A & P Poem Analysis

“Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.” -- Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot, 1994. Almost 22 years later, these the impactful words have motivated six million people.. and counting. The coming of the new millennium has pushed new and old generations to learn from the past and mend present day issues. At the seam of a new generation, it is our responsibility to set the standards for the new millennium. Words from Carl Sagan “Pale Blue Dot”, John Updike 's’ short story “A&P”, Robert Frost 's’ poem the “The Gift Outright”, President Kennedy 's Inaugural Address, The Times They Are A-Changin ' sung by Bob

In 1990 when three women walk into A & P Supermarket dressed in just their bathing suites. In the short story “A&P” written by John Updike, three upper-class women clearly go against the status quo. Their rebellious lack of clothing, subjects them to being looked down upon and ignored as their outfits are deemed inappropriate and disrespectful for this average supermarket. “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.” The 90’s were a decade of conservative dressing and awkward change and those enforcing a new generation of ideals and standards where the youth. In the seams between new and old, younger generations repetitively are challenging the bottom line forcing people to question their ideals and models of life. At this particular A&P, change has come and the receptive aspect of change failed. This short story represents the deamination of those challenging the status quo and to achieve change you need to propose and accept. The continual persistence and dedication for change will not be. The impending concept of change is A & P was firmly rejected, but the concept of an idea for change was presented. Change has been coming since the 90’s. Concepts in need of change are constantly changing and morphing, but the importance is that new opportunities for change are being presented to constantly challenge the status quo to keep our

While some people choose to spread the message of change through more discreet routes like music others like John F Kennedy like to write a straightforward speech on it. In 1961, John F Kennedy 's’ Inaugural Speech was crawling with the idea of change. He stated multiple times the it was long overdue the idea of change should turn into a movement. “Let the word go forth from this time and place to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans--born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage--and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.”. his words of passing the torch from generation to generation symbolises the responsibilities that are being handed down through each generation and despite all hardships change for the better will eventually come.

As we all are part of the, “lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark” we must overcome our, “Our imagined self-importance” and come to terms that “The Times They Are A-Changin”. Either we, “get out of the new one, If you can 't lend your hand” or rebel against the status quo because it’s about time, “the word go forth from this time and place” and know “All this will not be finished in the first one hundred days. Nor will it be finished in the first one thousand