Feminine Ideas In John Updike's A & P

Customs and convictions change; respectable people are the last to know, or to admit, the change, and the ones most offended by fresh reflections of the facts in the mirror of art (Updike). The story, A&P, is written by John Updike, it takes place in a grocery store named “A&P”. Three girls were judged based on what they wore. In the short story, the main characters are the girls, manager, and the teenage boy. The short story, “A&P”, by John Updike demonstrates diverge ideas of the feminine sex through ideas of feminine uniqueness, collective expectations, and rebellion of the social ideas. The girls represent a modern feminine perspective of self. They do not view themselves as sexual representations but equal to their male counterparts. In the story, Updike states, “We are decent” (Updike). The girls thought they were appropriately dressed in the store. When the girls wore bikinis they stood up tall. They were of proud of the their of the tan aspects therefore, individual definition not social. Society wants the feminine gender to fit into preconceived notions. Therefore, society finds their differences intolerable. Therefore, they want the girls to hide themselves not only through clothing but also their ideas. In the

Therefore, he may suffer his whole life due to his need to stand up for what he feels is individual right. In the quote, Updike quotes states, “They didn’t even have shoes on… chucky one, with two-piece… bright green and the seams on the bra were still sharp and her belly was still pretty pale… I said i quit… you didn’t have to embarrass them… my stomach kind of fell as I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter” (Updike). The boy talks about the girls wearing bikinis but once someone else judges the girls, the boy realizes and understood how they felt. The boy quits his job but does not realize after how hard life is going to