Symbolism in John Updikes A P - 1440 Words

John Updikes short story A P recounts how an adolescent supermarket cashier named Sammy has his life changed forever when three girls in bathing suits shop in the store where he works. He is the first person narrator who shapes the tale with his descriptions, attitudes and opinions. He is the protagonist who grows up quickly in a single day and the only round, fully developed character in the tale. As you proceed through the story and become acquainted with Sammys opinions and ideas, it becomes obvious that Sammy has made the only choice that affords the possibility of real joy and fulfillment in his future. He is ready for a change. Sammys life revolves around his job at a local A P supermarket in a small Massachusetts town†¦show more content†¦But he is smitten with the girl he calls Queenie who appears to be the leader of the group. He talks of her long white prima-donna legs (97), straps that are off her shoulders looped loose around the cool tops of her arms (98) so that there was nothing between the top of her suit and the top of her head except her... I mean, it was more than just pretty (98) and with breasts like the two coolest scoops of vanilla I had ever known were there(101). Age, physical characteristics and dress arent the only differences that he notices between the girls and the regular customers. The girls also walk the store aisles against the usual traffic pattern and the regular customers find that disconcerting. Obviously, these girls do not follow the social conventions of the town. When the girls arrive at Sammys check out counter he learns Queenie is buying herring in sour cream for her mother. Lengel, the manager, taking notice of them, comes over and tells them they are not at the beach and the store wants them decently dressed when they come in here(100). While the embarrassed girls defend themselves against Lengels continued criticism, Sammy imagines Queenies house where the snacks will be eaten. He slid right down her voice into her living room. Her father and theShow MoreRelatedRebellion And Symbolism In John Updikes A P1842 Words   |  8 PagesThe short story â€Å"A P,† tells the story of a nineteen-year-old boy named Sammy who works in the local town grocery store. Sammy is the narrator of the story; one day while he was working at the cash register, three girls wearing nothing but bathing suits walk in. He instantaneously notices the girls, one in particular. He named her Queenie and she is seen as the leader or ‘queen bee’ of the three girls. As these girls walk through the grocery store they start to create a scene and get the attentionRead MoreJohn Updike s A P, As A Reflector Of Our Society1270 Words   |  6 Pagessystems of classification, John Updike utilizes his short story â€Å"AP†, as a reflector of our society. 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There was a satisfactory resolution because Mrs. Croom found her husbands secret. One of the quotes that helps tell Prolux story is, â€Å"When you live a long way out, you make your own fun.† John Updike was born in Reading, Pennsylvania. He was an only child and his parents shared a house with his grandparents. At the age of thirteen his parents moved his mother’s birthplace on an eighty acre farm near Plowville. He was an excellent student