ipl-logo

Coming Of Age In John Updike's A & P

1337 Words6 Pages

Most people have an experience in their life that causes a turning point and for him or her to loose their innocence and transform from a child into a more mature adult. In the story “Salvation” by Langston Hughes, coming of age, is displayed throughout his experience in his home church, another example of coming of age is displayed in the story “A&P” by John Updike through the narrators choice to stand up to his boss and quit his job, and I was able to have an experience that formed me into the woman I am today when attending a mission trip to Cap Haïtien Haiti. “Salvation” by Langston Hughes is a coming of age story and this is displayed when Langston attends a revival at his church and makes a decision that changes his life forever. At …show more content…

“In walks three girls in nothing but bathing suits. I’m in the third check-out slot, with my back to the door, so I don’t see them until they are over by the bread” (Updike 142). “A few house-slaves in pin curlers even looked around after pushing their carts past to make sure what they had seen was correct” (Updike 144). These quotes set the tone for the story and shows these three new characters are certainly out of the norm and not what this small town grocery store is used to seeing. Updike uses some descriptive language that reveals his affection for the girls. “With the straps pushed off, there was nothing between the top of the suit and the top of her head except just her, this clean bare pane of the top of her chest down from the shoulder bones like a dented sheet of metal tilted in the light, I mean, it was more than pretty” (Updike 143). This quote gives us an insight on the feelings the narrator has towards the three girls and helps us understand why he made the decision he later

Show More
Related

  • A & P By John Updike

    1078 Words  | 5 Pages

    He watches the girls throughout the entirety of their shopping experience and makes a note of almost every minute fact. However, not once in Sammy's speculation does he mention anything negative about the girls. He doesn't comment on the "correct" body shape, he doesn't mention that their bathing suits were breaking cultural customs, and he doesn't overtly sexualize them in any way. He only watches the girls, and by the end of their shopping excursion, he has become attached to their story. As the girls head in the direction of the cash register, they are stopped by the store manager, Lengel. "

    Read More

  • A & P Symbolism Essay

    1127 Words  | 5 Pages

    The grocery store symbolizes the social “norms” within a society and Sammy’s fear of living a boring and mundane life. While watching the girls shop, Sammy describes the grocery store and everything in it using bland, generic language. As he watched, he noticed that “the girls were walking against the usual traffic (not that we have one-way signs or anything) -- were pretty hilarious. You could see them, when Queenie's white shoulders dawned on them, kind of jerk, or hop, or hiccup, but their eyes snapped back to their own baskets and on they pushed. I bet you could set off dynamite in an A & P and the people would by and large keep reaching and checking oatmeal off their lists and muttering ‘Let me see, there was a third thing, began with A, asparagus, no, ah, yes, applesauce’ or whatever it is they do mutter.”

    Read More

  • Characterization, Setting, Theme In John Updike's A And P

    368 Words  | 2 Pages

    Discuss one of the following regarding John Updike's "A&P": Characterization, Setting, Theme. Sammy is the narrator of this story. He is an opinionated teenager who describes people shopping at the store as “sheep”. He believes everyone acts the same.

    Read More

  • John Updike's Short Story A & P

    255 Words  | 2 Pages

    John Updike's short story "A&P" is about a 19-year-old boy “Sammy” who is going through changes in his life, and has to make crucial decisions that are going to affect his job and his future in the long run. The story is set in an A&P grocery store, in a town north of Boston, and begins with Sammy’s description of the three girls that enter the store. Sammy decides to quit his job in order to impress the girl “Queenie.” Unfortunately, his gentlemanly act goes unnoticed by Queenie and her friends, and he has no choice but to face the consequences of his action. The author of the story clarifies that Sammy’s immaturity comes from his judgmental attitude, sexist beliefs, and disrespectful attitude.

    Read More

  • Female Objectification In John Updike's A & P

    941 Words  | 4 Pages

    “A&P” by John Updike is a short story expressing the issues of female objectification and degradation in society by following a young A&P employee’s views (Sammy) as they change through experiences second hand. Sammy goes from stereotyping objectifier to a form of a public defender, standing up for girls who can’t really do so for themselves. Sammy initially characterizes and describes all of the people in the store based on their looks and his initial opinion of them, rather than waiting to make judgements based on their personality, or not at all. He is very critical of looks, and is judgmental about why and how they look or act the way they do.

    Read More

  • Sandra Cisneros Barbie-Q: A Literary Analysis

    1793 Words  | 8 Pages

    The story tells the reader about how two girls, each owns a Barbie doll with their one outfit piece and they made a dress out of worn socks for the dolls. One Sunday, they both went to the flea market on Maxwell Street, where the dolls of the other characters in Barbie were sold with lower price as a big toy warehouse was destroyed by fire. They did not mind to buy the dolls at the flea market even though the dolls were flawed, soaked with water and smelled like ashes. Barbie is widely pictured as a successful girl, who is perfect in every way; with her beautiful face, a slim body, nice house, secured job and a handsome boyfriend which is the fancy of every girl. The story tells the reader of the expectancy for women to have this immaculate figure, ignoring the fact that each person has different body fat percentage and body mass index which may affect their sizes and weights.

    Read More

  • The House On Mango Street

    1224 Words  | 5 Pages

    Sammy is a nineteen-year-old cashier at a small store. Not used to seeing girls enter the store dressed that way, Sammy is shocked. Not being able to keep his eyes off the girls, Sammy notices details about their dressing. Sammy states, “She had on a kind of a dirty-pink bathing suit with a little nubble all over it and, what got me, the straps were down” (Updike, par. 3). We can see Sammy is sexually desiring these girls by the way he takes in every detail of the girls’ physical appearance.

    Read More

  • A & P By John Updike Literary Techniques

    850 Words  | 4 Pages

    This helps the reader visualize a sarcastic and frustrated cashier ringing up an impatient customer. Sammy refers to the customers as “sheep” in paragraph five because of their conformity and slow mosey throughout the store also making the three girls stick out more. In paragraph 2, Sammy refers to one of the girls as a “queen” using a direct metaphor as if she truly was a Queen. This reinforces Sammy’s observant mind and way he breaks down each girl. Whether his opinion was positive or negative, deducing women by their looks and staring at their chests, “this clean bare plane of the top of her chest down from the shoulder bones like a dented sheet of metal tilted in the light,”(3), does nothing but further supplement the idea that these three girls are being watched just because of their choice in attire.

    Read More

  • Imagery And Irony In Langston Hughes's 'Salvation'

    894 Words  | 4 Pages

    In “Salvation,” Langston Hughes presents his momentous coming-of-age story as a dark and saddening ending to his childhood that provides the reader with understanding of the loss of innocence; and faith he faced and how it impacted who he came to be. Hughes makes a strong implication that children become less and less innocent over time. Hughes himself proves that through the tone of his entire essay. It begins with a light toned; yet still ironic introduction, but ends with a dark, depressing final line. Hughes supplies his reader with multiple literary devices such as imagery, flashbacks, and irony to present this comparison of his younger self and his older self.

    Read More

  • Social Status In John Updike's A & P

    779 Words  | 4 Pages

    Social status is defined as a person's standing or importance in relation to other people within a society. Social status has affected the world for hundreds of years, from where you were allowed to go to the bathroom, to if you were allowed to vote. The way a person is viewed and treated is all caused by what is believed to be their rank in society and in the short story, “A&P”, John Updike uses irony, symbolism, and characterization to show this. Sometimes people dissatisfied with their opportunities get caught up with what others represent, causing rash decisions that lead to disappointment.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis On Salvation

    610 Words  | 3 Pages

    Langston Hughes used rhetoric words in his story “Salvation,” to provide foreshadows, and emotional appeals to his struggles in becoming religiously saved. Hughes began his story by stating “I was saved from sin when I was going on thirteen (179).” The irony in this opening is that Hughes initially believed in the presence of Jesus, but unexpected pressures pushed him to betray and deceive his faith. The setting of Hughes struggles took place in a religious ceremony in his Auntie Reed’s church. In this service, many young children like Hughes were gathered to be spiritually cleansed by the light of Jesus.

    Read More

  • Epiphany In Langston Hughes's 'Salvation'

    235 Words  | 1 Pages

    “Salvation” is a short story by Langston Hughes describing a boy when he discovered a significant truth about faith and religion. The last paragraph of “Salvation” functions as an epiphany for the boy. An epiphany is an experience of sudden and striking realization. It can also mean the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi. This event helps shape the boy’s religious understanding far differently from what his Aunt Reed believes.

    Read More

  • Characterization In John Updike's A & P

    248 Words  | 1 Pages

    Lengel does not appreciate how the girls are dressed because he deems it both inappropriate and unacceptable. These girls are characterized as tourists who were enjoying their time at the beach, located 5 miles away from A&P.

    Read More

  • The Perspective Of Sammy In John Updike's A & P

    1094 Words  | 5 Pages

    This crafts a story with a in-depth focus on the mind of a character, who makes the choice to rebel because of three girls wearing swimsuits in a grocery store. Therefore, the distinct voice that Sammy possess ultimately gives the story a feeling of youth and

    Read More

  • John Updike Symbolism

    796 Words  | 4 Pages

    The grocery store was not that busy, informed in the story that “The stores pretty empty, it being Thursday afternoon, so there was nothing much to do except lean on the register and wait for the girls to show up again” (Updike 475). Sammy did not miss the opportunity to keep his eyes on the girls, especially since he was instantly interested in Queenie who was introduced to us as the leader among the girls. Each of the girls was different and had bathing suits on. Sammy was very descriptive about each bathing suit; he included many details. Queenie “had on a kind of dirty-pink beige maybe, I don’t know bathing suit with a little nubble all over it and, what got me, the straps were down, they were off the shoulders looped loose around the cool tops of her arms, and I guess"(Updike 473).

    Read More

More about Coming Of Age In John Updike's A & P

Open Document