Queenie in "A & P"

Flat characters are minor characters in a work of fiction who do not undergo substantial change or growth in the course of a story. A minor character in a story is not the leader of the story, they are a supporting character to the protagonist and they give a contrast to the protagonist in a story. In the story "A & P" by John Updike, the story begins by illustrating Sammy as a young cashier who is cynical and loathsome of his current situation. He is infatuated by a pretty young girl, the minor character, who is referred to as "Queenie." Queenie is very important in this story because of the conflicts she causes. Queenie enters the story when she walks into the local A & P grocery store with her friends wearing nothing but bathing suits. This action causes a stir and creates the main conflict of the story. Queenie is a Static character in this story because from the moment she enters the story from the moment she leaves she does not change. A main theme in this story is consequences. Queenie's actions throughout the story will affect her own consequences as well as other characters in the story. This minor characters presence in the story is important to the conflicts and themes in the story because they mold the story better.

The minor character in "A & P", Queenie, is a flat character. She does not undergo change or grow through out the story and she only supports Sammy by creating a conflict so he can quit his job. Flat characters are important because it adds depth to the story just like in "A & P".

Queenie is also a static character. A static character in a story never changes. A dynamic character will change throughout the story. Sammy, our narrator, is the dynamic character in the story. Sammy changes from the beginning to the end of the story. By the end of the story he has decided to quit his job to impress a girl. Queenie never changes in the story. She enters the A & P wearing a bathing suit and does not care what anyone else thinks about it. Even