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Ali Kilinc – 900235909 – Essay #1: Literary Analysis - Draft 7 [GRADED]

Ms. Rebecca Alexander

ENG 193: Literature & Composition – 10:30AM – 40423

29 April 2009

“A & P” By: John Updike

“A & P,” by John Updike, is a fantastic story for any teenager, especially

a rebellious one (Updike 14-19). This story mainly addresses Sammy, a

seemingly ambitious teenager who would interest any other teenager and

allow him to directly relate to what happens in the story. Sammy works at the

A & P, and his life is boring up until something amazing happens that

changes his life completely. John Updike captures this incident in a way

perfect for teenagers to relate to. A few excellent reasons to read “A & P”

include the writer’s highly descriptive writing style, the relatable conflict

between the manager of the A & P and Sammy, and the life lesson learned at

the end of the story.

In the short-story “A & P,” the writing style can be described as being

extremely descriptive. For example, the narrator says, “She came down a

little hard on her heels, as if she didn’t walk in her bare feet that much,

putting down her heels and letting the weight move along to her toes as if

she was testing the floor with every step, putting a little deliberate extra

action into it” (Updike 15). This is a tremendous amount of information to

give the reader when the same could have been said with fewer details. It

can be observed that the author goes into to huge detail when explaining
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simple things pertaining to Sammy, the boy behind the register, so that he

appears somewhat desperate. Sammy pays great attention to detail,

especially when regarding beautiful women. One might assume that the

author does this so the reader can feel what the characters are feeling and

easily relate to them. Also, Sammy could relate to many teenagers because,

according to Greg Bentley, teenagers usually pay immense amounts of

attention to the opposite sex (Bentley 2). This vast attention to the elements

is also apparent in the scene where the girls come to the register. As

Queenie, the obvious leader of the group, comes up to the register to pay for

her item, Sammy fantasizes about caressing her face, touching her breasts,

and so forth. The narrator, as from Sammy’s perspective, describes her

breasts as “two perfect scoops of ice cream,” as if they are food to eat. It is

obvious that the author uses such connotation to display the sexualization of

the female; he acts as if female breasts and the female body are objects out

in the open to be devoured by men as they wish. Teenagers could relate to

this because many of them, possibly unknowingly, see women in this way.

This descriptive writing style also allows the reader to relate to the conflict

that occurs in the story.

Another reason to read “A & P” is the relevant conflict that happens

between Sammy, who works at the register, and Lengel, the manager of the

A & P. The conflict between the two is prevalent during the middle of the

story when Sammy begins to subconsciously demean Lengel. When Lengel

sees the girls, he believes that they are dressed in a disrespectful manner.
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He then assumes that he must take action and manipulate the situation by

disciplining the girls; Sammy thinks otherwise. During this, a slight battle

arises between Sammy and Lengel. From the aftermath of the confrontation

between the girls and Lengel, Sammy lacks the courage to do anything, and

this infuriates him, so he loses the battle. To compensate, he over-reacts and

subsequently loses the war also. Furthermore, the A & P itself is important

when considering the clues in this scene because it somewhat symbolizes

the entire town, and how it is not accepting of change. This symbolization

can directly relate to a teenager’s life because it can represent an

establishment that dismisses a teenager’s hopes, dreams, and wishes.

Finally, before one overlooks reading “A & P,” one should remember

the harsh and obvious life lesson that Sammy learns at the end of the story.

While Lengel is yelling at the girls in front of the register, Sammy begins to

get angry with him. In the aftermath, Sammy does something irrational,

stupid, and immature: he quits. He quits because he is acting similarly to the

way any rebellious teenager would act. Sammy tried to beat the system by

doing something he, at the time, thought was bold. What he did was clearly

not a sign of boldness; in fact, it only proved his immaturity. Just as Sammy

started to quit, he had realized that quitting was stupid, but it was too late.

Sammy is planning on saving the day by “sticking it to the man” and

charming the girls. The harsh truth that Sammy has to face as soon as he

leaves the

A & P in a uniform-less manner, is that the girls have left. He quickly realized
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that the girls had never cared for his existence. He also realized that he had

made a big mistake. From what had just happened, Sammy acknowledged

one of the toughest life lessons of all: that life just isn’t fair. As Wilson states,

he realizes that his life will never be the same after that point on (Wilson 2).

From this, teenagers can understand that it is not always wise to disrespect

“the system” and defy it.

The “A & P” by John Updike is an extraordinary read for any rebellious

teenager. The story is certain to grab the reader’s attention, and then make

the reader think differently. John Updike uses an overly descriptive writing

style in “A & P” so the audience can easily relate to the characters. The story

also has an example of the common underdog vs. “the man” conflict which

can also be simply associated with. Finally, the story finishes off with a

fantastic life lesson that any teenager can benefit from. Combining all these

elements, it is obvious that this is not a run-of-the-mill short story. The “A &

P” is guaranteed to please.
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Works Cited

Bentley, Greg W. "Sammy's Erotic Experience: Subjectivity and Sexual Difference in

John Updike's 'A & P'." Journal of the Short Story in English. 43 (Autumn

2004): 121-141. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Vol. 103. Detroit: Gale, 121-

141. Literature Resource Center. Gale. Gwinnett Technical Institute. 15 Apr.

2009 <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/start.do?p=LitRC&u=gwt1>.

"Overview: 'A & P'." Short Stories for Students. Ed. Kathleen Wilson. Vol. 3. Detroit:

Gale, 1998. Literature Resource Center. Gale. Gwinnett Technical Institute. 15

Apr. 2009 <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/start.do?p=LitRC&u=gwt1>.

Updike, John. “A & P. ” Literature: an introduction to fiction, poetry, drama, and

writing. Kennedy, X. J, and GIOIA. New York: Pearson, 2007. 14-19.