Childhood In John Updike's A & P

The 1960s was a defining era in which America strived for social change: blacks gained acknowledgment through the civil rights movement, women experienced a new sense of feminism, and young individuals rebelled in search of self-identity and freedom (Wells, "John Updike 's `A&P ': A Return To Araby"). America’s highly acclaimed literary author, John Updike published his short story, A&P, to show his point of view of this time period—particularly focused on the younger generation. Through the eyes of Sammy, Updike sheds lights on how his protagonist’s actions reveal the characteristics of a typical sixties teenage boy growing into adulthood by which he will seem to struggle adapting to the harsh reality of the outside world.
From the beginning …show more content…
In addition, analyzing and commenting about everyone could be Sammy’s way of entertainment in order to get through a dull and boring day. “The store [was] pretty empty [… and] there was nothing much to do except […] wait for the girls” shows that Sammy is lonely and only trying to seek attention from the opposite sex (Updike 19). While he continues to degrade the other two girls, Sammy’s desire for Queenie shows his interest in a girl who walks, acts, and dresses differently; his incessant admiration for the girl with long white prima-donna legs implies that guys like Sammy are infatuated with girls who are unique and show more skin by wearing provocative clothes. However, it appears as if Sammy seems intimidated in some ways by girls like Queenie. Conversely, it is understandable that Sammy’s rude statements about the girls are because he is vulnerable and shy—a stage every teenage boy goes through. Nevertheless, Sammy’s desire to change and to show the girls that he is different just like them causes him to take a chance to transition from boyhood to …show more content…
In an effort to show the girls his bravery, especially Queenie, he tells his manager that he quits immediately after ringing out the girls in order for them to hear him. He believes that his bold action will come across as an act of valor, yet as soon as he leaves the store, the girls are nowhere to be seen. This may show that Sammy is assertive, but his actions come across as an insolent boy who reacts in a rash manner just to please others without thinking about what he wants. Sammy basically quit his job in order to impress the girls, showing that he is still a naïve boy who has yet a lot to learn about the real world. Fortunately, Sammy’s critical decision proves that there still is hope for him in the future and his first step into manhood. Sammy’s desire to move on proves that he is in search of more opportunities, indicating that this is only the beginning to a long journey ahead of