A & P

Part of the setting includes the locals that do their daily shopping at the A & P. They are representative of what Sammy has to deal with on a regular basis. For instance, the "cash-register-watcher"(606) threw a fit at a minor mistake made by Sammy as he rung up her groceries. Meanwhile, the girls had already begun to catch his attention. Distracted, it becomes difficult for him to concentrate on anything else surrounding him. Their presence was made more noticeable by "the sheep pushing their carts down the aisle."(607) These "houseslaves" (as Sammy refers to them) could not believe that these girls, "in nothing but bathing suits,"(606) had the nerve to disrupt the usually boring surroundings of the A & P. He continues to point out how the women in his town "generally put on a shirt or shorts or somethi

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In the end, the people of the town become symbolic for the town's lack of diversity and excitement, contributing to Sammy's growing indifference towards his job at the A & P. '"(608) Updike describes him as "dreary" and as the type that "doesn't miss much. By doing so, Sammy becomes the "unsuspected hero"(609) of the girls and himself, for his true desire to depart from his boring, suburban town. Furthermore, his dislike for the townspeople is evident when he calls the locals purchasing pineapple juice "bums," and wonders why they buy so much. They stand out in the dull environment of the A & P with their "two piece" bathing suits and sunburned complexions, contrasting the starch whiteness of the A & P. Lengel tells them to dress a little more "decent," but the girls feel that they are dressed perfectly fine, demonstrating their departure from the safe and normal. "(609) All of Lengel's qualities summarize how the town in general hides behind certain preconceptions, blocking out what may be considered strange or unconventional. Overall, the girls directly contrast the unanimated town life that he has dealt with while working at the A & P. The A & P's "fluorescent lights," "stacked packages," and "checkerboard green-and-cream rubber tile floor"(607) exemplifies the town's structured ideas and morals because everything is so neat and organized.

The girls that come into the A & P that day are what push Sammy to his breaking point.

Next, the actual description of the A& P gives the reader insight into how the town is even more rigid and static like its inhabitants. ng before they get out of the car into the street. Sammy's frustration with the locals is also summed up in the manager, Lengel, who hides "behind a door marked 'manager. "(608) By this particular description of the landmarks that surround the A & P, the reader can further grasp the dullness of the environment where Sammy works, having no buildings for recreation or fun. Furthermore, the girls encounter with Lengel symbolizes Sammy's town life in opposition with the unconventional, something a little more exciting and interesting.

Common topics in this essay:
John Updike's, Ultimately Sammy's, Due Sammy, setting town, town life, town's lack, suburban town,

Approximate Word count = 786
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

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