’Is it done?’ he asks, the responsible married man finding his voice. I forgot to say he thinks he’s going to be manager some sunny day, maybe in 1990 when it’s called the Great Alexandrov and Petrooshki Tea Company or something.” (Updike, 2)
This passage puzzled me for several reasons. First, I haven’t quite figured out what he means by “is it done?” Is this simply a question about whether the girls are out of sight so Stoksie knows he can relax again, or something else? Is this about a man fighting with himself, one part the married and responsible man with a dream to be manager, and the other part still a boy? Second, Updike’s reference to Alexandrov and Petrooshki seems to be a Russian reference, which makes me wonder what is happening
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Also, his description of Lengel taking his place so quickly to check out sheep seems to paint a picture of interchangeable parts, a place where no one is important. Is this a reference to communism? Finally, the last sentence is likely the most important of the entire story, but I am not sure if he means life will be hard because he quit, or life will be hard because he knows he can no longer be a sheep.
The Lady with the Little Dog by Anton Chekhov
“How can I justify myself? I’m a bad, low woman, I despise myself and am not even thinking of any justification. It’s not only my husband I’ve deceived but, my own self! And not only now, I’ve been deceiving myself for a long time.” (Chekhov, 6)
To me, this was one of the most powerful passages of the entire short story. Why does Anna think she has deceived herself now, has her short-term happiness and the acknowledgement of her desires made her realize how unhappy she has been? Is she a low woman because by allowing herself to give in to her desires she has gone against her religion? Is her statement about being a low woman related at all to the action she has just taken, or is it the bigger lie, her marriage to a husband she doesn’t
Mitko has a bit of a uncertain nature to him and character that is full of contradictions. The narrator makes note of this, “contradictions that, as they alternate and repeat and thus form patterns and reliances, as much as anything else make up the self” (Greenwell 25). The plot of the story follows these contradictions such as the the speaker's self contradictions of trying to convince himself of his friendship with a man that is only around if he is getting paid. Mitcko was prosperous and is now homeless, and as the narrator put it, “How can we account for them, time and chance that together strip us of our promise, making of our lives almost always less than we imagined or was imagined for us, not maliciously or with any other intent, but simply because the measure of the world's
Although, the young girl believes that she has the ability to win him over, considering the fact that he’s still a married man. “I hope it is your last hypocrisy. I pray you will come again with with sweeter news for me. I know you will- now that your duties done.” (Miller 152).
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.
The Alligators is a short story written by John Updike that explores the world of Charlie, a fifth grade student from Maryland. Charlie imagines a world different from the one he’s living in because of love. The Alligators teaches us that love can be blissful but also painful through Charlie realizing his love for Joan so he treats her better but as a result, it was only a fraction from his imagination. A counterclaim that is brought up is popular people strive for power.
“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.
“Feminism is not just about women; it's about letting all people lead fuller lives,” Jane Fonda. Fonda refers to feminism not only as an idea, but a way of life and amenable views. “A&P” by John Updike is a short story about three girls in a grocery store who are judged head to toe by multiple characters and speaker, Sammy, reflecting the idea that feminism is still not accepted. Updike uses literary devices, characters, and feminist views to show the objectification of women in the 1960’s. Generally speaking, Updike uses literary devices such as metaphors, similes, and symbolism to help the reader visualize what is going on.
There are such people everywhere but one does not appreciate it at first. Katczinsky is the smartest I know. It’s a good thing to be friends with him, as Kropp and I are, and Haie Westhus too, more or less” (Remarque 37). The men are very happy to have him around, and he keeps them going.
Character is the thing that defines a person. What you will do, what you will say, how you interact with the world. Admittedly, all of us have character. But, the character of Christopher is a very interesting and a complex one. In times, it feels as if he is an alien compared to everyone else.
Humans in general, often times desire something that they don’t possess. For instance, in the short story “A&P”, the protagonist, Sammy, works at the A&P and notices three girls walking into the store with nothing but bikinis. Over the course of the story, Sammy observes the “main” girl, Queenie, and her friends and eventually, quits his job when the manager tells the girls to follow store policy for wearing bikini-clad clothing. In the end, Sammy is left jobless and empty handed with the girl, Queenie, and is then pondering about the future. Overall, Sammy’s desire for Queenie and him advocating for her due to her clothing led him to be somewhat of a hero.
Anna depicted herself as Independent woman, she was the frequent subject of gossip in Germany due to her indecent attire, flirtatious behavior and rebellious acts. After the discovery of Anna 's secret affairs with an nobleman and cavalryman (Erasmus of Limpurg and Daniel Treutwein), her wealthy father out of rage ban her from the household and abolished her inheritances. Anna then files a suit on her father but when she sued him for financial support, he had her captured, returned home and chained to a table as punishment. Anna eventually escaped and continued her suit against her father, siblings and her home town.
Her expectations, were set quite too high, leading Anna to feel dispirited and depressed because she wasn't able to fulfill the task set right in front of
There is a sentimental value that is attached to every families’ collection of heirlooms and keepsakes. No matter how long these items remain in storage or are hidden away; their representation always stays the same, they keep people connected to their family roots. Author John Updike’s short story, “The Brown Chest” uses symbolism and imagery and sensory writing to focus on the idea that family memories never fade away and material things can maintain a deeper meaning no matter what they endure. John Updike appeals to the reader’s senses to allow them to connect with what is occurring in the story on a more profound level. He begins the story by writing from the main character’s childhood perspective.
“Mala makes me crazy. Only she talks about money, always about my will ” (Spiegelman, Artie 67). Vladek's opinionated phrase shows how he views Mala as his wife. “But if I give it to you, Mala will drive me crazy. She wants everything only for her” (Spiegelman, Artie 127).
The dialogue in Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” reveals a man’s and a woman’s incongruent conflict on abortion, and the author’s fundamentally feminist position is visible in the portrayal of the woman’s independent choice of whether or not to keep the baby she is carrying. The plot is very simple in the story which is less than 1500 words long. A woman and a man spend less than an hour on a hot summers day at a Spanish train station in the valley of Ebro as they are waiting for a train heading for Madrid. Their dialogue takes up most of the space and only few major actions take place.
Mrs. Baroda feels inner conflict with wanting to be with her husband’s friend, but also her duty as a woman in society. Within “A Story of an Hour” Mrs. Mallard faces a similar situation when she wants the freedom and autonomy from her husband. Through these works of Kate Chopin, the reader can see that the women protagonists face inner dispute, self-realization, and resolution with those feelings. In “A Respectable Woman” by Kate Chopin, Mrs. Baroda struggles with her desires of wanting to be free from her marriage, but she doesn’t want to break society’s role for her.