In “A&P,” John Updike uses Sammy’s point of view on the new generation of women to develop his new wisdom on change over tradition. Sammy, the narrator, gives us an insight into how he perceived three girls walking into a grocery store in bathing suits during the sixties. John Updike gave us Sammy to walk us through his “attempt to solve the puzzle” (Tapply 26). Sammy is the protagonist, and throughout the short story, he describes how he views these girls breaking the “dress code; that was appropriate” (Updike 160); for the reader to intake all of Sammy’s point of view, Updike uses First person. With this technique, the reader will “identify with the “I” narrator, who moves through his world, observing, speculating, feeling and confiding” (Tapply 26). With Sammy’s detail, for example, “she was a chunky kid, with a good tan and a sweet broad soft-looking can with those two crescents of white just under it” (Updike 160). The reader can create an “intimate relationship” (Tapply 26) with the narrator. With detailed information from the narrator, the reader can use their knowledge to see and understand the story. Updike gives Sammy as a narrator a reader can trust by “never withhold information from reader” (Tapply 26).
Every detail of what Sammy sees engages the reader more. To understand how he viewed the new generation of women and how other people during that time viewed them. The setting in “A&P” is set during the sixties, a time when society had a “conservative code of dress and behavior that dictated what was appropriate” (Updike 160). Sammy details how the new generation is breaking the rules and society is “grasping the complexities of the lives of women” (Brah et al. 78). In this case, the three girls in bathing suits cannot be grasped by society when they “looked around after pushing their carts past to make sure what they had seen was correct” (Updike 160). Society knew what the girls were wearing in public was not of their approval, and they could not grasp the idea and just stared at the girls. During this era, women, especially young ladies, had to maintain an image and follow society’s conservative values. That said, Sammy observed the girls with his “direct knowledge of subjective experiences” (Markič 218). Sammy made his judgment based on what he felt, and how he was raised influenced it. He did not let the “sheep” (Updike 162). That is how he described the conservatives in the store. He was making minor observations with his interconnection. These are self-knowledge opinions from the information he had already collected during his life. As he described the older generation of ladies as “houseslaves” (Updike 162), He used his first-person point of view to “share his thoughts and speculation” (Tapply 26). With that, Sammy was collecting his perspective on women. He became observant of how confident the girls walked in the store with a “walk slow and hold yourself straight” (Updike 161) attitude.
Characterization, symbolism, and the author’s choice and implementation of various stylistic tropes are just a few of the many possible approaches to this short story’s analysis. One may say that Sammy rejects and even struggles against this society; nonetheless, he quickly realizes his naiveté. The protagonist discovers that his protest is met with indifference or even hostility. He is thus devastated by the realization that social conformity is generally accepted. The fundamental issue is that many cannot put into words what they want to achieve, like Sammy. These are the most important points that need to be elaborated upon. By inserting brand names into Sammy’s internal monologue, John Updike draws attention to the importance of consumer culture. Since he works as a cashier at an A&P, the names of various goods have become almost part of the protagonist’s everyday language. Peaches from the “Diet Delight” line, herring from “Kingfish Fancy Snacks.” (Updike 95). For others, this may be the deciding factor in whether or not they read the whole thing.
John Updike uses the phrase “the cat-and-dog-food, breakfast-cereal, macaroni, rice, raisins, spices, spreads, spaghetti, soft-drinks, crackers, and cookies aisle” to describe the setting (Updike 94). This portrayal is vital to emphasize the universally accessible realm of affluence. However, life in this society is rather dull, particularly if one must work as a cashier at A&P. Additionally, nonconformity to social standards is not tolerated. Managers like Lengel at the neighborhood A&P may often be relied upon to uphold such standards. Therefore, it is fair to argue that the consumerist world does not satisfy the individual because of the rigidity and monotony of the prevailing social milieu. Sammy, it may be said, is not capable of accepting such uniformity. That is why he works so hard to come across as the kind of pessimistic guy who can find fault with whatever other people do or say, even if it is just their looks. More than that, he acts out customers while trying to devise derogatory nicknames or descriptions for them. One of the patrons, for example, is portrayed as a witch of fifty with rouge on her cheeks and no eyebrows.
However, Sammy cannot explain his animosity toward this lady. Additionally, he portrays many clients as “sheep” (Updike 94). Instead of “house slaves,” he may use more neutral language (Updike 94). Based on his word choices, the protagonist does not want to conform to this group. His scepticism is, in large part, a defence mechanism against succumbing to such conformity. However, Sammy knows it will be tough to change his fate.
Additionally, he cannot provide a good reason for his hostility toward the guests. The main issue is that individuals like Sammy lack clear aspirational goals. This is important to consider since it explains why Sammy feels so powerless. When Sammy disagrees with the manager’s choice, he leaves the A&P world. To be more specific, Lengel scolds young women who approach her business wearing nothing but a bikini. Sammy thinks that the reprimand is hypocritical. Sammy identifies with their plight. Quitting his work is how he shows his displeasure with Lengel’s choice. Lengel thinks Sammy’s conduct is unreasonable since it causes tension between his parents. Sammy is reluctant to do it but fears it is too late to turn back now.
The main character thinks Lengel is too much of a follower. He has a hard time providing a rational explanation for his actions. That is why he opts to ignore everyone altogether and go on. Sammy’s choice may seem rash at first, but factors like his chronic dissatisfaction led him to this point. Sammy thinks the females who supported him when Lengel criticized him will be glad he departed A&P. But nobody seems to notice what he is doing. By now, he sees that his uprising was for nothing. When Sammy tries to explain himself, the females he is talking to go away. This causes the protagonist tremendous distress. The fact that his objection had such little effect on A&P likely added to his dissatisfaction. It continues to operate as before.
Furthermore, individuals like Sammy are not likely to have an impact on a consumer-based culture. As such, this is one of the finer points that should not be neglected to fully comprehend this character’s annoyance’s source(s) (Markič 216). A huge store chain like A&P may represent consumer culture and affluence in this short narrative, but it could also represent uniformity and repetition. Sammy attempts to leave this world behind by quitting his job at the corporation, but he soon realizes that his efforts would be in vain since the A&P world is so widely accepted.
In the very first phrase of the novel, Sammy’s sexual urge is established by Updike’s description of three females who enter the shop “in nothing but swimming suits” (Updike 1). This sentence’s placement at the beginning of the tale, along with the grammar used, sets the tone for the story regarding sexuality and gives the impression that Sammy’s attention is instantly attracted to, and consumed by, the females. Sammy’s interest in female shoppers is piqued not just by their natural beauty but also by the fact that they are all wearing swimwear. Beginning with the syntax, the narrative conveys the sense that stubborn sexuality can completely absorb everything else. John Updike’s many sexual allusions to the female characters in the opening section of A&P are illustrative of the prevalence of sexual yearning among today’s youth. Many overt and oblique allusions are paired with supermarket items, which are fitting given the story’s location. Sammy says that one female had a “lovely wide soft-looking can” and that she had “two crescents of white” beneath it (Updike 1). This line of thinking is quite sexually graphic, which would have been unheard of in polite company in that era. Sammy also takes note of the ladies whenever they are near the canned goods aisle, which may be a metaphor for the contrasting natures of both the canned goods and the ladies’ sexual wares. The sheer intensity and number of sexual allusions highlight the theme of yearning among today’s youth (Yoon et al. 208). No matter how often Sammy thinks about it, he would never really utter any of these things. This lends credence to the argument that prevalent sexual conventions often stifle people’s more grounded, realistic perspectives. The allusions adopt a more controversial approach to addressing sexuality and question conventionally unrealistic perspectives.
By analyzing this section in the context of the complete short narrative, the reader may better grasp the overarching themes at play. Updike’s intention in this chapter is to provide a genuine portrayal of desire that contradicts more conventional understandings of this theme. Sammy’s obsession with the females at the shop and his unrestrained fantasies keep the theme of want at the forefront of the tale. The theme of desire’s power to shape outcomes, introduced in the first paragraph, persists throughout the narrative. Sammy’s job-quitting attempt to win over the three females reaches its culmination when he finds out they are not even paying attention to him. A parallel may be drawn between this and Sammy’s attitude toward the older woman, which shifted substantially due to his focus on the girls.
Moreover, this suggests that desire may motivate individuals to act in ways they ordinarily would not. While desire is potent by nature, a true picture of sexuality has been hidden by the conventional ideals of many older generations. Through Sammy’s overwhelming attraction to the girls, John Updike subverts these sexual standards. He pulls out the notion that desire is something present in the brains of all people and can drive us to behave and speak in ways that are true to who we are. Every year, sex becomes more mainstream in popular culture and media, and eventually, a boundary may need to be established to protect people’s sense of modesty and personal space. It may be said that our hero has nothing but contempt for people like them. The girls in their bathing suits command attention with their sexual power, causing Sammy to make a mistake at work. Based on the appearance and action of the women whose sake he is ringing up, Sammy thinks he has got pegged through and through, that she understands her inner life (Updike 7). The leader knows that the men in the store are watching her but she pretends not to notice and this dynamic gives her a certain power
For his part, Stokesie is confused as to why anybody would speak out against the manager’s actions and the prevailing ethos at A&P. This means that these people have various perspectives on the world. In total, John Updike’s works show the lives of many youths with room to grow and improve. Additionally, they struggle to adapt to a society driven by consumerism, conventions, and conformity. These individuals may occasionally act out in defiance of this routine, hoping that others around them will support their actions. These anticipations, however, are unrealistic. The main problem is that they do not know their aim. Because of this, they are helpless against commercial culture and societal conformity. It is fair to assume that John Updike captures the feelings and thoughts of many modern-day teenagers.
Work cited
Brah, Avtar, et al. “Empirical Interrogations.” Feminist Review, no. 78, 2004, pp.12. EBSCOhost. Web.
Markič, Olga. “First- and Third-Person Approaches: The Problem of Integration.” Interdisciplinary Description of Complex Systems, vol. 10, no. 3, 2012, pp. 213– 22. EBSCOhost. Web.
Tapply, William G. “Point of View.” Writer (Kalmbach Publishing Co.), vol. 115, no. 8, 2002, p. 26. EBSCOhost. Web.
Updike, John. A and P: Lust in the Aisles. 1st ed., Redpath Press, 1986.
Yoon, Eunju, et al. “Interrelations of Patriarchal Beliefs, Gender, Collectivism/Individualism, and Mental Health.” Counselling Psychology Quarterly, vol. 33, no. 2, Informa UK Limited, 2018, pp. 199–217. Web.