The power of setting comes into play for the development and structure of writing in many ways. It helps the reader picture what is going on by giving context, and also gives background to the story. In “A&P” by John Updike, the setting creates a bland, routine-like atmosphere of this 1960s New England town—this helps depict what life and social values were like during this time era. The setting reflects Sammy’s struggle to find his true identity as he works at a dead end job dealing with “sheep” (Updike 295), “cash-register-watchers” (294) and a “Sunday-school-superintendent” (297). The mood developed through the dull, monotonous setting is contrasted when a group of bikini-wearing girls enter the store, disregarding the town’s social acceptance, creating excitement and desire for the reader. The girls’ rebellion against conformity and social norms contrast from the conventional atmosphere of the 1960s supermarket, which reveals the importance of setting in this story.
The A&P represents the values of a conventional society that contradict the more liberal views of young Sammy. The A&P is located in a small, New-England town during the 1960s. Sammy relates the shoppers in the grocery store …show more content…
Sammy describes how out of place the girls are by comparing them to the norms of the town and how the rest of the citizens and shoppers would act in an everyday situation: “What he meant was, our town is five miles from a beach, with a big summer colony out on the Point, but we’re right in the middle of town, and the women generally put on a shirt or shorts or something before they get out of the car into the street” (296). When the girls walk in, they catch the attention of all men in the store, which could be considered unacceptable back in the 1960s, especially seeing how the ladies were remarkably exposed. This brings diversity into the store that the shoppers, and Lengel do not
The A&P represents the values of a conventional society that contradict the more liberal views of young Sammy. The A&P is located in a small, New-England town during the 1960s. Sammy relates the shoppers in the grocery store …show more content…
Sammy describes how out of place the girls are by comparing them to the norms of the town and how the rest of the citizens and shoppers would act in an everyday situation: “What he meant was, our town is five miles from a beach, with a big summer colony out on the Point, but we’re right in the middle of town, and the women generally put on a shirt or shorts or something before they get out of the car into the street” (296). When the girls walk in, they catch the attention of all men in the store, which could be considered unacceptable back in the 1960s, especially seeing how the ladies were remarkably exposed. This brings diversity into the store that the shoppers, and Lengel do not