Comparing Catcher In The Rye And A & P

A Comparison of the Narrators of The Catcher in the Rye and “A & P” Both The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger and “A & P” by John Updike use careful choices of language and details that aid in the characterization of their narrators. Salinger’s narrator, Holden, is a seventeen year old boy who is telling presumably a therapist the events that occurred after he was expelled from Pencey Prep. He tells the story in a first person “stream of consciousness” style and often goes off on tangents about things, such as his younger sister Phoebe, giving the story a sense of verisimilitude. Holden is also very sarcastic and cynical, saying “[his] parents would have about two hemorrhages apiece if [he] told anything pretty personal about them” (Salinger, 1). Though his sarcasm and cynicism set him off as a bit hostile, Holden is one that pays great attention to detail, especially when it …show more content…
While in their presence, he tries to make himself look more interesting and attractive than he actually is, whether it be by paying for drinks, or lying about a tumor. Updike chooses to characterize Sammy in a similar way to Holden. Sammy, a nineteen year old boy who works at a local store called A & P, also tells the story in first person as a flashback. He also uses sarcasm, though his sarcasm has the opposite effect than Holden’s. While Holden’s sarcasm is used to guard his feelings, Sammy’s sarcasm is more humorous, as he pokes fun at customers, saying that “She’s one of those cash register watchers, a witch about fifty with rouge on her cheekbones and no eyebrows” (Updike, 1). Even with his sarcasm, Sammy’s narration focuses much more on the details around him. This difference