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Gender Inequality In John Updike's A & P

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Times are changing, but many of life’s lessons are timeless as demonstrated in John Updike’s short story “A&P.” Updike’s story takes place in the early 1960’s, just as the women’s liberation movement begins. A few of the primary themes of this short story relate to gender inequality, power, sex, ethics and individualism.
The story takes place in a small New England grocery store chain with Sammy, a 19 year- old boy, narrating. It begins to unfold when 3 beautiful teenage girls strut into the grocery store wearing only a swimsuit. Heads turn, they not only have the attention of every man in the store but every woman as well. The girls march through the store as if they own the place, yet they give the impression that they are unaware of all of the stares they are receiving from the men in the store. This attitude exemplifies the sexual power that …show more content…

The story does not specifically state his principles, but a reader can predict some of them by viewing his actions. For example, it easy to speculate that Sammy respects people who are not afraid to break from tradition, who think for them and go against the norm. This is exemplified by the encounter Sammy has with his church-going, rule following store manager. Lengel believes the public deems it appropriate for him to publicly humiliate and threaten those who challenge his principles while Sammy views it as unethical and unacceptable to treat the girls like that for doing something that was out of the norm. Cleverly, John Updike gives us a lusty 19-year old boy as a narrator and uses him to perform what Updike calls "an act of feminist protest." He illustrates this as Sammy quits his job in protest of the girls not being allowed to wear their bathing suits into the local A&P. The girls’ action can be viewed as a feminist protest as well, by wearing their bathing suits in public they go against normal standards set by

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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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In the short story A & P by John Updike, A store clerk

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Teenagers, in general, are rebellious and often tend not to follow the norms of the society. Max Apple’s “Stepdaughters” and John Updike’s “A & P” depict the same situations; teenage girls doing things against societal rules, and some people opposing their actions while some are supporting them. In “Stepdaughters,” the teenage girl, Stephanie, practices shot-put, a male dominated sport, going against the norm that girls should not play masculine sports. But her mother, Helen, does not like Stephanie practicing shot-put as she feels it takes away the girl’s femininity, while her stepfather grows to support the girl’s passion for shot-put. In “A&P,” three unnamed girls come to the grocery store wearing swimsuits, against the norm that girls

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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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657 Words | 3 Pages

Generation gap plays a subtle role in “A&P”, whereas it serves as a cause for the regretful memories in the song lyrics. In John Updike’s “A&P”, the generation gap is first foreshadowed by the accusing customer in the first paragraph, as Sammy mocks “she'd been watching cash registers forty years and probably never seen a mistake before” (1). Sammy’s exaggeration is hereby indicative of how he perceives the older generation: discipline now connotes inflexibility, and rationality considered a conceit – all of its best features are replaced by shortcomings. The conflict reaches a boiling point in paragraph twenty-two, with Sammy quitting his job in protest to Lengel’s rebuke against the girls. When Sammy accuses Lengel by saying he “didn’t have to embarrass them” (23), Lengel gives a firm reply that “it was they who were embarrassing [them]” (24).

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1094 Words | 5 Pages

A&P: The Perspective of Sammy “A&P” by John Updike tells the story of Sammy, a teenage boy working at a grocery store, when he sees three girls dressed in swimsuits enter. Quickly, Sammy becomes infatuated with the leading girl whom he dubs “Queenie”. Eventually, the girls are accosted by the manager for dressing inappropriately and Sammy quits in both an act of rebellion and wanting the appreciation of the girls. All throughout the story Sammy’s sarcastic and inquisitive nature comes out leading to a distinct voice and thought process the reader follows giving the reader a very opinionated view of all the characters and action in the story.

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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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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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807 Words | 4 Pages

After the girls start to walk out, Sammy turns to Lengel and tells him “I quit” (152). After arguing with Lengel for a few minutes, Sammy tells him why he is frustrated. He states that “You didn’t have to embarrass them”, and Lengel replied with “I don’t think you know what you’re saying” (152). Lengel tries to talk Sammy out of quitting but it is a dead end, Sammy’s mind was already made up. Sammy felt like Lengel had done wrong by confronting the girls about the way that were dressed because Sammy was young, and immature so he didn’t feel like they were dressed inappropriately.

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1543 Words | 7 Pages

As such, "A&P" and "Sonny's Blues" serve as powerful literary examples that dive into the intricacies of human identity and the ways in which individuals strive to break free from societal constraints to assert their individuality. In John Updike's "A&P," the main character, Sammy, impulsively quits his job at a grocery store after defending three girls in bathing suits who are reprimanded for their attire. However, as Sammy searches for the girls outside the store, he realizes the potential consequences of his impulsive action. The grocery store represents a commodified society where people's desires are determined by their purchasing ability.

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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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1224 Words | 5 Pages

Sammy also states, “there was nothing between the top of the suit and the top of her head, except just her, this clean bare plane of the top of her chest down the shoulder bones like a dented sheet of metal tilted in light. I mean, it was more than pretty” (Updike, par 3). Sammy feels sexual attraction towards these girls, their physical attributes mesmerize him. At first, Sammy seems to come off as a sexist teen, but later he tries to prove that he is different. Sammy’s boss, Lengel, confronts the girls and calls them out for their attire.

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2106 Words | 9 Pages

Chasing After Women And His Youth The story “A&P” by John Updike weaves major literary theories, such as feminism and historicism, into a seemingly simplistic tale. The story takes place inside the mind of a nineteen year old boy at his job at the grocery store. A mundane experience that is interrupted by the entrance of three teenage girls clad in nothing but swimsuits.

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368 Words | 2 Pages

Discuss one of the following regarding John Updike's "A&P": Characterization, Setting, Theme. Sammy is the narrator of this story. He is an opinionated teenager who describes people shopping at the store as “sheep”. He believes everyone acts the same.

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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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