An Analysis of John Updikes AP Essay - 731 Words

An Analysis of John Updikes AP In his short story A P John Updike utilizes a 19-year-old adolescent to show us how a boy gets one step closer to adulthood. Sammy, an A P checkout clerk, talks to the reader with blunt first person observations setting the tone of the story from the outset. The setting of the story shows us Sammys position in life and where he really wants to be. Through the characterization of Sammy, Updike employs a simple heroic gesture to teach us that actions have consequences and we are responsible for our own actions. Sammy is a 19-year-old boy conveying a cocky but cute male attitude. He describes three girls entering the A P, setting the tone of the story. In walk these three girls in†¦show more content†¦She was the queen with long white prima-donna legs. Completely distracted by the girls, Sammy rings a box of HiHo crackers twice, infuriating the customer. He describes her as being One of these cash-register-watchers, a witch of about fifty with rouge on her cheekbones and no eyebrows, and I know it made her day to trip me up, sarcastically conveying his chauvinistic attitude toward women. We learn about Sammys station in life through the setting of the story. He is not a big time war hero or superstar but a checker at a small town A P, not moving up in his job or down, simply stagnant. The town is located north of Boston, five miles from a beach, with a summer colony on the Point. Sammy is ready to make a change. He wants to be part of the girls world. Sammys thoughts give us some insight in his feeling that the girls, just like the wealthy summer colony they came from, are out of his reach. All of a sudden I slid right down her voice into her living room. Her father and all the other men were standing around in ice-cream coats and bow ties...When my parents have somebody over they get lemonade and if its a real racy affair Schlitz in tall glasses with Theyll Do It Every time cartoons stenciled on. The girls are buying a jar of Kingfish Fancy Herring Snacks as Lengel, thc store manager and Sunday school teacher, criticizes their dress, Girls this isnt the beach. The queen answers, My mother asked me to pick upShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of John Updikes AP Essay1544 Words   |  7 PagesJohn Updikes story AP talks about a 19-year old lad, Sammy, who has a job at the local grocery store, the AP. Sammy works at the register in the store and is always observing the people who walk in and out each day. On this particular day that the story takes place, Sammy is caught off guard when a cluster of girls walk into the store wearing just their bathing suits. This caught Sammys attention because the nearest beach is five miles away and he could not figure out why they would still beRead MoreCharacter Analysis of Sammy in John Updikes AP1168 Words   |  5 PagesSammy: Campbells heroic journey transposed into suburban New England On the surface, the hero of John Updikes much-anthologized short story AP does not seem like a hero on the level of an Odysseus or a Hercules. Sammy is a cashier at a local grocery store. However, when three girls wearing bathing suits enter the AP, Sammy begins to experience a call to action. For the first time in his life, he takes a stand when he feels as if the pretty girls are being treated with a lack of respect. SammyRead MoreAnalysis of John Updikes Stories: AP vs. Outage1001 Words   |  4 Pagesand AP, John Updike attempts to explore different facets of suburban life through ordinary and common events. In AP, Updike explores how innocent ignorance influences a young cashier named Sammy and his views of suburbia. On the other hand, Outage explores the seething underbelly of suburbia and the events that occur when no one is looking, or in this case, when the lights go out. Through each work, Updike counters innocence with knowledge and rebellion against submission. In AP, SammyRead MoreA P By John Updike1441 Words   |  6 PagesJohn Updike is considered one of the greatest writers in modern American history. He is known for the idea that seemingly ordinary aspects of American life are actually quite fascinating. He wanted readers to see the beauty and magic of life, so he tried to describe everyday things using the most clear but beautiful language possible. Many of Updike’s pieces are drawn from his own life such as his marriage and his boyhood, as shown in three of his short stories: â€Å"AP†, â€Å"Ace in the Hole†, and â€Å"PigeonRead MoreThe Revolution of The Young People: John Updike Essay1193 Words   |  5 PagesIn John Updike’s â€Å"AP†, the revolution of the young people of the current age against authority is explored and explained. â€Å"AP† reveals the shift from conservative and deferential to avant-garde and disrespectful. Through the observation of the behavior of the character s in the story, one can receive a clear picture of the evolution of the sexual revolution that has come in this age. Sammy is the first character that is introduced, he is the protagonist and narrator of the story. Stoksie and LengelRead More Truth about Sammy in John Updikes AP Essay1090 Words   |  5 PagesThe Truth about Sammy in A P   Ã‚   At first glance, Sammy, the first-person narrator of John Updikes A P, would seem to present us with a simple and plausible explanation as to why he quits his job at the grocery store mentioned in the title: he is standing up for the girls that his boss, Lengel, has insulted. He even tries to sell us on this explanation by mentioning how the girls embarrassment at the hands of the manager makes him feel scrunchy inside and by referring to himselfRead More The Decline of Chivalry Explored in Araby and AP Essay1211 Words   |  5 Pageswin hearts of women for centuries. However, as society constantly changes, the effectiveness of these chivalrous acts has diminished. In James Joyce’s â€Å"Araby† and John Updike’s â€Å"AP†, this theory is explored, both telling the story of a boy whose efforts to impress the girl of their desires fail. As said by Well’s in his critical analysis of these stories, â€Å"Both the protagonists have com e to realize that romantic gestures—in fact, that the whole chivalric view [sic] --- are, in modern times, counterproductive†Read More Youthful Experience in James Joyces Araby Essay1607 Words   |  7 Pagesaccompanied me even in places the most hostile to romance (253). He states again that, Her name sprang to my lips at moments in strange prayers and praises which I myself did not understand (253). These statements are in sharp contrast to the analysis of Araby by A.R. Coulthard who writes: Surely the refugee from such paralysis who wrote Araby wanted his readers to see the disillusioned adult moralist who narrates the story, and not the dreamy young sensualist he once was, as the storysRead MoreSelf-Motivation and Egocentrism in John Updike’s AP871 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Peden once called John Updike’s â€Å"AP† â€Å"deftly narrated nonsense...which contains nothing more significant than a checking clerks interest in three girls in bathing suits† (Peden). While Peden’s criticism may be harsher than necessary, it is hard to find fault with his analysis. Sammy’s tale offers little more than insight into an egocentric and self-motivated mind, and while Updike may disagree with that conclusion, a close reading of the text offers significant evidence to support thisRead MoreHuman Oppressiveness in Two Kinds and AP Essay2357 Words   |  10 Pagesdetailed look of Amy Tan’s â€Å"Two Kinds† and John Updikeâ₠¬â„¢s â€Å"AP,† you will find that this quote is entirely applicable in the context of oppressiveness and in the likeness of â€Å"coming of age.† These two stories document the different perspectives of two characters’ growing up and how the role of the invisible hand of oppression guides developing adolescents into mature adults; without prejudice or even forethought. The characters in question are: Sammy, an AP store clerk whose time spent at work reveals