Analysis of the short story "A&P" by Updike

Essay by Anonymous UserCollege, Undergraduate October 2007

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"A&P" by John Updike is a story of an important event that matures and gives knowledge to Sammy, a young grocery store clerk. The story begins one summer day as three girls wearing bathing suits enter the store. Sammy fantasizes about the girls' bodies and appearances. Then when the girls come up to the Sammy's cashier to check out, the store manager, Lengel sees them and scolds them for dressing inappropriately in a public store. This embarrasses the girls and they head out of the store immediately after Sammy rings up their purchase. To impress the girls, Sammy quickly tells Lengel that he quits because of the way Lengel treated the girls. Lengel gives him the chance to change his mind, but Sammy has made up his mind, later realizes his hard life in the future.

Sammy fascinates sexy women. This is evident when the girls enter the store, Sammy's eyes instantly follow them because they are in bathing suits and half-naked.

He analyzes the girls' faces, bodies, and the bathing suits. When he sees the girl that has the strap of the bathing suit loose on her arm, he instantly determines the girl is pretty. He calls her "Queenie" even though he has no connection with her. On the beach, wearing bathing suit is common and no one would look, but this is rare in the A&P. The store is located far from beach, so women in public generally put something on over their bathing suit. When the girls come back, "Queenie" puts down a jar and Sammy realizes that the girl is "bare as God made them." He starts to wonder where the money would be. When the girl takes out her dollar bill from "hollow at the center of her nubbled pink top," Sammy looses his...