John Updike

In “A&P”, John Updike depicts the idea that carefully observing the lifestyles of other people encourages one to improve their own way of life. Updike narrates the story through the eyes of Sammy, a grocery store cashier, who constantly watches the everyday townspeople lead their mundane lives, of which he clearly wants no part. In addition, Sammy is able to understand that if he merely remains a cashier, his future holds nothing more in store than the current life of one of his co-workers, Stokesie. Updike finally introduces three higher-class young women, whose lifestyle is in stark contrast to Sammy’s, and spark the young cashier’s desires. The combined effect of witnessing the lives of all these different people, often for an extended period …show more content…
Despite the fact that the two men barely differ in age, Stokesie is already a married man with “two babies chalked up his fuselage” (Updike, “A&P”). Nonetheless, Sammy understands that this is essentially the only variance between them, and it becomes apparent that Stokesie is still very much the young man that Sammy is, when he is equally mesmerized at the stunning girl that walks into the store with her posse. In noticing this, Sammy is able to realize how Stokesie’s life is already bound to his preoccupations as a father in spite of him having the lustful thoughts men his age often tend to have. Moreover, Sammy humorously notes how when the young girls come over to the checkout lanes, some elderly people go to Stokesie’s lane “with his usual luck” (Updike, “A&P”). As a result, Sammy gets the opportunity to check out the stunning young girl he nicknames Queenie, whereas Stokesie is left with the plain, everyday customers. This is a very important moment in the story because both cashiers are faced with the potential futures their lives hold. On one hand, Sammy, being unburdened with children or a wife, knows he is free to pursue other endeavors, and may even become part of the wealthier class the young woman in front of him is a part of. Conversely, Stokesie is likely to remain in his profession and spend his life in the town, much like the elderly townsfolk he is checking out most likely have. Furthermore, Sammy mentions how Stokesie “thinks he’s going to be the manager” (Updike, “A&P”) someday, which establishes that Stokesie has no further ambitions for the future. Since the current manager, Lengel, gives no signs of retiring soon, Stokesie may have to wait a considerable amount of time to achieve his goal of becoming the manager. In that time, Stokesie could easily search for other career