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Queenie in John Updike's A&P

3 Pages 778 Words November 2014

Some people can be motivated to do things they normally would not do if someone just gives them that push that's needed. "A&P" by John Updike is a short story about a cashier named Sammy, and he hates his job and everyone around it except for these three girls who walked into the A&P. These girls standout do to the fact that they are walking around a grocery store with bathing suits in which was not really considered appropriate at the time. This influenced Sammy to quit his job and do what he thinks is right. Updike uses literary elements to present the overall message. Updike is talking about Sammy quitting his job to show the girls that he respects their right to dress the way the like. By standing up for their right to wear bathing suits in public, they inspire Sammy to his act.
One such literary element used to present the story's theme is the plot. Three teenage girls walk into a grocery store wearing only bathing suits. You never know for sure how girls' minds work "do you really think it's a mind in there or just a little buzz like a bee in a glass jar  (Page2). Comments like this one make Sammy seem like something of a macho guy who doesn't credit women with having brains. But Sammy's actions and some of his other thoughts show that he does in fact respect females, but he's only just to understand what they are about. "She must have felt in the corner of her eye me and over my shoulder Stokesie in the second slot watching, but she didn't tip. Not this queen  (Page5). This implies that Sammy is gaining respect for Queenie based on the way she carries herself. He admires her, but there's still something a tad condescending in his tone. "She was the queen. She kind of led them, the other two peeking around and making their shoulders round. She didn't look around, not this queen, she just walked straight on slowly, on these long white prima donna legs  (Page2). Sammy is drawn to Quennie's self-confidence and pride. By dari...

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