Youthful Rebellion in A&P
John Updike's purpose in writing the short story "A & P" is to present to the reader a story of youthful rebellion against the established authority. The author does this through the story of Sammy, a teenage cashier whose encounter with 3 scantly clad ladies forces him to make a critical decision and finally act on thoughts that he's apparently been having about his life and the direction it's headed. Updike relates these points to the reader by first describing the characters responses to the girls entering the store and the feelings that are aroused by their arrival which gives the reader a hint of Sammy's dissatisfaction with his situation. Next, he describes the store, its location, and its atmosphere which gives an insight into the community's values and how different these girls are from those values. Finally Updike shows us Sammy's epiphany by his sudden realization that he does not belong at A & P because he is at odds with what A & P represents and he accepts the consequences of this decision. To begin with "A&P" begins right as the girls walk into the grocery store, and Sammy immediately notices them as does everyone else in the store and the characters reactions give an insight into their morality. Sammy is the firs
Sammy's observation of his coworkers reactions to the girls, gives us a deeper understanding of his conflicting attitudes towards morality. This awakens in Sammy a sense that if he remains where he is at he will end up like his coworkers, something he clearly does not want. It was at this point that Sammy arrives at his epiphany, when he clearly in his mind had decided to disassociate himself with A & P and finally act on feelings he's been having for quite sometime. Interestingly enough the actual location of Sammy's New England town also serves as an insight into its values. He remarks on how he feels Stokesie is a failure when he relates to the reader that he's only twenty-two, married, with two kids, and whose only aspiration is to be manager someday, something Sammy thinks will never happen which is evident by his "The great Alexandrov and Petrooshki Tea Company" comment. Updike shows that in addition to being able to stand up for himself now that Sammy is also able to take responsibility for his actions and its consequences no matter how hard his life was going to be now, "How hard the world was going to be . Sammy begins describing the inside of the store by describing the customers, who by this point Sammy has dehumanized. Sammy begins to imagine how wonderful their lives must be and compares their lives with his. In conclusion, John Updike's purpose in writing the short story "A & P" is to present to the reader a story of youthful rebellion against the established authority. This is the first sign that we see that Sammy has a serious problem with his current situation. Sammy tells the reader he doesn't regret his actions, "It seems to me that once you begin a gesture it's fatal not to go through with it".
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Acceptance Essays
