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A & P By John Updike Literary Analysis

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In order for the younger generation to succeed, must they do as they see others do and resist deviating from the norm? The short story “A&P” by John Updike takes place within a grocery store with plots depicting different themes, such as innocence and irony. The average reader will be stunned by the unusual break in tradition, as well as the ending with a twist. Sammy, the story’s main character and narrator, is represented as one who does not understand his own troubled life. He also despises others, who in so many words live a life of follow the leader. Ultimately, Sammy quits his job in protest of the unfair treatment of three girls, who have presumably violated the store’s dress code policy. It appears that this is an example where society is being too rigid and insensitive to the changing trends that our younger generations are ready to explore. Three young girls wearing bathing suits into a small town grocery store really caused a commotion amongst the store’s …show more content…
He questions whether or not standing up for what he believes in, and defending three young female strangers will ultimately be detrimental to his future. Sammy eventually realizes that surrendering his job will leave him with more questions than answers. In his critical analysis, Lawrence Jay Dessner describes Sammy, the young A&P cashier, as an individual who underrates the world’s dangers, and is quick to silently accuse others of their “sheep-like behavior.” According to Sammy, the customers are like “house-slaves”, insensitive to the actual or metaphoric slavery (Dessner); but when reality hits him, Sammy believes that the customers deserve better than leading their lives like robots programmed from the factory. Sammy himself is so insensitive to what may befall him or anyone that is close to him, that he too maybe destined for the same life that he so loathes without actually realizing

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