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A Study of The Short Story, A&P

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Published: Feb 12, 2019

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Character Analysis Essay for A&P

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Analysis of John Updike's "A and P"

The story shares a unique perspective on social norms

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Ph.D., English, State University of New York at Albany
B.A., English, Brown University

Originally published in The New Yorker in 1961, John Updike's short story "A & P" has been widely anthologized and is generally considered to be a classic.

The Plot of the Updike's "A&P"

Three barefoot girls in bathing suits walk into an A & P grocery store, shocking the customers but drawing the admiration of the two young men working the cash registers. Eventually, the manager notices the girls and tells them that they should be decently dressed when they enter the store and that in the future, they will have to follow the store's policy and cover their shoulders.

As the girls are leaving, one of the cashiers, Sammy, tells the manager he quits. He does this partly to impress the girls and partly because he feels the manager took things too far and didn't have to embarrass the young women.

The story ends with Sammy standing alone in the parking lot, the girls are long gone. He says that his "stomach kind of fell as I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter."

Narrative Technique

The story is told from the first person point of view of Sammy. From the opening line--"In walks, these three girls in nothing but bathing suits"--Updike establishes Sammy's distinctively colloquial voice. Most of the story is told in the present tense as if Sammy is talking.

Sammy's cynical observations about his customers, whom he often calls "sheep," can be humorous. For example, he comments that if one particular customer had been "born at the right time they would have burned her over in Salem ." And it's an endearing detail when he describes folding his apron and dropping the bow tie on it, and then adds, "The bow tie is theirs if you've ever wondered."

Sexism in the Story

Some readers will find Sammy's sexist comments to be absolutely grating. The girls have entered the store, and the narrator assumes they are seeking attention for their physical appearance. Sammy comments on every detail. It's almost a caricature of objectification when he says, "You never know for sure how girls' minds work (do you really think it's a mind in there or just a little buzz like a bee in a glass jar?)[...]"

Social Boundaries

In the story, the tension arises not because the girls are in bathing suits, but because they're in bathing suits in a place where people don't wear bathing suits . They've crossed a line about what's socially acceptable.

Sammy says:

"You know, it's one thing to have a girl in a bathing suit down on the beach, where what with the glare nobody can look at each other much anyway, and another thing in the cool of the A & P, under the fluorescent lights, against all those stacked packages, with her feet paddling along naked over our checkerboard green-and-cream rubber-tile floor."

Sammy obviously finds the girls physically alluring, but he's also attracted by their rebellion. He doesn't want to be like the "sheep" he makes such fun of, the customers who are befuddled when the girls enter the store.

There are clues that the girls' rebellion has its roots in economic privilege, a privilege not available to Sammy. The girls tell the manager that they entered the store only because one of their mothers asked them to pick up some herring snacks, an item that makes Sammy imagine a scene in which the "men were standing around in ice-cream coats and bow ties and the women were in sandals picking up herring snacks on toothpicks off a big glass plate." In contrast, when Sammy's parents "have somebody over they get lemonade and if it's a real racy affair Schlitz in tall glasses with "They'll Do It Every Time" cartoons stenciled on."

In the end, the class difference between Sammy and the girls means that his rebellion has far more serious ramifications than theirs does. By the end of the story, Sammy has lost his job and alienated his family. He feels "how hard the world [is] going to be" because not becoming a "sheep" won't be as easy as just walking away. And it certainly won't be as easy for him as it will be for the girls, who inhabit a "place from which the crowd that runs the A & P must look pretty crummy."

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Analysis of the Short Story “A&P” by John Updike Words: 674
Analysis of John Updike’s Short Story “A&P” Words: 406
Tradition in “A&P” Short Story by John Updike Words: 2143
The Short Story “A&P” by John Updike Words: 492
Secondary Sources on “A&P” Story by John Updike Words: 962
Setting in John Updike’s Short Story “A&P” Words: 502
Language as a Tool in John Updike’s “A&P” Words: 1407
John Updike’s “A&P”: Literary Analysis Words: 2233
Literary Analysis of “A&P” Story by John Updike Words: 868
Quitting Decision in John Updike’s “A&P” Story Words: 826
John Updike’s Book ‘A & P’ Words: 835
“A&P” by John Updike Words: 1102

A&P John Updike Analysis – Essay on the Short Story [New Sample]

This A&P short story analysis will provide you with a plot summary, reveal where the story takes place, and analyze the characters. If you need to write an A&P by John Updike theme essay or any other paper, this sample will inspire you.

Introduction

John updike a&p analysis: plot summary, a and p: john updike analysis of setting, john updike a&p analysis: transformation theme, a&p analysis: growth theme.

A&P by John Updike is a short story written in 1961. Using satire and pure comedy, Updike investigates the issue of cultural norms in this story. The following John Updike A&P analysis will help you to understand the story in detail.

An effective A&P by John Updike analysis can be conducted after knowing the plot of the story. Sammy is a young worker in a grocery store. He does not enjoy his job because it is too monotonous and boring. However, one incident at work becomes a turning point in Sammy’s life.

One day, three young girls in bikinis appear in the store. Their beautiful bodies immediately start drawing people’s attention. The author contrasts the conspicuous appearance of these girls with a slow-paced life in the store. Then, the manager of the store, Lengel, sees the girls and treats them unethically. He ashames them for their appearance and asks them to leave the store. However, Sammy sticks up for girls. As a protest to the manager’s behavior, the main character quits the job.

The events of that day change Sammy’s life perception. He matures from a teenager obsessed with fantasies to a man who understands the harsh reality of life. This transition from adolescence to adulthood is the key theme of Updike’s short story A&P.

A&P Short Story: Analysis of Characters, Setting, & Themes

Basically, the story explores three main themes. They are the setting, Sammy’s transformation, and his growth. While analyzing the A&P, each aspect should be examined separately. The given character analysis essay covers all three elements of the story and provides a solid ground for discussions.

Sammy does not live a fulfilling life. His job position does not bring him joy, and the A&P store settings reflect his inner world. The main character feels like he is wasting his life in the wrong place.

Working in a small grocery store, Sammy spends all day screening orders for customers. The work is very monotonous and does not inspire Sammy to be imaginative. He is bored so much that his mind often wanders off. Sometimes, he even screens some items twice.

Sammy’s work is often so tedious that he can hear songs from the cash register. The best he can hope for in his current position is becoming a manager. Sammy feels miserable at his job. Therefore, the three beautiful girls that came into the store bring a lot of happiness to him. He takes the mind off his career and away from his tiny, closed world.

Sammy understands that these girls are of higher social status than he is. They are pretty, independent, and self-confident. They have no problem entering the store in bikinis, so do not care about any rules and norms. Sammy starts dreaming about a luxurious life that he is incapable of reaching. Observing free and happy ladies, he wishes to have the same freedom. However, it is absent in his tiny and closed world.

The beautiful girls caused a great Sammy’s transformation. From the very beginning, he perceives the girls as an object of his inner fantasies. Simply noticing the divine beauty of their bodies in bathing suits, he is obsessed with them. Nevertheless, his attitude changes when McMahon, the local butcher, starts ogling the girls.

Sammy is insulted by McMahon’s behavior and feels sorry for girls. Now he perceives them as not merely objects of sexual attraction but as human beings. He understands that McMahon reflects his behavior. The butcher embodies the girls “patting his mouth and looking after them sizing up their joints” (J.Updike 1). It irritates the main character, and he changes his attitude towards girls. As the narrator states, Sammy seeks chivalry. So, he turns himself from a mere admirer to a defender of the girls.

Furthermore, Sammy is annoyed with the way his manager Lengel treats and embarrasses the girls. Thus, he stands up for the girls and takes control of the situation. He scolds the boss and, shortly after, decides to leave his job. His chivalrous act is futile and foolish. As the girls walk away from the store, they do not realize that Sammy’s deed was aimed at their behest.

Ultimately, Sammy does not get the girls’ attention as he had planned by protecting them. Nevertheless, he does himself a favor by gaining the strength to walk away from his tedious job. Sammy discovers that he is the only person who can decide his fate. He “refuses to be captured by conformity and monotony” like some kind of mindless cattle for slaughter in Updike’s A&P.

Instead, Sammy wants to “live honestly and meaningfully” (Mcfarland, 96). By refusing to obey his boss and quitting the job, he shows his self-liberation (Porter 1155).

By the end of the story, Sammy realizes that every action leads to a specific outcome. This a clear sign of maturity. While leaving his work, Sammy has a clear image of an uncertain and tough period. Unlike the three girls who make him lose his job, he is not from a wealthy family. His parents helped him to get him the job position only because they knew Lengel personally.

Although getting a job in this town may not be easy, Sammy is confident about his decision. He is ready to face a new, brutal reality, just like other ordinary people do at a particular stage in life.

The following “A&P” John Updike analysis described the transformation of Sammy’s personality. Throughout the story, he has evolved from a teen who was just interested in the girls’ physical appearance. Sammy is now a mature individual who desires the spiritual freedom of the girls. He understands the harsh realities of life and accepts them

Standing up to Lengel shows that Sammy has grown as a person. He is not going to adhere to society’s customs and traditions that are too restricting. He wants to move forward and discover the new world. The world that the three girls opened to him. He has left his job, and now he has to overcome the consequences of his choice.

A&P is considered by many critics to be a great example of postmodernism literature. Updike created an impressive piece of writing that remains relevant even nowadays through symbolism, imagery, and allegory.

Mcfarland, Ronald. Updike and the Critics: Reflections on “A & P”. 1983, Studies in Short Fiction 2: 95+. Web. EBSCOhost database.
Porter, Gilbert. John Updike’s ‘A & P’: The Establishment and an Emersonian Cashier. 1972, The English Journal , 61. 8:1155–1158. Web.

How do you write an analysis of A&P by John Updike?

Start your A&P analysis with a short introduction to the author’s background. Also, you can tell the story of A&P creation. Then, write a brief summary of the events that happened. In your body paragraphs, analyze of the A&P’s setting and characters. Conclude your A&P essay with a final memorable thought.

What is the main theme of A&P by John Updike?

In fact, there are several themes covered in the A&P, that play a crucial role. However, the key one of the story is an internal conflict between ideals, reality, and the inevitable consequences of an action.

What do the girls represent in A&P?

It is clear that the girls represent the abuse of appearance norms and a difference of classes in society. It is also worth mentioning that McMahon’s attitude towards the girls could be interpreted as gender discrimination.

Why did Sammy quit his job in A&P?

Sammy’s quitting of the job was reasonable. Job loss embodied the idea of social restrictions and immaturity. The incident with the girls in the store let Sammy realize that the time to leave his “chains” and start a new independent life has come.

What is the message of A&P by John Updike?

The A&P is a story of newfound maturity. Its message is reflected in the choice made by Sammy. He searches for liberty and rejects the traditional values of consumerism in society. So, by describing Sammy’s transformation, the author states that it is never too late to change the live objectives and values.

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A&P and Other Stories

By john updike, a&p and other stories essay questions.

What is the significance of Ace's interaction with the teenager in the car at the beginning of "Ace in the Hole?"

Ace's angry reaction locates him at the same emotional level as the angry teenager, establishing his immaturity and also foreshadowing Ace's fixation on his own adolescence. Ace is also most upset at being called "Dad" by the teenager, even though he is indeed an adult and a father. Ace still longs to exist in his golden years of his youth. It is also important that they yell at each other from their cars; their distance evokes the alienation that Ace feels from everyone around him, including his coworkers and family.

Given his neglect of Bonnie, Ace's desire for another child seems inexplicable. Why might Ace want a second child?

Updike suggests that Ace wants a son who can be an athlete, succeeding where Ace failed. Ace also seems to believe that having another child will mend his relationship with Evey and help Ace to fend off his own mortality, something that Bonnie cannot do because she is a girl.

Does Updike undercut Sammy's critique of consumer culture? Why or why not?

In "A & P", Updike undercuts Sammy's critique of consumer culture as shallow and homogenous by presenting him as an unreliable narrator. Sammy obviously and egregiously exaggerates his own worth and accomplishments, while objectifying Queenie and her friends just as much as Lengel and the customers do. Ultimately, Sammy's rebellion - though well-founded in these cultural outrages - is committed in the hopes of becoming a hero to Queenie. His rebellion is not motivated by political unrest but rather sexual desire.

What is Sammy's attitude toward women? How do women motivate Sammy's actions?

Sammy relentlessly ogles and lusts after the beautiful young women who come to A & P in their bikinis, but he is resentful of older women who have lost their beauty. He wonders if the girls are capable of deep thoughts, or if, instead of a mind, they have "a little buzz like a bee in a glass jar?" The opposite sex is inscrutable to Sammy, perhaps because he finds them unattainable. Sammy's mother is a powerful but mostly absent figure; her presence is felt but we never learn anything about her. Sammy's distant admiration of the women drives all of his actions; he hopes they will be watching when he behaves admirably but he never knows for sure.

How does David's reading of the H.G. Wells book inform the rest of "Pigeon Feathers?"

David's brief interaction with The Outline of History forms an intellectually primal scene, introducing David to the idea of critical, secular thought. David is incredulous that God would allow a poisonous, questioning mind to exist. Ultimately, David rejects critical thought in favor of raw emotion, drowning out his very rational fears of mortality in a violent outburst of shooting. Importantly, the idea of a secular Jesus implies the mortality of the soul; although David's reading and his sudden fear of death seem unrelated, there is actually a causal link between the two scenes. Ultimately, his acceptance of faith comes in the form of natural beauty and not thought or dogma.

At the end of "Pigeon Feathers," does David embrace his father's worldview or his mother's?

By shooting the pigeons, David seems to embrace his father's violent worldview, choosing ignorance rather than recognition of human mortality. However, there are signs that his mother has also influenced him; he appreciates the beauty of the pigeon feathers, and his loyalty to his mother is what leads him to shoot the pigeons in the first place.

What is the significance of Dickie's kiss at the end of "Separating?"

Dickie's kiss demonstrates the deeply profound and personal impact of divorce on an individual, even one who pretends not to care. Importantly, the kiss has a sexual dimension that is inappropriate for a father-son relationship. This suggests the breakdown of received categories of relationships; in the brave new world of divorce, characters must learn the boundaries of each relationship for themselves, rather than relying on pre-established categories. The kiss could also evoke the kiss of Judas, foreshadowing that Dickie will rebel against his parents in the wake of their separation.

Is "Separating" a treatise against divorce? Why or why not?

Although "Separating" paints a very damning picture of marital disruption, Updike does not reject divorce wholesale. Rather, the story shows the consequences of people behaving only in their own self-interest. The Maples' separation is not the cause of their domestic havoc but simply another symptom. When Maple says at the end that he cannot remember why he and Joan are separating, it is said with a tinge of both sadness and wonder. Because of their children, Richard and Joan will always have a relationship. Despite disagreements and subtle sniping, the Maple parents do seem to have a healthy, honest and adult relationship. Divorce, in this case, stems from a lack of love rather than the presence of violence or wrong-doing.

Why might Updike have chosen the title "Short Easter" for this story?

The title of "Short Easter" alludes to a seemingly insignificant aspect of the story; this year, Easter is an hour shorter due to Daylight Savings Time. The short Easter may allude to Fogel's age--late in winter, the days get shorter, and Fogel is in the winter of his life. The short Easter disorients Fogel. When he wakes in his son's room, a dark haze surrounds him. The persistence of mortality is symbolized by the title. It may also refer to the difficulty of changing course in life when very little time is left, just as on a 23-hour-day, one might feel rushed in one's daily activities.

What is the importance of the young woman on the airplane in "Short Easter?"

The narrator alludes to Fogel's affair, but very indirectly--we initially believe that the affair will be with the woman from the plane, only to find that the airplane woman just reminds Fogel of the woman with whom he really had an affair. The layers of memory emphasize Fogel's age and sense of exhaustion, while also pointing to the universality of his experiences--after all, the woman is being wooed by a man not unlike Fogel a few decades ago.

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A&P and Other Stories Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for A&P and Other Stories is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

The main purpose if the fifth paragraph is to

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What are the most obvious and/or shocking physical characteristics of the A&P's customers. Explain why.

This story is narrated by Sammy, a young cashier at the supermarket A & P. One day, three girls in bathing suits stop in to buy some snacks. Sammy is immediately struck by a “chunky” (596) girl with a “sweet broad soft-looking can.” He is so...

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Study Guide for A&P and Other Stories

A&P and Other Stories study guide contains a biography of John Updike, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

About A&P and Other Stories
A&P and Other Stories Summary
Character List

Essays for A&P and Other Stories

A&P and Other Stories essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of A&P and other short stories by John Updike.

Shopping for Principles at the A&P
Three Bikinis and a Pyramid of Diet Delight Peaches: An Analysis of the Six Basic Elements of Fiction in John Updike’s “A & P”
Aristocrats & Patriarchy: Analyzing John Updike's A&P Through Marxist and Feminist Lenses

Lesson Plan for A&P and Other Stories

About the Author
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Introduction to A&P and Other Stories
Relationship to Other Books
Bringing in Technology
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A&P and Other Stories Bibliography

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Introduction

Nonconformity in the “A&P” Story by John Updike Essay (Critical Writing)

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People consciously or unconsciously fit into the social framework of the culture in which they live in. John Updike’s short story demonstrates the destruction of these social and cultural canons, using a sharp collision between conformity and nonconformity. John Updike tells the story of an ordinary cashier, Sammy, who quit his job after his manager shamed three girls who came to the supermarket in swimsuits. Sammy’s action is a deliberate defiance of conformity, while the girls violated the policy of the supermarket without intent. Updike confronts conformity and non-conformity using the literary devices of contrast and symbolism to emphasize this opposition.

The first technique that Updike uses to reveal the topic of confrontation between conformity and nonconformity is contrast. This literary device serves as a sharping frame for the entire short story, revealing itself in the vocabulary and system of characters’ images. At the level of characters, the story introduces two classes of people, reflecting conformity and nonconformity. The first class includes the manager Lengel, responsible for the policy of the supermarket, Sammy’s disapproving parents and his colleague Stokesie. The second class of characters represent nonconformity, and includes three girls in swimsuits led by Queenie and Sammy himself. To the first, larger social class, the author ascribes the qualities of constraint by obligations, children and marriage, and their appearance, like that of Stokesie and buyers, is unsightly. The second opposing class demonstrates freedom and dissent, all of them are young and do not want to live in imposed social norms. Two opposing classes of social norm-breakers and norm-observers collide at the story’s climax when Sammy quits in defiance of social morality.

To emphasize the contrast between conformity and nonconformity, Updike uses a contrast at the level of the vocabulary of a short story. Updike describes the protagonist’s surprise by clashing opposing concepts: “It’s one thing to have a girl in a bathing suit down in the beach…and another thing in the cool of the A&P, under the fluorescent lights” (Gioia and Kennedy 21). With the help of this phrase, it is possible to imagine two opposite coexisting worlds with their own laws. For the main character, the beach is associated with a sunny place and freedom of expression. The supermarket is a cold, alien place; fluorescent lamps not only emphasize the coolness of the room, but also refer to rigor and restraint. It is a type of light that brings out imperfections and inconsistencies through its brightness and coolness. For Sammy, this world is alien, and he resists against its rules and norms. The protagonist comes out of a cold room with artificial light, and he is bathed in the warmth of the sun, which symbolizes his craving for freedom from prejudice against the severity and restraint of the established order.

The second device that Updike uses to emphasize the opposition of conformism and nonconformism is symbolism. The author introduces several archetypes of animals into the short story to correlate them with the characters: sheep and pigs belong to the class of adherents of social norms. Updike compares supermarket shoppers to “the sheep, pushing carts down the aisle” (Gioia and Kennedy 20). Another simile is introduced at the end of the story: “like scared pigs in a chute” and “checking the sheep through” (Gioia and Kennedy 23-24). This symbolic series associatively relates to restrictions, causing an intuitive comparison with farm animals in pens or cages. The walls and shelves of the supermarket are frames that restrict freedom of movement, like fences on farms. Captured in the moment, neither the customers nor the second cashier and manager can get out of these restrictions by accepting this order of life.

Three girls in bathing suits, representing nonconformists, are symbolically compared to bees. The author describes their thoughts as “little buzz like a bee in a glass jar” (Gioia and Kennedy 20). The bees, in the context of the short story’s symbolism, represent freedom from restrictions. Like bees, girls fly into the traditional world that opposes them and just as freely leave it. The bees can break out of the imposed frames and fly over the fence that limits the other characters in the story. Introducing the symbolism of the animal world into the narrative, Updike emphasizes the limits of the prevailing social order. It seems to be imposed and simplifies the actual state of affairs. The only way to get free is to challenge the rules and leave the metaphorical fence, which is what the main character does.

In conclusion, “A&P” is an allegorical narrative about the opposition of conformity and nonconformity. To emphasize this struggle, Updike uses literary devices of contrast and symbolism. The contrast in the narrative is expressed through the opposition of images, the classification of characters and the use of emphasizing vocabulary. Updike’s symbolism refers readers to animal comparisons, that conformists represent sheep and pigs, and nonconformists are compared to bees. Within the framework of a short story, the author manages to show the dynamic struggle of the supporters of the social order and the fighters against it.

Gioia, Dana, and Kennedy, X. J. Backpack Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing . Pearson, 2019.

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IvyPanda. (2024, February 3). Nonconformity in the “A&P” Story by John Updike. https://ivypanda.com/essays/nonconformity-in-the-ap-story-by-john-updike/

"Nonconformity in the “A&P” Story by John Updike." IvyPanda , 3 Feb. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/nonconformity-in-the-ap-story-by-john-updike/.

IvyPanda . (2024) 'Nonconformity in the “A&P” Story by John Updike'. 3 February.

IvyPanda . 2024. "Nonconformity in the “A&P” Story by John Updike." February 3, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/nonconformity-in-the-ap-story-by-john-updike/.

1. IvyPanda . "Nonconformity in the “A&P” Story by John Updike." February 3, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/nonconformity-in-the-ap-story-by-john-updike/.