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Real Hero In A & P By John Updike

1120 Words5 Pages

Who is the Real Hero in A&P? During the story of "A&P" by John Updike, the narrator playing the main character Sammy has a really negative view on the place that he works, and also a negative view of the people that choose to shop in the store. Sammy is portrayed to be a typical nineteen-year-old boy who doesn't act on his beliefs until three random half dressed girls spark his interest. He is really bitter towards the customers and towards the whole entire store in general but only chooses to speak up about it when he needs to prove himself to the ladies. Sammy acts only on his impulse to prove himself to his boss and the girls, and would not have taken a stand otherwise. Some would believe that he was the hero of the story for standing up to his boss for Queenie and her minions, but Queenie and her minions were the true heroes of Sammy's life for igniting a flame and burning his inability to incorporate change in his life to get out of the black hole that is A&P. Sammy is extremely judgmental towards the customers that he observes very closely throughout the story, however, hides …show more content…

The gift he calls the "queen" presents so compelling an image that Sammy cannot stay distanced." (Saldivar 17). Queen has such a crazy effect on Sammy, which ties in the reasoning behind the climax of the story, and uncovers the true hero of this

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The short story “A&P” by John Updike conveys themes about a free society and its unspoken rules of proper dress in public is the reason a free society like the one in the story can never achieve perfection. Updike conveys his message employing literary techniques and devices in his writing style to reveal author’s message through character development, character analysis, and conflict analysis. The author uses descriptive imagery and metaphors which help convey his messages about how a free society functions in a real situation which occurs in our everyday life. First, character analysis helps to develop the storyline. Updike is humorous and satirical method of character analysis helps to develop the author’s message.

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739 Words | 3 Pages

Porter analyzes “A & P” by relating the story to a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson regarding the consequences and benefits of nonconformity. Porter views Sammy as nothing short of a hero who rebels against the oppressive nature of policy and monotony. Porter explains that Sammy has “an eye for quality” (Porter 1) amidst the insincerity of his small town. He is surrounded by groups of people who mindlessly follow the rules that are set before them, and is angered by their blind obedience, often referring to the customers as “sheep pushing their carts down the aisles” (Updike 621) and remarks that they would not even notice if the entire grocery store exploded. This, Porter elaborates, is why Sammy is so drawn to the girls who saunter into the

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436 Words | 2 Pages

The Narrator in the story A&P by John Updike tells an experience where he chose to make a decision that would change his life and take him to new places. This decision was one that was derived from the need for freedom and change. Usually a decision like this takes a realization that growing up and taking a new path is necessary. In this story, this realization began from the narrator seeing how his manager treated the girls in the store with such hostility because they were just wearing bathing suits. The boy, watching this, realized he wanted to live like the girls had been living.

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502 Words | 3 Pages

In the short story “A & P”, John Updike tells a story about a boy named Sammy who works at a Grocery store. He explains how this young man watches girls his age and how they were treated in the store one day. Sammy made the decision to quit on the spot because of that and he was hoping the girls would notice his action but they didn’t. The reader is allowed to understand the story and predict the life lesson because of the first person point of view Updike used.

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411 Words | 2 Pages

True hero or just selfish. Readers disagree on whether or not Sammy, in “A&P” by John Updike, is a hero or not. I do not think Sammy is a heroic character because he disrespected his boss, did not consider the consequences, and acted with his own personal agenda. Sammy disrespected his boss, Lengel. Sammy, who is only nineteen, quit his job suddenly without any notice.

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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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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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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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186 Words | 1 Pages

Indecency, gawking, and awkwardness. In John Updike’s short story, “A&P,” made in 1961, it elicits three girls who walk into a grocery store, half naked. Due to the girls, as said before, indecency, causes the two cashiers to gawk towards them, mainly preferring the “Queen,” and leads the other customers to feeling a sense of awkwardness. I believe that the main character, Sammy, is NOT a hero. He does not stick up for the women as Sammy’s boss was bashing against them for their acts of belligerence, he quits his job to show to the women he’s on their side only to be disappointed and jobless, and instead of removing the women because of their display, him and the other cashier, Stokesie, just stand by, studying the women.

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677 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout the short story, Sammy displays his disdain towards societal norms and those who conform and upkeep it. The usual customers who enter the A & P, for example, are the type of people that Sammy berates for their lack individuality. He finds them all to be identical, lacking any real original thoughts of their own. His comparisons between the shoppers and “sheep” (33) and “pigs” (36) shows how Sammy believes them to be nothing more than a herd of mindless animals who just unthinkingly follow the same routine day in and day out. Sammy comments to himself, “I bet you could set off dynamite in an A & P and the people would by and large keep reaching and checking oatmeal off their lists and muttering…” (33) This constant ridicule of the

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941 Words | 4 Pages

“A&P” by John Updike is a short story expressing the issues of female objectification and degradation in society by following a young A&P employee’s views (Sammy) as they change through experiences second hand. Sammy goes from stereotyping objectifier to a form of a public defender, standing up for girls who can’t really do so for themselves. Sammy initially characterizes and describes all of the people in the store based on their looks and his initial opinion of them, rather than waiting to make judgements based on their personality, or not at all. He is very critical of looks, and is judgmental about why and how they look or act the way they do.

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414 Words | 2 Pages

Saving lives, jumping from tall buildings, and flying -- is heroic characteristics. Sammy in John Updike's story “A&P” is not a hero. I believe he is not a hero because Sammy never interacted with the girls, he quit his job to impress the girls, and they never saw his action. Sammy never interacted with the girls, his mindset was just lust and how pleasing they are. “She had on a kind of dirty-pink bathing suit and, what got me the straps were down” (Updike).

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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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850 Words | 4 Pages

“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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895 Words | 4 Pages

Point of View of John Updike’s “A&P” In the short story A&P written by John Updike is written in the 1st person naïve point of view. A&P is considered 1st person naïve because the narrator is too young to be trusted. He also is telling us the story as he feels to be the truth. The main character of this story is Sammy and the author Updike chooses 1st person to Naïve because he wants to show the readers what Sammy is thinking from his point of view aka his emotions and reactions to certain situations.

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