A and p

Have you ever had a point in your life when you had to stand up for what you believe in? At some point in our own lives, most of us must decide to standup for our own beliefs or to just simply walk away. In this short story Updike describes to you how one teenage boy's infatuation had lead him to make a hast decision that will effect him for the rest of his adult life. Through the characterization of Sammy, Updike employs a simple heroic gesture to teach us that all of our actions have consequences wand we are all responsible for our own actions.

In the short story "A&P" author John Updike describes the setting and customers with great detail, while letting the reader make their own assumptions on Sammy's exact motivations for quitting his job. The ending of the story leaves you to draw your own conclusions of what does happens once he finally quits his job and the girls go about their regular business. This story is a classic example of how all our choices in life often have consequences and how important it is to carefully contemplate the consequences of our choices.
In "A&P" Updike describes the store as a gray 1950's "Leave it to Beaver" kind of setting. The setting is not upbeat at all, actually the atmosphere of the grocery store is boring and extremely ordinary causing the three girls Sammy sees seem like the most entertainment he's ever had in the store. For example Sammy describes to you the florescent lights, the stacked packages and the checkerboard green and cream rubber-tile floor. The grocery store setting allows the girls to stand out even more than they would otherwise. Even though the girls are dressed in bathing suits

Updike's way of describing the A&P store also reflects the personality of the town and the "sheep" like behavior Sammy talks about in the story. Sammy equates the customers with sheep which means that they stay together and do everything together. Where one sheep goes, the other sheep follow it and they all look the same. Sammy describes these people how they react when they see Queenie. He says, "You could see them, when Queenie's white shoulders dawned on them, kind of jerk, or hop, or hiccup, but their eyes snapped back to their own baskets and on they pushed. I bet you could set off dynamite in an A & P and the people would by and large keep reaching and checking oatmeal off their lists and muttering "Let me see, there was a third thing, began with A, asparagus, no, ah, yes, applesauce!" or whatever it is they do mutter. But there was no doubt, this jiggled them. A few house-slaves in pin curlers even looked around after pushing their carts past to make sure what they had seen was correct." This describes their sheep like behavior very well.

In addition to carefully describing the setting, Updike describes the characters very well. He gives all the major characters names that sort of fit their personality and the way Sammy describes them. For example, the name Sammy is a light hearted friendly boyish name. The name of Sammy's co-worker which is Stokesie sounds like his last name that has become his first name. This may indicate a man older than Sammy with responsibilities. Sammy describes Stokesie as "married, with two babies chalked up on his fuselage already, but as far as I can tell that's the only difference. He's twenty-two, and I was nineteen this April." The names Updike uses may also describe a characters authoritative and sharp presence.

For example, Queenie is a name that perfectly describes the girl that Sammy is infatuated with. She is a woman importance, power, and attractions. He described her walking in the store throughout the story. He says "She came down a little hard on her heels, as if she didn't walk in her bare feet that much, putting down her heels and then letting the weight move along to her toes as if she was testing the floor with every step, putting a little deliberate extra action into it. You never know for sure how girls' minds work (do you really think it's a mind in there or just a little buzz like a bee in a glassjar?) but you got the idea she had talked the other two into coming in here with her, and now she was showing them how to do it, walk slow and hold yourself straight." Lengel describes an ominous authoritative figure that make rules and laws that Sammy does not like.