The Effects Of Rebellion In John Updike's A & P

825 Words4 Pages

In many cases, people may be forced by external circumstances to make decisions that they would not have made if such circumstances did not present themselves. The results of such decisions can either have a positive or negative impact on the lives of an individual. Such a case is well presented in the story A &P by John Updike where the major character, Sammy is portrayed to be indecisive. In this story, Sammy, the major character continually rebels against his coworkers, his boss, customers, and sometimes himself. His rebellion appears to have more disadvantages than advantages as it complicates his life in many cases. It leads him into making uninformed decisions. It is, therefore, true to say that Sammy 's rebellion in the John Updike 's A & P is more futile than heroic and only makes negative complications in his life. Sammy’s rebellion can be seen from the beginning of the story to the end. He openly shows a negative attitude towards almost everybody, including the customers. He is resentful to the management at work as well as to the clients who come shopping in the supermarket. Sammy appears to be displeased by his job, and it appears as if he looks for the slightest provocation to make him quit. His rebellion against other people in the store is evidenced on how he refers to them by funny names. For example, he refers to the attractive girl as "Queenie", the second one in beauty as "Plaid" and the third one as "Big Tall Goony-Goony" (Updike). This does not only

Open Document