Analysis Of A P By John Updike - 731 Words

In â€Å"AP†, John Updike uses compelling diction, language, and description to enhance the perspective of Sammy within the story and his final decision to quit his job. The use of imagery within the supermarket develops the environment Sammy worked in to a greater extent and painted diverse pictures of the customers. The derogatory descriptions of Lengel and some customers was also significant in terms of revealing Sammy’s emotions about his job at AP. The nature of the situation with the girls and descriptive language of the customers and environment were also significant factors.A spontaneous effort to portray Sammy’s power and independence was a significant aspect Updike made more interesting by implementing dialogue, diction, and theme.†¦show more content†¦He saw a potential opportunity to talk to the girls, but the fact that Lengel had made them blush in a negative way had angered him as he felt the embarrassment was unnecessary. The combined frus tration of his environment convinced him to attempt to be the â€Å"hero† and win over the girl’s attention even though it was a failure. Updike writes, â€Å"The girl, and whod blame them, are in a hurry to get out, so I say â€Å"I quit† to Lengel quick enough for them to hear, hoping they’ll stop and watch me, their unsuspected hero.† Later on he continues, â€Å"I look around for my girls, but they’re gone.† Such dialogue hints that his desire to win the girls over was also a minor contribution toward his departure from AP especially when he states, ‘â€Å"You didn’t have to embarrass them.†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Sammy’s inability to conform to Lengel’s power and the future AP had in store for him was also well portrayed through the description and diction in the story. The author made it known that achieving a promotion in the AP was not so simple. â€Å"I forgot to say he thinks he’s going to be manag er some sunny day, maybe in 1990 when it’s called the Great Alexandro and Petrooshki Tea Company or something.† Internally Sammy felt that if he had remained in this job he would have been helplessly waiting for a promotion some day. Sammy’s doubtfulness is seen in the words â€Å"thinks† and sarcasm from the words â€Å"maybe in 1990..†Show MoreRelatedJohn Updike aP Analysis1508 Words   |  7 PagesHanks Aamp;P- In John Updikes Aamp;P, choices and consequences are portrayed as a fundamental and recurring theme throughout the story. Many can understand the idea of repercussions for specific decisions and actions, which makes this story very relatable to most audiences. The story encompasses numerous ideologies paramount to human development and philosophy. Dismantling the story can help depict underlain meanings and asses the ambiguous nature of humanity. The construct of Aamp;P portraysRead MoreA P John Updike Analysis856 Words   |  4 PagesIn John Updike’s â€Å"A P†, he expresses the life of a young boy names Sammy, who works in a small food mart named A P. It’s a coming of age story that deals with puberty taking over the better of Sammy and trying to come out the hero when in reality he comes out looking like a fool. There is also one other detail that cause inner and outer conflicts with Sammy that lead to life lessons and the realization that not everyone is happy where they’re at in life, but if you work hard enough, anythingRead MoreAnalysis Of A P By John Updike1324 Words   |  6 PagesNovember 2015 2015 Unavoidable Conflict Sammy is a local cashier in a grocery store called AP who resents the local town and disagrees with the local populous. A strong willed teenager who is more than aware of himself tries to get a firm footing in the town. When this backfires Sammy becomes drastic and hastily makes a decision to try to fix all of the issues. To capture this idea in AP by John Updike, it illustrates the struggles of a young teenage male, where his beliefs are against that ofRead MoreAnalysis Of A P By John Updike845 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The sheep pushing against the carts down the aisle - the girls were walking against the traffic - were pretty hilarious† (Updike AP). The title of this story is AP, written by John Updike. The main characters shown in this story are Sammy, The Three Girls, Lengel, and Stokesie. Here’s a brief summary, â€Å"Three girls walk into AP wearing bikinis. Sammy’s constantly looks at â€Å"Queenie†, the group leader. Stokesie joins in as Sammy watches the girls go aisle after aisle. As the girls reach to theRead MoreAnalysis Of A P By John Updike1560 Words   |  7 PagesJalen Johnson Ms. Mahaffey Eng 102 10/15/17 Feminism in AP In the story â€Å"AP† by John Updike he tries to portray the conventional lifestyle and tendency of his community. The story â€Å"AP† proves how feminism was a large part of the conservative lifestyle and is still present today. AP helps you visualize how sexism could be happening right under our noses. The story is told through the main character Sammy, who is an ordinary teenager in the small town. Sammy makes a courageous effort to fight feminismRead MoreAnalysis of AP by John Updike533 Words   |  2 Pagesâ€Å"AP† (supermarket) is a short story written by the hardworking and highly productive John Updike and narrated in first person by a 19-year-old protagonist and cashier named Sammy. It was published in 1961 and is about Sammy’s change of character and coming of age. Updike uses the various shifts in tone, great attention to detail, and a great deal of symbolism to portray the significant change. The opening sentence â€Å" In walks three girls in nothing but bathing suits† (par.1) sets up the colloquialRead MoreAnalysis Of A P By John Updike895 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"In walks these three girls in nothing but bathing suits† (Updike 1). With the previous quote, would one believe that the storyline is set in a grocery store? In John Updike’s â€Å"AP,† Sammy is the main character. The entire narrative happens through his eyes. Having three out of the ordinary girls walk into the A P mystified Sammy as well as the other men in the store. The tale follows the girls around while they shop and until they leave. It carefully describes what aisles the girls pass throughRead MoreAnalysis Of John Updike s A P 1804 Words   |  8 Pagesit’s seemingly infallibility. Most young people feel invincible, but really it is their naivety and inability to understand the harsh concept of reality that enables this behavior. While a common theme in l iterature, John Updike gives the tale of youth a consumerist spin in â€Å"AP†. Updike tells the story of Sammy the cashier, who see’s himself as superior to those around him and believes he will turn out nothing like the adults he’s surrounded with. He seems to get his chance to be great when some beautifulRead MoreAnalysis Of John Updike s A P1293 Words   |  6 PagesJohn Updike is viewed by his readers as a progressive voice in his work that promotes feminist issues. He makes these issues stand out more evidently, rather than hidden, in order for the reader to realize how women are viewed in society. From reading Updike’s AP, the story sends the message to readers of genders working together to strive for equality. If readers do not carefully and actively read AP they may miss key messages about the power men hold over women, not just in society but in literatureRead MoreAnalysis Of John Updike s A P2577 Words   |  11 Pagescome together and dec lare allegiance to a similar core of beliefs. And, when they do, they ask a particular set of question about a literary work. Each different way of analyzing a literary work elicits a different set of questions. AP, a short story by John Updike, would best be analyzed by using the school of New Criticism and analyzing the journey Sammy, the narrator, experiences throughout the story. The school of New Criticism believes that the work’s overall meaning depends solely on the text