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Choices In John Updike's A & P

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Life’s decision can be derived based on choices made among two or more alternative course of actions that are available. In the story A&P by John Updike, it tells us how a person thinks about the society and how it could affect its decisions in life. we have a theme of desire, conformity, rebellion and change in the story. As the story goes and set in the 1950s, it shows how the A&P represented a part of America in that specific era Three girls entering the store dressed inappropriately at the times show the rebellion the girls are doing against the conformity of the American culture. It doesn’t mean about the rebellion because they are in a bathing suit but because they are in a bathing suit in a place where people don’t wear bathing suit. …show more content…

Rather than changing the world Sammy begins to realise how difficult his life will be as a result of quitting his job and not conforming to the accepted norms of society. By rebelling against society and its norms and seeking to be independent Sammy may have liberated himself but he has also managed to alienate himself from society.*573 He will now need to think of different ways on how to be different in a society who thinks only to follow the norms and discriminate those who don’t. And also think of making a making a life-changing decision based on a momentary feeling. We should think of every consequence that decision will bring us and how we will react on those consequences. We need to be ready for everything that may happen after we made the decision with or without following the societal norm and as long as we can stand a point to different judgments by the people around us. Decision making is hard, but when we decide, we decide with all our heart and mind. Just follow what you think is best for you and for the

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Societal changes and cultural differences affect our daily lives both consciously and unconsciously regardless of the cohort. A&P, composed by John Updike, tells of a 19-year-old store clerk, Sammy, who watched three girls create a stir between customers and co-workers after walking through the aisles in their bathing suits; as a result, they were insulted by the manager, Lengel, in front of everyone in the store. Sammy was mesmerized by the one he referred to as, “Queenie” (Updike) as she gracefully and confidently defended her and her friend’s honor after Lengel scolded them for their attire. Consequently, Queenie’s actions inspired Sammy to be their “unsuspected hero” (Updike) and quit his job in hopes of them noticing his heroic act but

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A&P” is a short story that is written by John Updike. It is a story that develops in setting of a grocery store (Updike, n. p). On a broader sense, the setting is a beach town, and the story majorly focusses on how ladies dress. A lot of the characters find the dressing intimidating and one goes even further to warn them about it. It is the view of this paper that the setting of the story forms the cornerstone of its development.

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Regardless the constraint he feels inside the store, A&P, Sammy simply expresses his wanting to have Queenie, who symbolises freedom due the actions she does that he considers rebellious to the principles and the ordinary. The story unfolds with Sammy noticing the three girls enter A&P “in nothing but bathing suits” and shows an immediate and strong attention to them enough to make him forget whether he rang the HiHo crackers. He begins to describe the girls and states that first girl’s “belly was still pretty pale” and that the second had “black hair that hadn't quite frizzed right”. After a short explanation of the previous girls, Sammy portrays an endless detail of the last one, whom he calls Queenie of how she “walked straight on slowly”

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John Updike’s A&P is composed of detailed imagery. Updike paints a portrait of each character which allows the reader to see through the eyes of Sammy. Sammy describes the physical appearances of the girls and their behavior (such as how they walk) to describe their personalities. In the story, Sammy describes the Queen, “She kind of led them, the other two peeking around and making their shoulders round. She didn’t look around, not this queen, she just walked straight on slowly, on these long prima-donna legs.”

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527 Words | 3 Pages

Nobody should be able to just walk into any public affair with their bathing suits. “In walks these three girls in nothing but bathing suits” ( Updike). Then they are just going to walk in casually as if they are not doing anything wrong. It is just wrong, and disrespectful. Even though they are being very disrespectful, they are also unaware that they are being judged off of what they are wearing.

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735 Words | 3 Pages

Comma splices are also another form of common grammatical errors. Comma splices are also called run-on sentences; two main clauses are joined together and attempt to create one single sentence. One of the most common types of comma splice that is considered unacceptable is “a sentence of two independent clauses joined, or interrupted, by a conjunctive adverb preceded by one comma or enclosed by two” (A Few Good Words for the Comma Splice 185). In A&P, there are a few instances in which John Updike’s writing contains a comma splice. The following is an example of a comma splice: “There was this chunky one, with the two-piece -- it was bright green and the seams on the bra were still sharp and her belly was still pretty pale

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1009 Words | 5 Pages

When a person goes on a Call to adventure they will experience a new way to see the world. In A&P the main character Sammy quits his job and leaves. He does this cause Sammy sees that his future would lead him to be like Lengel. June from two kind when on her call to adventure by rejecting her mom wanting her to be prodigy. Which allow her to come to terms her mother action the end of the story.

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1453 Words | 6 Pages

In John Updike’s short story “A&P,” Sammy is the narrator and cashier at the grocery story A&P. The author uses dynamic characters with immensely different personalities to portray conformity and rebellion in our society. Through out the story Sammy challenges conformity and social norms at his work place for personal reasons. Sammy is very bitter character and taken as a realist which fuels the story. Queenie, a rebel against conformity, sparks Sammy’s emotions after the way she is treated by his boss Langel when she walks into the grocery store with nothing but a bikini covering her skin.

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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.

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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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500 Words | 2 Pages

They represent the personal freedom that they can dress anything they like in public. Then, there comes Lengel who is the most traditional person in the story. He judges the girls’ bathing suit, and calls that indecent. It means at that time people’s freedoms are still under oppressed. People should be conformed and obey authority.

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569 Words | 3 Pages

From the clothes they wear to the wat they speak, society teaches young girls and boys to be different. The world expects females to be more fragile thus treats them this way. The short story, “A&P,” by John Updike he believes a woman’s honor and beauty are meant to be not only admired but protected as well. His two main characters Sammy and Lengel do not see eye to eye on this matter.

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Youth is the most important time period a person goes through. It is the age that you live and learn. In the story “A and P” by John Updike, Sammy shows many signs of an adolescent. It is believable that Sammy is a part of the youth age by the control of his thoughts, focus, and dedication. In this story Sammy makes many mistakes that people learn from in their teenage years.

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When he sees the girls, he feels that there are people who are able to break out what is expected and can act different. By quitting his job, Sammy shows he is no “sheep” and have authority to act differently. The story takes place in a grocery store in a beach town. Without the setting, the girls would not have wandered the aisles and Sammy would not have a chance to quit his job. The theme of the story is appearance.

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“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.

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