A & P By John Updike Essay

In the short story, “A&P” by John Updike, Updike narrates through the point of view of a 19 year old cashier. Three girls enter the supermarket that the young man works at, in bathing suits, although they catch the attention of the cashier, the manger disapproves of their dress code in the store. The supermarket plays a vital role in Updike demonstrating the rebellion of the younger generation, by the girls not dressing conservative in public, the cashier’s fascination of their bodies, and the older manager disapproval. The first demonstration Updike used to show the teens rebellion was when the girls walked into the supermarket in just their bathing suits. The reaction of the young cashier and his coworker showed how unusual it was for girls to walk around in public with their bikinis on. Updike wrote “The women generally put on a shirt or shorts or something before they get out of the car into the street” (Updike 240). Older women would not have walked into a public store without making sure that the looked presentable. Updike felt that because these girls are younger they are rebellious and had no

When the cashier wanted to be viewed by the girls as a hero, so he quit his job because his manager embarrassed the girls. Updike says “The girls, and who’d blame them, are in a hurry to get out, so I say “I quit” to Lengel quick enough for them to hear, hoping they’ll stop and watch me, their unsuspected hero” (Updike 242). Not only were the girls rebellious throughout the story but in the end the cashier showed his rebellious side by quitting because of lust towards Sammy. When his manager disapproved of the very thing he loved so much about the girls, he felt he gained the opportunity to become close with them, if he stood up for them. Once again showing how the opinions of the older generation was not valued by the generation to