The Similarities Between A & P And Araby

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Expressing your feelings towards another can be done using a plethora of methods, there are also many outcomes that can come from sharing your feelings. In John Updike’s “A&P,” Sammy makes frequent glimpses at Queenie, verses in James Joyce's “Araby” the boy just thinks about Mangan’s sister all the time. Both stories have the same outcome of rejection, but the way they expressed their feelings towards the other was extraordinarily different. In the story “A&P,” Sammy comes across as very judgemental and observant. He notices when the ladies first want in, and one of the first things he chooses to point out is how they are dressed. He then goes on pointing out that one is overweight and another is the “head” of the group. The reader then begins to realize that Sammy's focus is completely on Queenie, the name he gave to the “leader” of the group. "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." (Updike 3) Sammy soon becomes relentless in finding this girl once she leaves the store, he even quit his job. He liked her so much that he dismissed his way of living. …show more content…

He is on a strict schedule in the mornings to avoid confrontation with Mangan's sister, because he is extremely shy and has a huge fancy on her. He thinks about her nonstop and rehearses in his head how he will ask her to the Araby. "I could not call my wandering thoughts together." (Joyce 3) He soon faced the task of having to gain the courage to even begin a conversation with her, and it all went downhill from there. She explained to the boy she had a school trip the day he was hoping to go the Araby, he then went onto tell her he would be sure to bring her something back when he went. The boy was unfortunately out of someone to go with and the shop closed before he could get Mangan's sister anything from the

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