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Coming Of Age In John Updike's A & P

1337 Words6 Pages

Most people have an experience in their life that causes a turning point and for him or her to loose their innocence and transform from a child into a more mature adult. In the story “Salvation” by Langston Hughes, coming of age, is displayed throughout his experience in his home church, another example of coming of age is displayed in the story “A&P” by John Updike through the narrators choice to stand up to his boss and quit his job, and I was able to have an experience that formed me into the woman I am today when attending a mission trip to Cap Haïtien Haiti. “Salvation” by Langston Hughes is a coming of age story and this is displayed when Langston attends a revival at his church and makes a decision that changes his life forever. At …show more content…

“In walks three girls in nothing but bathing suits. I’m in the third check-out slot, with my back to the door, so I don’t see them until they are over by the bread” (Updike 142). “A few house-slaves in pin curlers even looked around after pushing their carts past to make sure what they had seen was correct” (Updike 144). These quotes set the tone for the story and shows these three new characters are certainly out of the norm and not what this small town grocery store is used to seeing. Updike uses some descriptive language that reveals his affection for the girls. “With the straps pushed off, there was nothing between the top of the suit and the top of her head except just her, this clean bare pane of the top of her chest down from the shoulder bones like a dented sheet of metal tilted in the light, I mean, it was more than pretty” (Updike 143). This quote gives us an insight on the feelings the narrator has towards the three girls and helps us understand why he made the decision he later

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