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A & P Theme Essay

668 Words3 Pages

The theme of a story is a very important factor when depicting the impact the story has. Theme of a story is the comprehension of general message or idea that is conveyed throughout a literary work. As a story progresses the theme is often conveyed regularly and emerges in varied ways. Sometimes a story can have more than one theme portrayed within it. In the story “A&P” there is more than one theme present in the story. The theme in this story is developed by characters, point of view, setting, and symbolism. The significant characters that contribute to the theme of the “A&P” are the main character, Sammy, his boss at the grocery store, Lengel, and the three teenage girls who enter the store wearing only bathing suits. The story is told from …show more content…

In an attempt to impress the girls, Sammy abruptly decides to quit his job. “The girl, 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 434). When he leaves the A&P he realizes the girls have already left and he may have just given up his job for nothing. “I look around for my girls, but they’re gone, of course” (Updike 435). “...as I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter” (Updike 435). Sammy made the mistake of acting on desire while overlooking the consequences. Had the character's, point of view, setting, or symbolism in the story been altered the meaning of the story may have changed entirely and the themes we distinctly see in the story, could have been completely different. The characters, point of view, setting, and symbols in “A&P” assisted the development of the themes enclosed in the story. “A&P” depicted themes of women do not have the same rights as men and do not act on the power of desire. Other themes can also be found in this story but these two stood out to me the

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Sammy defends the girls from his boss' policy. “The girls, and who’d blame them, are in a hurry to get out, so I say “I quit” to

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The use of various and different archetypes such as the threshold guardian and the defiant anti-hero in “A&P” coveys John Updike’s changing perception of women and the values in today’s society. When the reader is first introduced to Sammy, they see him observing “three girls in nothing but bathing suits” and privately starts pointing out distinct physical features such as their “sweet broad soft-looking can” and how “the third one wasn’t so tall. She was the queen.” (Updike 1). Sammy is a very atypical person and doesn’t fall under society’s norm of a gentleman or one who shows any form of chivalry towards women..

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463 Words | 2 Pages

Lengel approaches him and the girls and starts to argue with them about what they’re wearing. During this time, Sammy starts to get more involved. After giving them their item that was purchased, he tries to be a hero telling him that he quits, hoping the girls would hear him and give him attention. Unfortunately for him, the girls ignore him and continue to leave, showing that even though Sammy tried to help, nothing was gained. In the end, Sammy lost his job, gained nothing, and wasn’t acknowledged by the people he wanted to be acknowledged

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1852 Words | 8 Pages

3 The story of “A&P” by John Updike adopts the uses of figurative language to embellish the critical moments of transitions of people’s lives, particularly in the life of Sammy. Updike utilizes crafts of plot, character, setting, point of view, theme, and symbol to constitute the story, and to project the idea of "life passages. " Also, Sammy undergoes a series of events that enables him to transition as a person in his life. 3

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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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765 Words | 4 Pages

In the end of the story, Lengel, the manager of the A&P, tells the girls off for not having their shoulders covered while they are inside the store. Sammy is offended for the girls so he attempts to impress the girls. By standing up to Lengel, telling him that he is quitting, he hopes that they will seem him as their “unsuspected hero.” The fact that he is willing to give up his job over a girl that he has barely had a conversation with shows his level of infatuation with Queenie. However, the girls do not seem to even care that he quit his job over them; the girls do not even bat in eye to what he just did.

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779 Words | 4 Pages

Sammy’s decision is stated by all as a terrible mistake. Sammy slips out of his slot and walks straight towards the door and walks out without looking back. Not surprisingly he thinks to himself, “I look around for my girls, but they're gone, of course.” While trying to use a heroic gesture to feel equivalent to the girls they seem to have not appreciated the gesture and leave.

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All novels are based on a theme. Theme is the author's message in a literary work. A writer will develop a main idea or a theme which the whole essay will revolve around. The theme of a story can be conveyed through characters, setting, dialogue, plot, or a combination of all these elements. In the novel, Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech, the theme that is developed throughout the story is “No matter how dark things seem, there is always hope.”

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941 Words | 4 Pages

As made apparent by Sammy’s first thought outside, “I look around for my girls, but they’re gone of course” (pg. #7), Sammy initially quit his job in the moment to gain praise from the girls and hopefully to have them swooning over him, but all along he knew the chances of gaining praise from them was slim. Although Sammy was hoping the girls would be waiting for him after he quit his job to stand up for them, he wasn’t really surprised by their absence; He expected it. As Sammy stated “I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter,” (pg.#7) without a job and without any form of reward for his somewhat heroic act, Sammy finally realized the challenges women in society face. Overall, A&P by John Updike is a short story raising awareness for women’s rights as well as proving that you shouldn’t judge someone based on their appearances.

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1222 Words | 5 Pages

In John Updike’s story “A&P” he places the reader within the average run of the mill grocery store viewing your daily shopping shenanigans. We are able to see every action through the eyes of the nineteen old cashier, Sammy, who is just trying to find his own identity in a town full of what he calls “sheep” (Updike 132). He strikes you as the typical teenager who feels as if he has the entire world figured out, but as you continue through the tale a different side began to reveal slowly but surely about him. Sammy’s initial actions strike the readers as judgmental yet reserved but as the reader progresses through the pages, we can witness the transition into his new bold persona. Sammy’s character proves to change from his inclusive domineer that was in the beginning into a courageous young man who looks at the world in a new vibrant perspective after breaking free of society’s norm in the end.

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995 Words | 4 Pages

He remembers the details of her like the back of his hand, and he decides to call her Queenie. All Sammy does is notice her. He does not talk to her, he does not want to check-out her items, he does not want to even look at her when she is looking. All he can do is think about Queenie and what it is like to be with her, and her family. The manager, Lengel, comes out to talk

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903 Words | 4 Pages

Primarily, "A & P" is a story about growing up, related circumstances and important transition from childhood to adulthood. At the beginning of the story, the reader meets Sammy, an ordinary nineteen-year-old who works at a grocery store. Though, his inner changes start when he observes the reactions to the girls. Actually, he is amused by these reactions and frustrated at the same time. He feels that he does not want to work at a grocery till the end of his days.

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252 Words | 2 Pages

In the beginning of the story "A+P," by Updike, the character, Sammy, was an complex character. However, he believe it 's wrong for the girls to walk in the store inappropriately dressed. Later, he feels sorry because he felt like he and Lengel judged them. Lengel, the store manager, felt like it was disrespectful to him and the public shoppers for the girls to show cleavage. Sammy, feeling sorry, quits his job.

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1469 Words | 6 Pages

However, deep inside his heart, he has an intention to gain authority, and his intention of gaining authority shows from his daydreams. Usually from his daydreams he is set as some kind of important person who holds a high position. Sammy from “A&P” is a normal 19-year-old cashier. One day, three girls come into the supermarket with their swimsuits, and he falls in love with a girl who seems like a leader of the group at one sight.

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While he was ringing up a customer at the cashier he was distracted from the three ladies that walked into the store. Sammy was very heroic person at the end of the short story, he wanted to stick up for the girls before they left the store. Lengal the boss was complaining about the girls wearing there bikini in the store and Sammy felt like Lengal was being rude to the girls so he tried to get Lengal to apologize. Again being a heroic character he told Lengal that he quit hoping to grab the three girls

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