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

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