A&P vs. The Woman From America compare and contrast
Follow The Leader
Leaders are people that stand out from the everyday crowd and make their voices heard for better or for worse. In “A&P”, by John Updike, and “The Woman From America”, by Bessie Head, two very different types of leaders make their voices heard. In “The Woman From America”, the woman from America treats everybody kindly, she is respected, and she stands up to authority for people who lack the courage to take action themselves. But in “A&P”, the antagonist, Queenie, looks down on less fortunate people, isn’t very respected, and matches authority too, but for her own needs. Even though both of these women are stand out leaders, they stand out for very different reasons.
Although the woman from America and Queenie are both in a high social class, each of them treat less fortunate people with different amounts of respect. In “The Woman From America”, the woman from America tries her best to make good with what she has, and to adapt to her new environment. She exerts all of her energy to fit into her husband’s village by following the rules, and doing her fair share of work. As opposed to in “A&P”, where Queenie breaks the rules and then has the audacity to challenge them after the store manager, Lengel, explains them to her. Halfway into their argument “she remembers her place, a place from which the crowd that runs the A&P must look pretty crummy” (Updike 22). Instead of acknowledging that Lengel’s rules are law in the A&P, Queenie ignores him and is unwilling to adapt to the situation and environment that she has placed herself in. This shows that Queenie, unlike the woman from America, looks down on people that are ‘beneath her’, and is unwilling to change her ways to fit in with a different crowd.
The respect that each of the women receive is proportionate to their actions towards other people. In “The Woman from America”, “ there isn’t anyone [who does not admire her]” (Head 537). This is surely the result of the woman doing her work “with
Leaders are people that stand out from the everyday crowd and make their voices heard for better or for worse. In “A&P”, by John Updike, and “The Woman From America”, by Bessie Head, two very different types of leaders make their voices heard. In “The Woman From America”, the woman from America treats everybody kindly, she is respected, and she stands up to authority for people who lack the courage to take action themselves. But in “A&P”, the antagonist, Queenie, looks down on less fortunate people, isn’t very respected, and matches authority too, but for her own needs. Even though both of these women are stand out leaders, they stand out for very different reasons.
Although the woman from America and Queenie are both in a high social class, each of them treat less fortunate people with different amounts of respect. In “The Woman From America”, the woman from America tries her best to make good with what she has, and to adapt to her new environment. She exerts all of her energy to fit into her husband’s village by following the rules, and doing her fair share of work. As opposed to in “A&P”, where Queenie breaks the rules and then has the audacity to challenge them after the store manager, Lengel, explains them to her. Halfway into their argument “she remembers her place, a place from which the crowd that runs the A&P must look pretty crummy” (Updike 22). Instead of acknowledging that Lengel’s rules are law in the A&P, Queenie ignores him and is unwilling to adapt to the situation and environment that she has placed herself in. This shows that Queenie, unlike the woman from America, looks down on people that are ‘beneath her’, and is unwilling to change her ways to fit in with a different crowd.
The respect that each of the women receive is proportionate to their actions towards other people. In “The Woman from America”, “ there isn’t anyone [who does not admire her]” (Head 537). This is surely the result of the woman doing her work “with
Cited: Head, Bessie. “The Woman From America.” Backpack Literature. 4th Ed. Eds. Dana Gioia and X.J. Kennedy. Boston: Pearson Education Inc., 2006. 536-538. Print. Updike, John. “A&P.” Backpack Literature. 4th Ed. Eds. Dana Gioia and X.J. Kennedy. Boston: Pearson Education Inc., 2006. 18-23. Print.