A & P By John Updike Essay
Sarahana Bajracharya
Instructor: John Cole
ENG 102- 01
February 12, 2016 John Updike “A & P ” “A & P” is a short fictional story by John Updike about the three girls who walks in A&P, a grocery store, outfitted in a bathing suit. The stories illustrate about the reaction and assumption of the people in the store, and later Legel, the manager forced the girls to get out of the store for their inappropriate appearance. The narrator, Sammy, and then stand up for the unfair behavior done toward the girls and happen to quit his job at the end of the story. After analyzing the story I came to an extend that writer is trying to give us an idea about the discrimination in gender, improper utilization of the power, lack of behavior and judgment in that time of period. John Updike justify his thoughts in the plot A&P by starting the story …show more content…
“In walks these three girls in nothing but bathing suits” which is fairly shocking for anyone, since it’s quite unusual to see that boldness in girls on the years of early 1960’s. This may stir to engage more and more to find out the resolve and the exposition given about the girls in the story makes it more interesting and lust in the reader mind. Narrator watches every move of the girls, he talks about every details of how the girls look, walk and talk. He even talks to his co-worker about the girls. He also names one of the girls as “Queenie”. The people in the store judge girls, they look and talk about the girls.
Narrator used the word “Sheep” in the plot, which refers the people and their behavior.
General speaking, sheep is considered to be the dull animal because if the leader jumps the fence or jumps the river all does the same. We can imagine the character “Queenie “ as the leader because she was the unique one and has been mimicked by others in the group, and also other customers who were all just watching the seen. Which gives a sense of the human activates for behaviors. Other thing that narrator made the story related to human activates is by describing “the town where the A&P was located” which reflect that it’s in the crowded place and all the people are like a machine, “work, and work all day” they don’t know where there life begins and ends. But, in the middle lies the A&P and one exceptional (Queenie) happens to bring the change in people around it. The environment in the store seems to change by the present on those girls. Everyone in the store notices the girls. But eventually, returned empty-handed with an insult on her face and to be thrown out from the store, with the ruthless behavior done by the uncivilized
society. At the end of the story, Sammy’s heroism left him with no job and chaotic situation, and also failed to influence the girls. He begins to realize his sloppiness is going to bring him lots of trouble. Lengel, who seems of have power to manipulate people, seems very upset on Sammy’s reaction to the situation. The ending of the story attached us with Sammy and Lengel’s feeling. In this plot the narrator is trying portray discrimination in gender, improper utilization of the power, lack of human behavior and judgment in society we live, by relating sequences with in the story. Moreover, narrator also managed to engage himself from the beginning, and sharpen the awareness towards human activity, and give the sense of complete understanding.
Instructor: John Cole
ENG 102- 01
February 12, 2016 John Updike “A & P ” “A & P” is a short fictional story by John Updike about the three girls who walks in A&P, a grocery store, outfitted in a bathing suit. The stories illustrate about the reaction and assumption of the people in the store, and later Legel, the manager forced the girls to get out of the store for their inappropriate appearance. The narrator, Sammy, and then stand up for the unfair behavior done toward the girls and happen to quit his job at the end of the story. After analyzing the story I came to an extend that writer is trying to give us an idea about the discrimination in gender, improper utilization of the power, lack of behavior and judgment in that time of period. John Updike justify his thoughts in the plot A&P by starting the story …show more content…
“In walks these three girls in nothing but bathing suits” which is fairly shocking for anyone, since it’s quite unusual to see that boldness in girls on the years of early 1960’s. This may stir to engage more and more to find out the resolve and the exposition given about the girls in the story makes it more interesting and lust in the reader mind. Narrator watches every move of the girls, he talks about every details of how the girls look, walk and talk. He even talks to his co-worker about the girls. He also names one of the girls as “Queenie”. The people in the store judge girls, they look and talk about the girls.
Narrator used the word “Sheep” in the plot, which refers the people and their behavior.
General speaking, sheep is considered to be the dull animal because if the leader jumps the fence or jumps the river all does the same. We can imagine the character “Queenie “ as the leader because she was the unique one and has been mimicked by others in the group, and also other customers who were all just watching the seen. Which gives a sense of the human activates for behaviors. Other thing that narrator made the story related to human activates is by describing “the town where the A&P was located” which reflect that it’s in the crowded place and all the people are like a machine, “work, and work all day” they don’t know where there life begins and ends. But, in the middle lies the A&P and one exceptional (Queenie) happens to bring the change in people around it. The environment in the store seems to change by the present on those girls. Everyone in the store notices the girls. But eventually, returned empty-handed with an insult on her face and to be thrown out from the store, with the ruthless behavior done by the uncivilized
society. At the end of the story, Sammy’s heroism left him with no job and chaotic situation, and also failed to influence the girls. He begins to realize his sloppiness is going to bring him lots of trouble. Lengel, who seems of have power to manipulate people, seems very upset on Sammy’s reaction to the situation. The ending of the story attached us with Sammy and Lengel’s feeling. In this plot the narrator is trying portray discrimination in gender, improper utilization of the power, lack of human behavior and judgment in society we live, by relating sequences with in the story. Moreover, narrator also managed to engage himself from the beginning, and sharpen the awareness towards human activity, and give the sense of complete understanding.