A & P By John Updike Analysis

American Perfection
What does it mean to be successful? Is success measured by our material possessions or by our achievements? There are many contrasting views of what an accomplished man or woman looks like. One of such is the overpowering belief that being well-to-do looks like a mansion, a fanciful car and designer lifestyle. While there are some who have humbler aspirations, the more decorated variation has been the prevailing ideal. This underlying craving for a far off or out of reach status has been the basis for the formation of numerous attitudes, behaviors, judgments and systems of policies that have divided and categorized our population (Kadi). Heeding these warped patterns, John Updike uses his short story “A&P”, as a reflector
Updike is aware of this and uses the character Sammy as representation of the working class and the conflicts that dominate much of their behaviors and beliefs. Often times people who are ranked as poor or working class play out the prejudices assigned to them. This internalized classism is commonly associated with feelings of inadequacy towards upper-class people, contempt towards one’s family, as well as feelings of superiority and blame towards others considered even lower in class than themselves (Action, Class). Updike showcases these patterns in Sammy’s comparison between Queenie and his own
His face was dark gray and his back stiff, as if he’d just had an injection of iron, and my stomach kind of fell as I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter (Updike 20). we are empathetic to the aftermath of one confronted with the overwhelming feeling of trepidation. Through Sammy’s decision to leave behind the labels that had been assigned to him and step into a new and unknown reality we see the presentation of what many are too afraid to act upon. Updike’s final inquisition into the system of classism guides the reader in state of retrospection and poses the question of where do we go from here?
Updike is asking the reader to question their assigned social division and challenge the systems that have dictated a person’s ability to express and redefine themselves. This is especially prevalent in today’s society where we are constantly faced with an overwhelming range of controversy regarding race, sex, religion and class. This story has endured through the decades because of its undying message of defiance and transformation which has instilled self-discovery into its readers. It was the decisions and judgements of previous generations that have been the pillars of our society. The future is now in the hands of our generation and future generations to set forth a new enlightened