A and P: Movie Review
Deborah Davis
Reflection Paper – John Updike’s A&P-Films on demand-view Playlist
Studies in Fiction
Professor Gallant
After watching the film A&P in comparison to the discussion in the classroom, a lot of the topics are current trends and issues in the 20th century. There can be much discussion about many things in the film. After watching the film however rather than from the reading and discussion in class, I pictured things differently in my own mind. Upon first trying to relate it to the 1960’s, I actually thought the film was pretty modern and could be possible in today’s times, depending on a store and its’ management, whether an independently owned little store or a big box grocery store.
The main character, Sammy, who displays an 18 or 19 year old male teenagers’ feelings are very much alike as all boys during the adolescence years. John Updike himself reported in his interview of when he was young and married and 29 years of age that he could relate to these types of feelings and fantasy dreams which prompted him to write the story. I could not envision however in the 1960’s of actually seeing any young girls in bathing suits that would be daring enough to walk in a store dressed in such a way. Personally, I do not recall seeing any young teenage girls do this during those times. I did grow up in the 1960’s. I recall most young women being more demure and even seeing something such as this might result in a police arrest possibly. Perhaps I am being naïve as I was a young child during this period but don’t recall families allowing their young girls to behave in such a way.
Sammy appears to be bold in that time period in my opinion of how he chose to just quit his job because he didn’t believe the same beliefs as his manager, Mr. Lengel. While growing up in the 1960’s, many children and adults alike, from what I saw and remember were taught to work hard and success would then follow. Many of the male adult family relatives were away serving in
Reflection Paper – John Updike’s A&P-Films on demand-view Playlist
Studies in Fiction
Professor Gallant
After watching the film A&P in comparison to the discussion in the classroom, a lot of the topics are current trends and issues in the 20th century. There can be much discussion about many things in the film. After watching the film however rather than from the reading and discussion in class, I pictured things differently in my own mind. Upon first trying to relate it to the 1960’s, I actually thought the film was pretty modern and could be possible in today’s times, depending on a store and its’ management, whether an independently owned little store or a big box grocery store.
The main character, Sammy, who displays an 18 or 19 year old male teenagers’ feelings are very much alike as all boys during the adolescence years. John Updike himself reported in his interview of when he was young and married and 29 years of age that he could relate to these types of feelings and fantasy dreams which prompted him to write the story. I could not envision however in the 1960’s of actually seeing any young girls in bathing suits that would be daring enough to walk in a store dressed in such a way. Personally, I do not recall seeing any young teenage girls do this during those times. I did grow up in the 1960’s. I recall most young women being more demure and even seeing something such as this might result in a police arrest possibly. Perhaps I am being naïve as I was a young child during this period but don’t recall families allowing their young girls to behave in such a way.
Sammy appears to be bold in that time period in my opinion of how he chose to just quit his job because he didn’t believe the same beliefs as his manager, Mr. Lengel. While growing up in the 1960’s, many children and adults alike, from what I saw and remember were taught to work hard and success would then follow. Many of the male adult family relatives were away serving in