A Dime a Dozen at the A&P: A Marxist Approach to John Updike
Perhaps one of the most amazing aspects of literature is its ability to tell a story within a story. It gives meaning to the mundane and bestows clarity to the ambiguous. Literature reminds the world that there is more then meets the eye, and that there is something to be gained from even the simplest of events. John Updike 's A&P illustrates this perfectly. A&P on the surface is a simple tale, a series of trivial events lead to a minor altercation in a grocery store. However, under that surface lies a far more complex plot, one of class struggle that is can be easily missed if one does not know where to look. Utilizing a Marxist approach helps shed light on the more obscure details …show more content…
"All of a sudden I slid right down her voice into her living room. Her father and the other men were standing around in ice-cream coats and bow ties and the women were in sandals picking up herring snacks on toothpicks off a big glass plate and they were all holding drinks the color of water with olives and sprigs of mint in them. When my parents have somebody over they get lemonade and if it’s a real racy affair Schlitz." Sammy throughout the story demonstrates keen powers of observation, his comment on the snacks further illustrates the gulf that separates the common men found in the A&P and the queen who is now within their midsts. Sammy paints a picture of the life this girl leads, a life where snacks are eaten off of glass platters and martinis are the drink of choice. This is contrasted with social events within his own class which even at the epitome of an event no more then working class beer is provided. Sammy understands the difference between him and the girls in the store, the differences that fuels the conflict to …show more content…
Lengel calls the girls out on their beach attire, embarrassing them at the store. He implies their attire is indecent, and claims that it violates their policy and “policy is what the kingpins want.” After the girls leave Sammy mentions that Lengel had no reason to embarrass the ladies to which he responds “It was they who were embarrassing us.” Within that response lies the truth behind Lengel 's unnecessary behavior, a feeling of inferiority that he then takes out on the girls. Promiscuous or not, the girls have done nothing warranting the conflict that Lengel instigates. Rather, it is the pedestal that the girls stand on, the superiority that they have that rubs Lengel the wrong way. Within the grocery store, Lengel has power over the girls, he has influence over the class above him that he does not possess anywhere else. He takes this time to exercise that power, yet the irony is within society 's grand scheme he has done nothing but indulge in petty behavior. His actions don 't change his standing in the world, by the days end he is still trapped at the grocery store and the girls will enjoy their fancy fish and
Perhaps one of the most amazing aspects of literature is its ability to tell a story within a story. It gives meaning to the mundane and bestows clarity to the ambiguous. Literature reminds the world that there is more then meets the eye, and that there is something to be gained from even the simplest of events. John Updike 's A&P illustrates this perfectly. A&P on the surface is a simple tale, a series of trivial events lead to a minor altercation in a grocery store. However, under that surface lies a far more complex plot, one of class struggle that is can be easily missed if one does not know where to look. Utilizing a Marxist approach helps shed light on the more obscure details …show more content…
"All of a sudden I slid right down her voice into her living room. Her father and the other men were standing around in ice-cream coats and bow ties and the women were in sandals picking up herring snacks on toothpicks off a big glass plate and they were all holding drinks the color of water with olives and sprigs of mint in them. When my parents have somebody over they get lemonade and if it’s a real racy affair Schlitz." Sammy throughout the story demonstrates keen powers of observation, his comment on the snacks further illustrates the gulf that separates the common men found in the A&P and the queen who is now within their midsts. Sammy paints a picture of the life this girl leads, a life where snacks are eaten off of glass platters and martinis are the drink of choice. This is contrasted with social events within his own class which even at the epitome of an event no more then working class beer is provided. Sammy understands the difference between him and the girls in the store, the differences that fuels the conflict to …show more content…
Lengel calls the girls out on their beach attire, embarrassing them at the store. He implies their attire is indecent, and claims that it violates their policy and “policy is what the kingpins want.” After the girls leave Sammy mentions that Lengel had no reason to embarrass the ladies to which he responds “It was they who were embarrassing us.” Within that response lies the truth behind Lengel 's unnecessary behavior, a feeling of inferiority that he then takes out on the girls. Promiscuous or not, the girls have done nothing warranting the conflict that Lengel instigates. Rather, it is the pedestal that the girls stand on, the superiority that they have that rubs Lengel the wrong way. Within the grocery store, Lengel has power over the girls, he has influence over the class above him that he does not possess anywhere else. He takes this time to exercise that power, yet the irony is within society 's grand scheme he has done nothing but indulge in petty behavior. His actions don 't change his standing in the world, by the days end he is still trapped at the grocery store and the girls will enjoy their fancy fish and