"A & P"

“A & P” by John Updike is a quick read, which actually seems like it is written by the teenager, Sammy, who was taking part in the story. The story is set in a Massachusetts town, just off of Cape Cod. The narrator, a teenager working a summer job at the local grocery store, is having a normal day as a cashier until three girls wearing two-piece bathing suits walk in. He immediately judges the girls—two are fat, one with a nice “can” and the last is beautiful to him. When they cash out in his line and his manager interjects because of their clothing, he tries to be a hero—and quits after ringing them out. When he walks outside to hopefully meet up with the girls he defended he finds them gone, and is immediately disappointed, regretting his decision.

John Updike writes this story in a very interesting way. The language used is very juvenile, and it sounds like the teenager’s experience first-hand. Rather than using extreme description, Updike rather uses simple terms and descriptions of what the characters look like and what they are doing. The story flows from the first sentence all the way to the sad ending for Sammy.

The thoughts of the protagonist seem extremely in line with the way a normal teenage boy would think. For instance, he talks about the beauty of the girl he just met, and more importantly envisions himself hanging around with her family, having the snack she purchased with them. Updike says,” All of a sudden I slid right down her voice into her living room. Her father and the other men were standing around in ice-cream coats and bow ties…” Another example of this is how Sammy thinks that if he stands up for the girls and then quits, the “queen” will think so highly of him that she will be crazy about him and wait outside the store for him.

I enjoyed this story and the way that John Updike writes. The language and flow that are in his story make it extremely enjoyable to read.