Analysis Of A & P By John Updike

“A&P”
“In walks these three girls in nothing but bathing suits. I’m in the third checkout slot, with my back to the door, so I don’t see them until they’re over by the bread” (Updike 430). In this first sentences John Updike’s “A&P,” develops a tone that embraces the characters and reflects the setting of the story. The three girls walking in the story represent the distraction that Sammy develops all through the story. This distraction motivates Sammy to daydream and have sexual imaginations about the girls’ in the bathing suits. Also, this distraction causes Sammy to visualize the girls personal life and physical appearance. As with the symbolic three girls; Updike uses this symbol to demonstrate the act of feminist protest. Moreover, Updike

provides helpful characteristics all through the story in order to portray Sammy as a hero, male, and an immature character.
First of all, the narrator quits his job in order to catch the girls’ attention and show a heroic attribute towards the girls. Updike reveals “The girls, and who’d blame them, are in a hurry to get out, so I say “I quit” to Lengel quick enough for them to hear, hoping they’ll stop and watch me, their unsuspected hero” (434) . The narrator was disturbed by the way that his manager (Lengel) had treated the three girls. Updike reveals “Girls, I don’t want to argue with you. After this come in here with your shoulders covered” (434). Lengel ghastly comments towards the girls lead to Sammy resignation. Nevertheless, the narrator actual attention of quitting his job was to impress the girls and demonstrate a heroic characteristic. John Updike writes “I look around for my girls, but they’re gone, of course” (435). After, the narrator quit his job he went in search for them, but they were no longer there. Updike also demonstrates an example of irony in the story. Sammy wants to make a statement by quitting his job on behalf of the girls, by being their hero. Moreover Updike reveals “They keep right on going, into the electric eye; the door flies open and they flicker across the lot to their car” (435). The irony is that they do not hear Sammy; they were out of the store before his resignation was finished. The narrator attempt to catch the girl’s attention and show his heroic attributes were a complete failure.
At the moment that the three girls in bathing suits are introduced in the story, demonstrates one of the challenges that the narrator face as a teenage male. First of all, Sammy’s distraction is clearly demonstrated when he is checking-out a costumer: “I stood there with my hand on a box of HiHo crackers trying to remember If I rang it up or not” (Updike 430). Afterwards, the narrator begins to glance for the girls and follow their course. Moreover, Sammy begins to give physical characteristic about the girls: “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 so I guesses she just got it (the suit)” (Updike 430). Moreover, the narrator demonstrates the challenges that he faces as a young teenage male. After that, the narrator describes the second girl: “this one, with one of those chubby berry faces, the lips all bunched together under her nose” (Updike 430). Sammy then begins to describe the girl that he believes is the leader “She kind of led them, the other two peeking around and making their shoulders round” (Updike 430). As a result, Sammy could not keep his eyes from their physical appearances. Sammy began to think about the girls in a sexual manner and saw them as objects. Also, the narrator’s mind began to wonder if the girls were actually from town, for the reason that he has never seen them in the store. Nevertheless, the narrator and the three girls represent a rebellion against the conformism at that point in time.
Finally, John Updike provides many examples in the story in order to expose the narrator as an immature kid.

John Updike writes “Oh Daddy,” Stokesie said beside me. “I feel so faint.” (432), at that moment Stokesie began to play around whit Sammy. Sammy responded “Darling,” I said. “Hold me tight.”(Updike, Pg.432), Stokesie and Sammy began to act foolish while being at work supports the fact that Sammy is still immature. Moreover, Updike reveals “The stores pretty empty, it being Thursday afternoon, so there was nothing much to do except lean on the register and wait for the girls to show up again” (433). The narrator is bored and has nothing to do, but wait for the girls to come back around. This is a perfect example of Sammy’s immatureness, for the reason that he could of have done something proactive while waiting on the next costumer. Another example that John Updike provides to demonstrate the narrator immatureness is when Sammy is checking out the three girls’ item. Updike writes “Still with that prim look she lifts a folded dollar bill out of the hollow at the center of her nubbled pink top. The jar went heavy in my hand. Really, I thought that was so cute” (433). The narrator shows his immatureness, by going into details over the location of the dollar bill. Also, by the fact that the narrator comments that he thought it was so cute, may symbolize that he has never been in a relationship before. Finally, Sammy shows his immatureness when he decides to quit his job, in order to catch the girls attention. Updike writes “so I say “I quit” to Lengel quick enough for them to hear, hoping they’ll stop and watch me, their unsuspected hero” (434). The narrator ignorance caused him to quit his job, in order to impress the girls. However, his attempt was a total failure the three girls disregard Sammy heroic

attempts.
In essence, John Updike presents Sammy a nineteen old kid as the narrator of the story “A&P”. Throughout the story Sammy is motivated by his hormones, which he cannot manage to control. The three girls walking in the story represent the distraction that Sammy develops thought out the story. This distraction motivates Sammy to have sexual imaginations about the girls in the bathing suits. John Updike provides perfect examples throughout the story in order to portray Sammy as a hero, young male, and an immature character.