John Updike's A & P
John Updike’s “A&P” begins “In walks these three girls in nothing but bathing suits”(487). The title and first line surprise us almost as much as the girls did the other characters in the story. We are surprised again when Sammy, the narrator, quits his checkout job at the end of the story. Sammy does not tell us anything about himself except his age, 19. Updike decided it was important we understand Sammy is at the point in his life where decisions are made that affect the rest of our lives. In the time span of about ten minutes, the realities of Sammy’s life are brought into sharp focus. The girls have dropped in by chance from a more affluent environment. Sammy sees through them the possibilities for a different sort of life than the one he’s headed for. The other customers and employees are related to us mostly by their reaction to the girls. They are shocked by the girls’ appearance, but immediately go back to their shopping. Sammy is amused by this “pretty hilarious…eyes snapped back to their own basket…there was no doubt, this jiggled them”(488). Sammy refers to them as animals several times “the sheep pushing their carts down the aisles”(488) and “scared pigs in a chute”(491). He does not have much respe . . .
’”(490) After this, Lengel gives Sammy the chance to change his mind, telling him his parents will be upset and it will affect his whole life. Sammy removes his apron by “shrugging it off my shoulders…I fold the apron, ‘Sammy’ stitched in red on the pocket”(491). Is he simply amused at this break in his dull day? Is he fantasying about asking the girls on a date? Is he annoyed at their audacity in coming into this environment not sufficiently prepared? When the manager comes and admonitions the girls for their attire, the leader speaks and at the sound of her voice Sammy imagines her home and family, and contrasts that image with his own family life. “”Did you say something Sammy?’ ‘I said I quit. The words he uses to describe the store surroundings are matter-of-fact and derogatory. “‘We are decent,’ Queenie says suddenly…getting sore now that she remembers her place, a place from which the crowd that runs the A&P must look pretty crummy”(490). His face was dark gray and his back stiff…my stomach kind of fell as I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter. Each also has the same response, anger, which she expressed with her scornful remark and Sammy expresses by quitting. He expresses pity for the girls in bathing suits “Poor kids, I began to feel sorry for them, they couldn’t help it”(489).
Common topics in this essay:
Updikes A&P, Lengel Sammy, people sammy, lengel sammy, girls bathing, embarrassed girls, sammy thinking, girl blush, |
Acceptance Essays
