Phoenix Jackson

1586 Words7 Pages
To compare and distinguish fictional figures in literature is an analytical but compelling concept. Understanding the setting, characteristics and language of each subject studied emphasizes the aspect of research in literature. In the narratives, “A & P” by John Updike and “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty, the two objects of focus are Sammy and Phoenix Jackson. Sammy who is a young boy that works at a grocery store, and Phoenix Jackson who is an elderly African American woman, both encounter hardship throughout their stories. Through personal and critical review the reader’s perspective will surely assure what kind of individuals both Sammy and Phoenix Jackson represent. Identifying the setting of both stories will give the reader great insight…show more content…
In many areas (especially in the South) drinking fountains, lunch counters and Laundromats were segregated. Whites and blacks were not permitted to marry”(). Therefore perhaps the hunter might have seen Phoenix as a desperate, poor, old black woman who is in need of seeing Santa Claus. He felt it would give her an opportunity to be amongst white people and experience their traditions and lifestyles since they were seen as the superior race at that time. Despite the different timelines, one thing that Sammy and Phoenix Jackson both seem to possess is moral courage. Sammy electing to fight for the rights of women and Phoenix Jackson overcoming racial barriers as an elderly African American woman, shows the determination and dedication both characters have to what they believe in. Understanding the deposition of both Sammy and Phoenix Jackson will allow the reader to contrast their beliefs, traditions, and values. Sammy the main protagonist of the short story “A&P” by John Updike is depicted as a young, opinionated by courageous figure. When embraced with the judgment of morality or amorality, Sammy offers his support to Queenie and her pals, the three young women who are harassed because of the attire they are wearing in…show more content…
Sammy the main focus of the short story “A & P” by John Updike carries a vulgar, lustful approach. As he describes Queenie and her friends, through his vocabulary, he accentuates the structures of their bodies “With the straps pulled off, there was nothing between the top of the suit and the top of her head except just her, this clean bare plane of the top of her chest down from the shoulder bones like a dented sheet of metal tilted in the light. I mean it was more than pretty” (). On another note, Phoenix Jackson, indicates unintelligence and lack of education “this is what come to me to do….I going to the store and buy my child a little windmill they sells, made out of paper”(). The viewer in this sense probably will see Phoenix Jackson as once a slave who had little verbal and writing skills, and depict Sammy as a young teenage boy who is just lusting over these girls. The language of each character will allow each reader to understand more clearly as to why there was a cause and effect in each
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