A&P is a comic short story written by John Updike in 1961. The story tells about a cashier guy in a store who was shocked by the appearance of three young female customers who came to the store in swimsuits. After the manager, as the main hero thought, disgraced girls by reprimanding them, Sammy, the narrator, decided to quit. Among the main themes of the story are the social inequality issue, the theme of an insincere consumer-oriented society, and the problem of rebellion and its consequences. The plotstructure, characterization, settings, and irony of the short story affect the work giving it a deeper idea and raising the problem of rebellion and consumerism, which also formulates the purpose of the author.
One may contingently divide the plotstructure of the novel into three parts, namely the input (the description of the situation and the clients), the culmination when the main hero decides to quit, and the final part. The final part is the main ironic aspect of the story, as Sammy walked out hoping to see the girls but only saw “some young married screaming with her children (Updike 3). In the main part, the author also outlined the consumer-oriented society and the main character’s attitude to it. By the culmination and final part, John Updike managed to raise the problem of the rebellion, which affected the work as a whole, formulating a deeper idea. Namely, the author depicts a comic situation and formulates through it the problem of society and how it affects the main character.
In the context of characterization, the author attracts the reader’s attention from the very first lines to three attractive young girls who entered the store in swimsuits. At the same time, the author deepens the reader into the gray everyday life of the shop, as the rest of the clients seem to be “scared pigs” (Updike 2). The author describes other clients as “an old party in baggy gray pants” or “a witch about fifty with rouge on her cheekbones and no eyebrows” (Updike 1). Such a contrast in customers’ appearance sets the attractive young clients apart from the rest, thereby enhancing the effect on the reader, forcing them to experience the same emotions of attraction as the protagonist. Thus, characterization as a literary element affects the work by making readers immerse themselves in the details of the situation and the psychological motives of the hero.
In addition, characterization plays a key role in expressing the problem and the main idea of the story: personal experiences and rebellion against a hollow society. The author deliberately intensifies the effect on the reader not only by comically portraying other clients but also by highlighting the characteristics of young girls. One may notice it, especially while describing Queenie: “…on these long white prima-donna legs… …this clean bare plane of the top of her chest” (Updike 1). Thus, such a bright difference between these girls and the unattractive clients played a key role in the mind of the young worker. The climax was when the manager reprimanded them and, in Sammy’s opinion, confused them. Thereby, the rebellion was expressed not only in the decision of the protagonist to resign but also in the very appearance of the girls: they seemed to challenge society with their defiant appearance. Such a strategy not only depicts the problem but also affects the work as a whole, giving it a deeper idea.
The settings are also an important part of the story, especially the time frame in which the situation happened. Thus, being written in 1961, one should not forget that this period is characterized by the height of the Cold War. There was propaganda on both sides that made any movement that threatened the American Dream a target of condemnation. Moreover, the store described in the story was originally founded as a trading corporation. Then, it grew into a huge commercial network, which by 1961 became a symbol of capitalism and consumerism. Thus, the settings also became an important part of the author’s raising the problem of a consumer-oriented society and the revolt. In addition, it affects the work as a whole, giving it a historical and cultural background and representing the place of events as part of the raised problem’s essence.
Moreover, one can even consider a trading network and a store in which the events took place as another character, not just part of the settings. One can imagine him as a strict boss, for whom the rules are more important than anything else. It seems to be unattractive, much like the first mature client was described: “She’s one of these cash-register-watchers, a witch about fifty” (Updike 1). Just as the main character absentmindedly served her, being distracted by three girls, in the end, he decided to spare himself the rules and leave.
The manager became the epitome of a consumer-oriented society, confusing the girls with their comments. In other words, such an insincere society does not notice anything except the rules and does not pay attention to beautifulness and to other aspects of life. It became unacceptable for the young guy, and he decided to go against the system and against the family since Sammy’s parents would be disappointed by such a decision. Therefore, in Updike’s story, not only does structure and characterization play a key role in raising the issue of rebellion, but also the settings help to build a complete picture. Accordingly, the place of events itself (the store) and the manager, presenting the context of the settings as a literary element, influence the work as a whole, giving readers more subjects for reflection.
The irony is the basis of this story, fulfilling the role of not only the final part but also the main comic element. Thus, all the actions made by the narrator, namely the dismissal, were aimed at impressing the girls. Sammy wanted to appear as a hero who did not agree with this way of life, so he went against the system and his usual way of life. However, everything turned out to be different when he left the store and realized that no one had reacted to his actions. The entire climax is canceled in the context of the final result, which builds the main irony of the story. In the end, Sammy only feels how “my stomach kind of fell as I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter” (Updike 3). Thus, the irony as a literary element also affects the work as a whole, highlighting the culmination and the consequence of Sammy’s decision, namely that the protagonist ends up with nothing.
Consequently, the following short story elements were analyzed: plotstructure, characterization, settings, and irony. Analysis of the above elements showed that they not only reveal the characters and the situation but also affect the work in general. Namely, the content and structure, especially the final part, reveal the essence of the problem. Characterization helps the reader to delve deeper into the formulation of the question, namely, how the author expresses the representatives of the system (manager) and the rebels (girls and the main character). Also, characterization affects the work as a whole by formulating a deeper dimension of the problem, namely the expression of the store as a representative of consumerism. Accordingly, it was identified that irony is the basis of the work formulating the main idea and arisen problem.
Work Cited
Updike, John. A&P. Dog’s Tail Books, 1962.