meat counter and ask McMahon something, and he points them on their way. As they walk off, McMahon sizes them up, and Sammy begins to feel sorry for the girls. "Poor kids," he comments, "…they couldn't help it."

Since it's a quiet Thursday at the store, Sammy doesn't have much to do except wait for the girls to reappear between the aisles. When they emerge again, Queenie is still leading the way, heading for the cash registers with a jar in her hand. She considers Stokesie and Sammy, but an elderly person reaches Stokesie first, so Queenie heads for Sammy's register. She hands him a jar of Kingfish Fancy Herring Snacks in Pure Sour Cream and pulls a folded dollar bill out of her cleavage, a gesture Sammy finds "so cute."

Then, the store's manager, Lengel , walks through the door and notices the girls. He reprimands them, saying that A&P "isn't the beach." Queenie blushes loses some of her composure and replies that her mother told her to buy herring snacks, causing Sammy to imagine the type of high-class gathering her parents might be holding, with cocktails and herring snacks, and contrasting it with the mental image of his own parents' parties, at which guests drink lemonade and beer.

Lengel tells the girls that they should dress decently when they enter the store, and Queenie regains her self-possession, announcing with some defiance that they are decent. Lengel responds that he doesn't want to argue and advises them to cover up their shoulders next time, as it's the store policy.

Sammy absentmindedly rings up Queenie's jar of herring snacks, and as the girls hurry out of the store, he quickly announces, "I quit," in time for them to hear. However, the girls continue on their way, paying no attention. Sammy takes off his bowtie and apron, laying them on the counter, as Lengel reminds him that he doesn't want to do this to his parents and will feel the repercussions of his actions for the rest of his life. Although Sammy feels that there's truth in Lengel's words, he continues outside, where he looks for the girls. The girls are gone, however, and as Sammy looks back into the storefront, he sees Lengel in his spot at the cash register. Observing Lengel's gray face and stiff back, Sammy's stomach drops as he realizes how hard the world will be to him in the future.

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essay on a&p by john updike

A&P essay

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  1. Short story summary of "The A&P" by John Updike Free Essay Example

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  1. John Updike's "A&P" Analysis Essay

    This essay is an analysis of John Updike's "A&P" and its main character, Sammy, in particular. Sammy's life changes with one incidence at the A&P grocery store. Three young girls walk into the store dressed in bikinis and attract people's attention.

  2. Analysis of 'A and P' by John Updike

    The Plot of the Updike's "A&P" Three barefoot girls in bathing suits walk into an A & P grocery store, shocking the customers but drawing the admiration of the two young men working the cash registers.

  3. A&P Analysis

    "A&P" is essentially a coming-of-age story in which Sammy tries to be a hero, only to realize that heroes don't get very far in the modern world. Sammy's narrative voice is full of humor,...

  4. A&P Critical Overview

    In an essay titled "Irony and Innocence in John Updike's 'A & P'," Lawrence Jay Dessner lauded the story's "brevity and its outrageously naive yet morally ambitious teen-age hero," whom he...

  5. A&P Themes

    The main themes in "A&P" are the conflict between ideals and reality and the consequences that taking action entails. Actions and consequences: The heart of the story is the idea that actions...

  6. A&P by John Updike Literary Analysis

    Table of contents. John Updike's "A&P" is a powerful example of literary fiction that effectively explores themes of societal conformity, male objectification of women, and the consequences of defying societal expectations. The story, first published in The New Yorker in 1961, is a testament to Updike's keen observation of human behavior and ...

  7. A&P' by John Updike: Literary Analysis Essay

    John Updike's short story 'A&P' utilizes irony and Sammy's immature behavior to convey the universal idea that romantic notions can be crushed by the real world. In the short story 'A&P', the use of irony is exhibited when Sammy's heroic deed goes unrewarded. In fact, not only does his deed go unrewarded, it negatively affects his life.

  8. A & P, by John Updike Essay

    The short story "A & P" by John Updike is about a young man's decision to stand up for others or, in the other characters' opinions, make a foolish decision by abandoning his responsibility. At first he believes his decision is the right thing, quitting his job for how the girls were being treated.

  9. John Updike's "A&P": Literary Analysis

    Introduction. John Updike's short story "A&P" is narrated from the perspective of a teenager Sammy, who belongs to a working-class family but strives to join the privileged part of society. The work is built around the three main motives: division of social classes, conservatism versus liberalism, and consumerism versus romanticism.

  10. A&P (short story)

    English. Publication. Published in. The New Yorker. Publication date. July 22, 1961. " A&P " is a tragicomic work of short fiction by John Updike which first appeared in The New Yorker on July 22, 1961. The story was collected in Pigeon Feathers in 1961, published by Alfred A. Knopf. The work is frequently included in anthologies.

  11. A&P by John Updike Plot Summary

    A&P Summary. Three girls walk into the A&P in their bathing suits, as Sammy rings up the groceries for a woman in her fifties. Distracted by the sight of the first girl who catches his eye—a "chunky" girl in a green plaid bathing suit, with a nice tan—Sammy accidentally rings up a package of crackers twice, causing the woman to complain ...

  12. A&P Critical Essays

    M. Gilbert Porter (essay date 1972) PDF Cite SOURCE: "John Updike's 'A & P': The Establishment and an Emersonian Cashier," in English Journal, Vol. 61, November, 1972, pp. 1155-58. [ In the...

  13. A&P by John Updike: Sammy and Queenie Character Analysis

    Published: Dec 3, 2020. In the short story, "A&P," the author, John Updike, he develops the theme of reality. The story is in the sense of coming of age in which nineteen-year-old Sammy, the protagonist, is a worker at the local grocery store. An extremely appealing - in Sammy's eyes - young girl, Queenie, comes into the store with ...

  14. Analysis of Characters in A&P by John Updike

    A & P by John Updike, was written in 1961. Updike is known for his real fictional, but situational stories about middle-class lifestyle. In this time period, having a job already gave you an opportunity to climb up when working for a growing company like A & P. Jobs in the 1960's time period were in need of workers and the workforce was only getting bigger, men and women were need for all ...

  15. Essay on A & P by John Updike

    AP The short story "A&P" written by John Updike, is about three girls who change Sammy's life. The three girls came from the beach and are not dressed properly to enter a grocery store called A&P. Sammy, the main character, is a check out clerk, and observes every detail about the girls. Sam even gives each of the girls a name.

  16. A & P By John Updike Response Essay

    John Updike's short story "A&P" explores teenage rebellion and coming-of-age, through multiple stylistic elements such as symbolism, metaphor, and irony; Updike can portray his theme of the consequences of making decisions based on impulse and youthful idealism specifically through the character Sammy.

  17. A&P essay (docx)

    Hammoud 1 Hala Hammoud Professor Parker C ENG-132-50 12 Nov. 2021 A & P "A & P" is a short story by John Updike about a nineteen-year-old cashier named Sammy whose life is flipped upside down by three females who stroll into the A & P store wearing only swimsuits. Even though Sammy is brave when he rebels against Lengel for the benefit of the three girls, he also realizes that his acts are ...

  18. What could be a possible thesis for John Updike's short story "A & P

    A couple of ideas that one might explore in a thesis have to do with Sammy's reaction to the girls; Sammy's moral predicament; Sammy's choices in his moral predicament; the theme of individuality;...