Throughout John Updike`s short story "A & P" the protagonist Sammy, a young 19 year old male, is constantly judging the cliental who walks into the grocery store, A& P. For example, when three girls walk into the store with nothing but their bathing suits; Sammy’s mind begins to be very active when he is judging the girls. As Sammy watched Quennie “buzz” over to her friends, it made his stomach (and who knows what else) rubs the inside of his apron (Updike 2). Sammy also observed the women in the store turn away when they noticed the girls almost as if they knew what would happen and were ashamed for young girls (Updike 2). At which point, Sammy views all the older, less attractive shoppers as “sheep” pushing their carts around in a herd, or as “house slaves in pin curlers” (Updike 2). Through the choice of words by the author in these references from the book, the reader is led to believe that women were generally portrayed as passive individuals, known to stay at home, cook for their husbands and care for the children while the men were active at work.
Characterization * 1. Sammy-(Dynamic) Sammy a teenage cashier, who develops an infatuation for the leader “Queenie” of a group of girls in bathing suits who enter the A&P Grocery store where he is employed. Sammy is infatuated with these girls as they enter the store to a point that he even messes up the shoppers ring-up. Sammy then, begins to notice even the smallest detail of each girl (She had sort of oaky hair that the sun and salt had bleached, done up in a bun that was unraveling, and a kind of prim face.) (Updike, 1961, p. 335)Sammy’s mixed emotions of lust and pride lead him to quit his job after the manager criticizes the girls about their choice of attire and their self-respect.
Lengel is the store manager and he is determined to let the girls know they are in the wrong for not dressing decently. Just as Lengel was scolding them Sammy was daydreaming about being in their living seeing their fathers in “Ice cream coats and bow-ties” and the women were wearing sandals eating snack while drinking
A & P In the “Norton Introduction to Literature,” there are a variety of wonderful short stories. The first interesting short story our class read was “A & P” by John Updike. This story takes place at a local grocery store. Everything is peaceful and charming like usual, until three girls in nothing but bathing suits decide to do a little shopping. A character in the story named Sammy, is the narrator and describes every detail through his perspective.
This chapter begins with a description of the hamburger stands and diners on Route 66. The typical diner is run by a usually irritated woman who nevertheless becomes friendly when truck drivers consistent customers who can always pay enter. The more wealthy travelers drop names and buy vanity products. The owners of the diners complain about the migrating workers, who can't pay and often steal. A family comes in, wanting to buy a loaf of bread.
He decides to let Doreen know that has a problem with her weight, and she should lose some weight. After this incident she tries to go on a diet but she ends up not eating at all and looking ill. He continues to pressure her, so she would keep on the diet. He ends up in the coffee shop again and tries to “sell” her to a man sitting next to him. The story ends suddenly with Doreen telling everybody that he is a salesman.
Then up the avenue is a small French bread shop where she goes to solve her hunger and get warm. Once and again she sees the old man come in with a stained blanket and a stale sent of cigarettes and urine. The owner of the shop gives him a bag of something. She never said what was in it. It could have been yesterday’s bread or stale bagels.
Sammy watches each of the girls as they look around the store, but there is one that catches his attention right as they walk in. He is so busy staring at her that he makes the customer he is "ringing up" very mad at him. Sammy describes the young girl as a "chunky kid, with a good tan and a sweet broad soft - looking can with those two crescents of white just under it..."(Updike, 734). He notices everything about the girl, even down to the fact that she does not have a tan line, so she must have just bought the bright green, two piece bathing suit. He also notices that she is very conscience of being a little over weight, because she "…fumbled with the cookies, but on second thought she put the packages back"(Updike, 735).
cried Lizzie, Laura, Laura,/ You should not peep at goblin men.’ Lizzie covered up her eyes/ Covered close lest they should look;” (Rossetti 48-49). As they are walking home, these “Goblin” men call to them to come and taste their succulent fruits which actually represent lust and sex. She (Lizzie) covers her eyes so she does not see these men and warns her sister to follow her and do the same. Filled with curiosity, Laura ponders what these men have to offer and suggests to her sister that they should indeed see what they have. The author writes, “’Look, Lizzie, look, Lizzie/ Down the glen tramp little men./ One hauls a basket,/ One bears a plate,/ One lugs a golden dish/ Of many pounds’ weight.’” (Rossetti 54-59).
Name Changed Life In the “A&P” 19 year old Sammy who is a story all by himself is changed by three girls who enter his life as they walk in to shop at the local “A&P”. In which later on he decides to quit his job for these girls as a cashier at the local grocery store called the “A&P.” Realizing that he has made the decision to quit not only for himself, but the girls who inspired him not literally but figuratively quit to make what he seemed the right choice. In this short story, Sammy seems to have mixed opinions about these three girls who walk in. He sizes them up almost as they were all close friends and have known each other for years. Throughout the story, Sammy seems to become attached to these girls.