In this short story, “A & P” John Updike writes about his character, Sammy, who is a clerk at a local A & P grocery store. His immature, judgmental, and disrespectful behavior leads him to take action without thinking through the consequences. As Sammy narrates the story, he gives the readers a vivid description of what is going on around him along with his judgmental input. Updike illustrates how Sammy’s behavior and choices eventually have consequences.
Sammy is inexperienced with the opposite sex, which leads him to make immature statements throughout the short story. His description of the three girls has a strong emphasis on their physical attributes, primarily their breast and butts. He points out the girl in the Plaid’s “soft-looking can” and Queenie’s “two smoothest scoops of vanilla” (Updike 440,443). His simple-minded young brain demonstrates how he reduces the girls to just their physical traits. As Sammy thinks about Queenie’s thoughts, he begins to speculate if there’s anything up there or stating there could be “a little buzz like a bee in a glass” (441). Sammy 's last description makes the readers question if he sees the girls as objects and not human beings. Even …show more content…
For instance, Sammy describes one of the girls as being a “chubby berry-face” or referring to another girl as having “a chin that was too long” (440). Making the reader wonder if he has a low self-esteem that he nitpicks others to feel better about him. Another judgmental part was when Sammy was checking out “a witch” who was a fifty-year-old lady customer with “no eyebrows” (440). His judgmental opinion of women makes it seem like he lacks respect for them. Sammy describes the typical women that enter the grocery store as “women with six children and varicose veins mapping their legs” (442). Thus, demonstrates how immature and judgmental Sammy’s behavior is towards his customers at the grocery
Sammy is inexperienced with the opposite sex, which leads him to make immature statements throughout the short story. His description of the three girls has a strong emphasis on their physical attributes, primarily their breast and butts. He points out the girl in the Plaid’s “soft-looking can” and Queenie’s “two smoothest scoops of vanilla” (Updike 440,443). His simple-minded young brain demonstrates how he reduces the girls to just their physical traits. As Sammy thinks about Queenie’s thoughts, he begins to speculate if there’s anything up there or stating there could be “a little buzz like a bee in a glass” (441). Sammy 's last description makes the readers question if he sees the girls as objects and not human beings. Even …show more content…
For instance, Sammy describes one of the girls as being a “chubby berry-face” or referring to another girl as having “a chin that was too long” (440). Making the reader wonder if he has a low self-esteem that he nitpicks others to feel better about him. Another judgmental part was when Sammy was checking out “a witch” who was a fifty-year-old lady customer with “no eyebrows” (440). His judgmental opinion of women makes it seem like he lacks respect for them. Sammy describes the typical women that enter the grocery store as “women with six children and varicose veins mapping their legs” (442). Thus, demonstrates how immature and judgmental Sammy’s behavior is towards his customers at the grocery