Verified Document

Play From Our Text Functions Essay

Instead, he wants to be with the girls, eating herring snacks with their parents at the fantasy party he envisions, where men in ice-cream white coats serve olives and real cocktails poolside. It is easy to sympathize with Sammy, given that the repressive nature of society he perceives around him seems very real. The entire store is transfixed by the sight of the girls: "She kept her eyes moving across the racks, and stopped, and turned so slow it made my stomach rub the inside of my apron, and buzzed to the other two, who kind of huddled against her for relief, and they all three of them went up the cat-and-dog-food-breakfast-cereal-macaroni-rice-raisins-seasonings-spreads-spaghetti-soft drinks- crackers-and- cookies aisle" (Updike 468). It is absurd how much the other patrons care about what the girls are wearing, but also absurd how much moral weight Sammy gives to these ordinary girls' ambling march through the aisles.

Because of his own perspective as a frustrated grocery store clerk, Sammy sees the girls as liberating the town, shocking the 'bums' who buy inexplicable amounts of pineapple juice (in another one of his funny asides). Sammy is filled with...

But he also projects higher, chivalric moral aspirations upon the girls: he wants to defend them, even if he cannot 'have' them.
Sammy's perspective is not complete -- his envisioning of the paradise of the girl's life is clearly a fantasy. Sometimes Updike the author lets reality slip through, even while he is using Sammy's limited perspective. For example, Sammy is surprised that the 'Queen' has a flat, bored voice, not like the sweet, sophisticated tones he clearly imagined. Sammy notes that his parents found it sad that he quit because he wanted to make a stand for the right of rich girls to wear bathing suits in the a&P. But the author's ability to ironically show Sammy's adolescent viewpoint -- the strength of that viewpoint, and also its limitations -- is what makes Updike's "A&P" a work of literary artistry. (756 words)

Work Cited

Updike, John. "A&P." From the Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature.

Bedford/St. Martin's Press, 2008.

Sources used in this document:
Work Cited

Updike, John. "A&P." From the Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature.

Bedford/St. Martin's Press, 2008.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Advertising and Functions and Objectives
Words: 4304 Length: 15 Document Type: Term Paper

The same can also be said of corporate organisation that has in their possession accumulated research capacity which enables it to deliver unique products and services from its competitors. 1.2.7 To increase market share. Advertising can also be used to increase the market share of an organisation resulting from the acceptance of the products but the consumer and subsequent recognition of the brand. 1.3 FUNCTIONS OF ADVERTISEMENT Advertising as a promotional mix element

Functions and Responsibilities at Different Levels: Interviews With...
Words: 1771 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

Interview with a Director Every organization has several types of managers. A college setting, for instance, could contain a president, his deputy, school deans, associate deans, departmental chairs, and other administrators. A medical facility (privately-owned), on the other hand, could contain first-line supervisors, plant managers, standard compliance managers, marketing managers, financial controllers, and top executives such as the president, deputies, or a chief executive officer. For purposes of convenience, this text

Function of "Everyday Use" Form
Words: 853 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

And, of course, the main reason why I cited this passage, the images used to give Maggie some "roundness" as a fictional character, the fact that she is compared to a lame animal, an injured dog. The reader finds out that she was burned badly in a fire. The point that Walker is driving home is, Maggie and Dee come from the same place, but are, indeed, two different

Monologue "A Lie of the Mind" Play
Words: 3426 Length: 11 Document Type: Essay

monologue "A Lie Of The Mind" play written Sam Shepard. monologue page "80." starts Frankie " Look- I make effort. Did ?." I u make ? essay outline:Take home test outline: Text: Audition Michael Shurtleff ( outline) Part 1. A Lie of the Mind Michael Shurtluff's guideposts are very important for all actors, regardless of their level of preparation. Through acting in accordance with these guideposts, one is likely to experience

Role and Functions of Law in Business
Words: 946 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Role and Functions of Law in Business and Society The relevance of law and order in both business and society cannot be overstated. In this text, I address both the functions as well as the role of law in business and society. In so doing, I will also state the primary role played by law in my present job industry. In basic terms, law permeates almost every facet of our daily lives.

Song of Roland Essentially Functions As Folklore,
Words: 948 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Song of Roland essentially functions as folklore, which lionizes and creates legends of the works and characters of Charlemagne the Great and his men. The author of this epic poem is unknown, as is the exact date in which it was written. It is commonly believed to have been written in the 12th century. The poem's central action utilizes elements of the history of Charlemagne and his Muslim enemies

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now