Rebellion and the Challenge of Morality within the Present Culture
“A & P”, written by John Updike, is a story that takes place in a small town in New England in the 1960’s. The story begins with Sammy is 19-year-old grocery store clerk for the A & P grocery store who is transitioning from childhood to adulthood. While he is working, one day three teenage girls who live about 5 miles outside the town close to the beach, walk in the grocery store in just their bathing suits catching Sammy’s as well the eyes of all the other employees and patrons. Sammy is upset about the manager of the store, Mr. Lengel, when he embarrasses the girls by abruptly informing them of the dress code and how they are violating the rules which are the social norms of this specific culture. Sammy identifies with the girls in some way and decides to quit his job despite what his parents may think. Updike creates a unique pattern of motifs, symbols, language choices and other elements to introduce the idea of challenging the current morals and rebellion of Sammy and the teenage girls against the current cultural norms.
As the three teenage girls walk into the …show more content…
He does this through many uses of symbolism. He first has Sammy continuously refers to the customers in the store as sheep including the two girls that were with Queenie. Sheep are normally found in flocks and follow each other which typically symbolizes conforming to social norms, family values, or culture. Second Sammy is described as being dressed in uniform as the other employees in a bow tie and A & P apron and once again the white shirt that his mother irons for him. Sammy clearly has a dress code that he must obey and follow. When Sammy decides to quit he takes off the bow tie and apron and turns them in to Mr. Lengel, which also symbolizes his freedom of the social norms and cultural that he was expected to
“A & P”, written by John Updike, is a story that takes place in a small town in New England in the 1960’s. The story begins with Sammy is 19-year-old grocery store clerk for the A & P grocery store who is transitioning from childhood to adulthood. While he is working, one day three teenage girls who live about 5 miles outside the town close to the beach, walk in the grocery store in just their bathing suits catching Sammy’s as well the eyes of all the other employees and patrons. Sammy is upset about the manager of the store, Mr. Lengel, when he embarrasses the girls by abruptly informing them of the dress code and how they are violating the rules which are the social norms of this specific culture. Sammy identifies with the girls in some way and decides to quit his job despite what his parents may think. Updike creates a unique pattern of motifs, symbols, language choices and other elements to introduce the idea of challenging the current morals and rebellion of Sammy and the teenage girls against the current cultural norms.
As the three teenage girls walk into the …show more content…
He does this through many uses of symbolism. He first has Sammy continuously refers to the customers in the store as sheep including the two girls that were with Queenie. Sheep are normally found in flocks and follow each other which typically symbolizes conforming to social norms, family values, or culture. Second Sammy is described as being dressed in uniform as the other employees in a bow tie and A & P apron and once again the white shirt that his mother irons for him. Sammy clearly has a dress code that he must obey and follow. When Sammy decides to quit he takes off the bow tie and apron and turns them in to Mr. Lengel, which also symbolizes his freedom of the social norms and cultural that he was expected to