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Consequences In John Updike's A & P

674 Words3 Pages

Consequences To The Wind In “A&P”, a short story by John Updike we meet Sammy, an eighteen-year-old who lives and works in a small conservative Massachusetts town. Sammy is the main character in the coming of age story about innocence, maturity and standing up against social injustices. He works in the local grocery store, the A&P, which is managed by the conservative Sunday school teacher, Lengel. Sammy has a keen observational sense and is a typical teenage boy with an interest in the opposite sex. His interest in girls and finding his voice to stand up against social injustices collide on a hot summer day while working the register. Sammy was young and innocent; he gained maturity and wisdom. On a hot summer Thursday afternoon, Sammy …show more content…

The other shoppers, which Sammy called “sheep” reacted with shock and would “kind of jerk, or hop, or hiccup” as the girls walked by but did not say a word. The girls have just chosen Sammy’s line for their purchase when the store manager, Lengel, a conservative Sunday school teacher, walks in. Lengel does not hold his tongue, but instead admonishes the girls for not covering up before coming in the grocery store. Queenie became embarrassed and attempted to explain she is on a quick errand to pick up hearing snacks for her mother but Lengel would hear none of it. Queenie and Lengel battered back and forth about being dressed appropriately until Lengel ended the spat with the dress code speech. By this time, the other shoppers have piled up at Stokesie’s register to watch the spectacle. Trying to diffuse the situation Lengel ask if Sammy has rung up the girls. Sammy is so upset with how Lengel made the girls feel that right after he rung up Queenie’s jarred herring snacks, he quit his job right then and there. He took a stand and told his manager that there was no need to embarrass the girls as he did. Lengel replied with a warning that Sammy would “feel this the rest of his life” if he quit. Sammy felt that was true, but his urge to stand up for what he believed was right was stronger than the possible consequences he faced for quitting his

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A & P By John Updike

1078 Words | 5 Pages

He comes over and says, "Girls, this isn't the beach." " (Updike pg. 163). Lengel tells the girls that their outfits go against store policy and that they must dress differently the next time they enter the shop. This embarrassed the girls and enraged Sammy. He tells Lengel that he quit and that Lengel didn't have to embarrass the girls the way he did.

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Sammy's Infatuation In 'A & P'

765 Words | 4 Pages

Lengel tries to dissuade him from quitting telling Sammy that he does not really understand what he is about to do, but Sammy quits anyway. When Sammy takes off his apron and leaves the store, he fully expects to meet Queenie and the girls, but they are nowhere to be seen. This shows that despite the entire story building around this one girl Queenie, in the end he even quits for her, despite never really getting to know her, fully expecting her to see him as a hero but in the end, they were gone. As with most childhood infatuations, Sammy never approached the girls for a conversation and when he tried to catch up with them to talk his opportunity was

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Analysis Of John Updike's Story A & P

162 Words | 1 Pages

John Updike’s story A&P is one of initiation. According to “What is an Initiation Story?” located in The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature, an initiation story is where the author intends for the young protagonist character in the story to undergo a situation where they will experience a significant change of knowledge, whether it is about himself, the world, or a change of character, and the significant change will lead them towards adulthood. What is comprehended from an initiation story is that when one gains something they lose something else as well, and this is what happened in A&P. Sammy decides to quit his job because his boss embarrassed three girls in front of the whole store.

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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.

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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.

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Societal Differences In John Updike's A & P

163 Words | 1 Pages

Societal changes and cultural differences affect our daily lives both consciously and unconsciously regardless of the cohort. A&P, composed by John Updike, tells of a 19-year-old store clerk, Sammy, who watched three girls create a stir between customers and co-workers after walking through the aisles in their bathing suits; as a result, they were insulted by the manager, Lengel, in front of everyone in the store. Sammy was mesmerized by the one he referred to as, “Queenie” (Updike) as she gracefully and confidently defended her and her friend’s honor after Lengel scolded them for their attire. Consequently, Queenie’s actions inspired Sammy to be their “unsuspected hero” (Updike) and quit his job in hopes of them noticing his heroic act but

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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.

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The House On Mango Street

1224 Words | 5 Pages

Lengel states, “We want you decently dresses when you come in here”. Which the girls respond, “We are decent”. Blushing, the girls seem to feel embarrassed and uncomfortable. Disliking how Lengel speaks to the girls, Sammy decides to take a dramatic step and quits his job. He tries to impress the girls with this gesture, but the girls had already left.

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Conflict In John Updike's A & P

564 Words | 3 Pages

The story takes place on a hot, summer day at a grocery store called the “A&P”. The protagonist is a nineteen year old male cashier by the name of Sammy. The central conflict occurs when Sammy watches three girls in bathing suits enter into the store to buy some herring snacks. Sammy gleefully watches them and gets attracted to the middle girl, “Queenie”, eventually being infatuated for her.

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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.

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John Updike A & P Setting Analysis

1085 Words | 5 Pages

While quitting his job is not the most practical course of action, Sammy forcefully acts upon Lengel’s injustice in hopes Queenie will see his heroism. His attack on Lengel’s paternalism and embarrassment is to no avail for this hope, however; as Sammy follows outside, he is met by vast openness. Such a defiant act marks the descent from a small A&P to the expansive world, and discovers a new talent for the young adolescent; regardless of motivation, Sammy is willing to fight against wrongdoing - and rebel against established

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Summary Of John Updike's Short Story A & P

1453 Words | 6 Pages

Although Sammy quit, he found a sense of freedom in these girls, He wanted to be different just like them and that is what he pursued after the right motivation. The Author used Sammy to show that being different is a good thing, but making irrational decisions in pursuit of non-conformity can leave you with

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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.

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

1094 Words | 5 Pages

A&P: The Perspective of Sammy “A&P” by John Updike tells the story of Sammy, a teenage boy working at a grocery store, when he sees three girls dressed in swimsuits enter. Quickly, Sammy becomes infatuated with the leading girl whom he dubs “Queenie”. Eventually, the girls are accosted by the manager for dressing inappropriately and Sammy quits in both an act of rebellion and wanting the appreciation of the girls. All throughout the story Sammy’s sarcastic and inquisitive nature comes out leading to a distinct voice and thought process the reader follows giving the reader a very opinionated view of all the characters and action in the story.

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John Updike Symbolism

796 Words | 4 Pages

The short story “A&P” by John Updike introduces us to a young teenager named Sammy who worked at the A&P grocery store looking to find his freedom. Throughout reading A&P, I 've noticed the main character Sammy had a very keen eye that spotted every minor detail. When Sammy saw the three teenage girls only wearing bathing suits enter the grocery store, he perceived the girls dressed as if they were going to the beach. Sammy explained to us in detail the different bathing suits that the girls were wearing and their physical appearances. The primary symbol represented in this story is the bathing suits worn by the three teenage girls.

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