John Updike and Kurt Vonnegut: Both Weave Social Commentary Into Their Short Stories
John Updike and Kurt Vonnegut both weave social commentary into their short stories. In "A&P," Updike focuses on the dehumanizing elements of menial jobs such as the bag-boy job occupied by the story's protagonist Sammy. Sammy is coming of age; he has finished high school and is taking his first steps in the real working world. His budding sexuality and personal identity clashes with the demands and expectations of a rigid small-town culture. The norms and values Sammy encounters while working at the A&P market, culminating in the mistreatment of the teenage girls, provide a means for Sammy to question his ethical principles and act accordingly. By quitting, Sammy becomes a postmodern hero: he is filled with realism and cynicism. Harrison Bergeron in Vonnegut's short story by the same name is a different type of tragic hero. Also a teenager filled with the desire to change outmoded social norms, Harrison becomes a
However different their setting and pot, "A&P" and "Harrison Bergeron" are quintessential postmodern American tales. One of the key differences between the two stories is that unlike Updike, Vonnegut deliberately and purposefully portrays the American government as a culprit in the degeneration of society. In their short stories both Updike and Vonnegut depict American society as being characterized by mediocrity. His tragic ending underscores the deep cynicism Vonnegut's story imbues. " Sammy quits in affirmation of his moral principles. Updike focuses more on the way small-town insularity restricts personal freedom. Sammy and Harrison are both old enough to become men and indeed both have just been released from the family nest. Harrison Bergeron shows a more brutal face of America but both stories depict the exaggerated pursuit of false equality and the suppression of individuality. Both Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron" and Updike's "A&P" reflect profound disappointment with twentieth century American society. They confront injustice in American society but find they are up against forces far bigger and more powerful than themselves. The heroes are disillusioned young males who, because of their raging hormones and egos believe they can single-handedly change the world. The boy overcompensates for his handicaps by claiming himself to be Emperor and subsequently getting shot by the Handicapper General. By speaking out against perceived injustice Sammy displays what was probably his first mature act. The protagonists in both stories are adolescent males. Harrison's monstrous appearance has been pieced together from a patchwork of metal "handicapping" devices issued by the government.
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Acceptance Essays
