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A & P By John Updike Point Of View

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John Updike’s A&P is a short story that deserves much analysis. It is narrated by the main protagonist Sammy. Updike uses the point of view technique to depict the many themes he exposes through Sammy. This analysis will argue that John Updike’s A&P demonstrates common relationship issues amongst young adults through major themes including infatuation, the curiosity felt by young adults concerning the opposite sex, and the struggles between traditionalism and revolt felt in teenagers. The idea of infatuation is something Updike demonstrates blatantly through Sammy. Updike uses Sammy’s thoughts and actions to show teenagers and young adults the consequences of infatuation. Sammy’s infatuation is derived from Queenie, the girl that unknowingly …show more content…

Sammy was very observant of his surroundings, commenting on many of the costumers coming through his register; though he went into specific detail with the girls. Sammy even notes that the girls noticed his impeding curiosity, “She must have felt in the corner of her eye me and over my shoulder Stokesie in the second slot watching, but she didn't tip.” This shows that even Sammy was aware of his curiosity; noting his rather blatant gawking. Another example of Sammy’s curiosity comes at the cash register, “I uncrease the bill, tenderly as you may imagine, it just having come from between the two smoothest scoops of vanilla I had ever known were there, and pass a half and a penny into her narrow pink palm, and nestle the herrings in a bag and twist its neck and hand it over, all the time thinking.” A very important notation Sammy makes is he was “thinking” all the while the girls were at his register. Meaning that he was constantly thinking about the girls, especially Queenie. Updike wanted to depict the curiosity in teenagers, successfully doing so through Sammy. His theme of curiosity goes as a theme for all young adults in their maturation; becoming more interested in the opposite sex. Updike’s last theme is another part of young adult maturation; the struggle teenagers feel between rebellion and

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