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Similarities Between A & P And Barn Burning

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While the two short stories "A&P," by John Updike and "Barn Burning," by William Faulkner are both coming to age stories, but consist of different story lines, the protagonist in each story (Sammy and Sarty) stand up for what they believe in. These two stories have many similarities and many differences. In "A&P", Sammy is around nineteen years of age, works as a cash register at the towns local grocery store named A&P, and his life looks like it is going well, until three girls walk in with just their swimsuits. Lengel, the manager notices the girls and calls them out for their choice of clothing. Sammy being who he is decides to stand up for the girls, but he does not just defend them he quits his job also. In the short story "Barn Burning", Sarty is only about ten years of age, his problem is his father. Abner Snopes, who is Sarty’s father, is being put on trial. So, little Sarty is stuck between doing what is right and what is wrong. Soon Sarty realizes what his father does, he is burning barns. Sarty then runs to the owner to warn him about his barn, because he …show more content…

Each story is set up in a different time era and different locations in the world. "A&P" is in a little town close to Boston, Massachusetts in about the 1960's. The 60's era is considered the hippie stage or some at the beginning believed it was going to be the golden age, but it never happened towards the end of the era they were fighting for civil rights and the nation began to fall apart. "Barn Burning" is set up in Mississippi years after the Civil War. Many of the Southern states were destroyed after the war. They were all in devastation and debt from the years of war they contributed in. Even though both settings are completely different in time, they both show America changing over

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