“A & P”, by John Updike, is a brief narrative that exhibits the difficulty and perplexity one experiences during the transition from adolescence to adulthood. The story begins one afternoon when three girls wearing only bathing suits walk into an A & P grocery store where the protagonist, nineteen-year-old Sammy, is employed as a cashier. Sammy analyzes the girls as they stroll through the store, and takes a strong liking towards the charismatic “leader”, which he dubs “Queenie”. While making their purchase at Sammy’s register, the girls are verbally insulted by Sammy’s manager, Lengel, about the way that they are dressed. In an attempt to be heroic, Sammy declares that he quits, but resigns only with the harsh realization that independent life will be substantially more difficult. In his story, Updike uses character, setting, and point of view to demonstrate differences in perception that aide Sammy in achieving his epiphany.
“In walks these three girls in......
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Approximate Word Count: 2097
Approximate Pages: 9 (260 words per double-spaced page) |