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A & P By John Updike Theme Essay

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An individual’s character can always be tested at any given moment. A prime example would be when a person stands up for what he or she believes in, even if it may hurt him or her in the end. The short story “A&P” by John Updike, shows how a character by the name of Sammy, stands for what he thinks is right. A theme that the reader may take away from this story is that one should always stand up for what is right despite the consequences that may follow. By using the main character of the story, Updike shows how Sammy exemplifies himself through his own actions. In this story, three girls walk into a store wearing only their swimsuits. Sammy’s boss does not like the sight of this and begins calling the girls out. Sammy does not like the way that his boss handles the situation and takes a stand for the girls. By standing up for the girls, Sammy loses his job for doing what was right. Readers can often times relate and feel connected to Sammy. Updike writes this story in first person point-of-view so it looks as if the narrator is Sammy. The reader is then able to see what all is going through Sammy’s mind. Throughout the story, the reader can see what all …show more content…
Updike did an outstanding job by showing the reader Sammy’s thoughts about how he feels about his boss and the way he feels towards the three girls. Sammy compares a Sunday school teacher to his boss, explaining that his boss is very judgmental and thinks that whatever he does is the right thing to do. Sammy had no problem in what the girls were wearing and did not like the fact that his boss had the guts to say something about what they were wearing. After the three girls exited the store, Sammy confronted his boss and said it was very unnecessary the way he confronted them about what they wearing. Sammy then quit his job for

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