The short story A & P, by John Updike, can
be broken down into a number of components, which include characters, setting,
plot, point of view, and the theme.
A &
P is a story about a young man, about 19, named Sammy, who is a cashier at a
local supermarket. His supporting characters are: Lengel, who is the store
manager; Stoksie, Sammy's buddy and a cashier; and Queenie plus her two
followers, who are unusual customers at the supermarket.
The setting of the story is in the early 80's
in an ordinary supermarket, which is located in a small quiet town, north of
Boston. Most of the customers are old and conservative, with a few tourists
here and there.
A &
P is surrounded around Sammy, a teenager, who is about to become an adult. The
story, basically, shows the first step of his metamorphoses.
The events of the story are seen through eyes
of the main character. The reader is able to experience his points of view, his
feelings and his problems.
I believe that John Updike's main theme of the
story is the idea of growing up, being independent, making decisions on our
own, and being responsible for the
consequences. The point in life where we can't do what people around us
would like us to, and therefore being decisive and a little selfish, is the
idea incorporated Sammy's life where he rebels and escapes from being trapped
by his parents to become more independent and adult-like.
In my opinion, the story was well written. The
author presented his idea across in an interesting and simple way, making A
& P a great piece of work.
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