John Cheever

In John Updike’s short story “A&P,” we open in on a scene of three teenage girls entering at local grocery store. Sammy, a young, sarcastic, teenage boy is the narrator, who’s observations push the story to progress along. He observes the three girls in bikinis walking around the store. He is obviously distracted when he rings up an object more than once and an old lady, who “they would have burned over in Salem,” gives him a hard time (Updike 178). Eventually the manager of the store, Lengel,…

A&P John Updike’s “A&P” presents a story of a young man named Sammy who is quickly learning about the difficulties that are associated with being a young man that is suddenly thrust into adulthood. As the cashier of a grocery store, Sammy is faced with the situation that arises when some under-dressed young women come into his store and he is witness to his boss, Lengel, asking them to leave. However, this quickly escalates, leaving Sammy jobless. By examining the story, it is clear that the…

An Analysis of Sammy The story “A&P” by John Updike revolves around Sammy. He is the narrator and protagonist of the story taking place when he was around 19 working at the A&P supermarket in a small town in the 1960s. Sammy is a typical kid working a summer job his parents set him up with. Though it seems like he is just going with what society views acceptable, he is shown to have contempt for the social norm. His infatuation with Queenie though juvenile, reveals his want for a better life.…

“A&P” by John Updike and “Bartleby, the Scrivener” by Herman Melville both provide an interesting story that has a specific view on the relationship between an individual and society. Sammy and Bartleby’s feelings in each story provide evidence that show that they have to make a decision that will deviate themselves from societal expectations. The main character is Sammy who is an employee at A & P and does not like his job. He is an adolescent, who lives with his parents and enjoys making…

Infatuation, though short-lived, can make one come to rash and hasty decisions. In the stories “A&P” by John Updike and “Araby” by James Joyce, we see this displayed between the protagonists, Sammy in “A&P” and the unnamed narrator of “Araby.” While each had similar interests and unexpected results with the female characters, Sammy and the unnamed narrator were set in different eras; therefore, had different perceptions of infatuation. The story “A&P” was set in modern time with the character,…

The American middle class and blue collar class provokes American’s imaginations. The idea that hard working men and women can climb through the ranks to achieve wealth is sacred amongst American citizens. John Updike delivers in his short story titled A&P an explicit view of a middle class teenager’s sexual fascination. The story is set in an A&P grocery store where the young protagonist and narrator named Sammy works as a cashier. The rising action begins once Sammy spots three girls who walk…

“A&P” by John Updike was written in 1961. This story was based on the time period after World War II. During this time, society was consumed with manufacturing, production and products. People were conforming to the central idea of what a proper behavior is supposed to be. All while the next generation was beginning to rebel against this schema. “A&P” takes place in a grocery store located in a town outside of Boston. Updike’s middle-class memories inspired many of the scenes in “A&P” John…

In the short story "A&P" by John Updike, the protagonist, Sammy, quits his job at the end of the story. It is clear that life will not be easy for him after this. Although it is never an appropriate idea to suddenly quit a job, Sammy’s boredom with his job, his disinclination for his manager, and his attempt to impress the girls he felt were wronged, are feasible reasons behind his ultimate decision to quit his job. Throughout the story, there are countless instances described that could lead…

Analyzing the Literary Elements of A&P In John Updike’s short story “A&P”, we are going to explore three particular literary elements. These elements are used to help give his readers a cashier’s perspective of a slow, yet eventful day in a grocery store. Sammy, who was a cashier in the store had come in for an ordinary day on the job. Little does he know it would be anything but ordinary. Three young girls come in for a quick shopping trip in the middle of town wearing nothing but two piece…

In A&P, written by John Updike, the main character Sammy works at an A&P grocery store in a small town. Based upon his outlook, Sammy is presented in the story as a person uninterested in his life and seeking a change. After three girls are belittled for wearing bathing suits in the store, Sammy is displayed as tired of his closed-minded boss and the customers. As a result, he decides to quit his job on a whim, demonstrating Sammy’s immaturity and carelessness. Although it appears that Sammy has…