Respond to one or more of the following:
-Updike's use of imagery and word choice in this story is particularly brilliant. Respond to some examples of this in the story.
-On the LAF handout, Mr. H says that literature has so much irony because life is ironic. Comment on some of the many ironies in the story. Why are they so "life-like"?
-Note the publication date (at the end of the story). Any thoughts on why this story is very much of its time?
Your response should be about 150-200 words. In your entry, respond to at least one other posting. Early responders, come back to respond to other postings.
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35 comments:
I really enjoyed Updike's usage of imagery because it made it easier to visualize the scene in front of us. The way Updike described the continuing embarrassment Quenie felt was shown through the blush on her face. It was ironic how Sammy tried to be the hero yet the girls didn’t even notice his effort, which is usually a reality in the world. Girls rarely notice the little things guys try to do. The publication date was 1961 which is realistic time for this story. Proof of the time setting was how the jar of herring snacks was how it only cost $.49. Another realistic moment in the story is how everyone seemed to turn their heads and stare at the three girls wearing just bikinis in the supermarket. Usually when people go to supermarkets they have a shopping list of stuff they need to do and are fully clothed since it’s a place where food is bought.
Updike birlliantly displays his matery of imagery in the story. He depicts every aspect of the scenery in a way that pulls you into the story for a clear view of exactly what is happening during each scene. A particularly amazing aspect of his style of imagery is the way he knows exactly what descriptions to use to gain the desired effects. He uses terms everyone can understand and simple pictures such as the black hair that hadn't quite fizzled right, the sunburns right under her eyes, and the way he identifies one girl as "the queen" shows that he has an experienced knowledge of the way social groups tend to work. He also uses descriptions in a way that invokes the emotions of a character into the readers themselves so that they can feel the moment. During his description of the queen, he really gets sort of blunt in drawing male readers in through descriptions that every guy notices when he sees a pretty girl. The way he states the scene as "more than pretty" really gives the male readers an understanding of just what kind of girl he is referring to, that sort of girl that makes you look without even trying or wanting you to.
I agree with Michelle. Although I found the use of so many details and descriptions a bit annoying and unnecessary, it gave me a crystal clear image nonetheless. I found the story rather depressing actually, especially because Sammie works as a cashier, which has got to be one of the most boring and repetitive jobs out there (no offense to anyone who is a cashier.) The ending caught my attention because I know the feeling of standing up for something you believe in, and knowing that you are gonna get hell for it for the rest of your life. On a more important level, the representation of POLICY was very true. Almost everywhere in the world, standing up to the common policy will result in problems. I love the line "Policy is what the Kingpins want." All I see is that cliche image of the billionaire boss, sitting at his hardwood desk in an office made of glass, manipulating the rules and guidelines in order to create his own profitable policy. Anyone who disagrees? YOU ARE FIRED. Sorry, no good recommendation for you when you try to apply for a new job. You just screwed yourself over. This story gives a good reflection of the narrow mindedness that our society lives by.
(for some reason my school e-mail will not work, so I'm using my AIM from 6th grade. sorry! ~ Lauren B.)
Nathan talked about the shallow way Sammy describes the girls who come into the A & P, which isn’t really surprising considering Sammy’s a nineteen year old boy, but he was also surprisingly eloquent in his descriptions. He uses words like “sweet,” “broad,” “soft-looking,” and “cherry faced” to describe one of Queenie’s friends. Updike uses a lot of well-chosen words to create a very tactile image, especially in the contrast between the Queen and Chunky Girl. Queenie is described with words like “cool,” “clean,” “naked,” and “bare.” He even compares her breasts to scoops of icecream. It’s a big difference between the appearances and personalities of the warm, thick friend versus the cold and prim demeanor of the Queen. All of the girls are somewhat attractive to him, but it is Queenie and her royal, unreachable nature that he is smitten with. Because, like Nathan said, she is clearly the leader of this social group.
I agree that Updike did use wonderful details, but it was sometimes a bit much. I would have preferred just the aisle to "the cat-and-dog-food-breakfast-cereal-macaroni-rice"....ect. aisle. Its a bit excessive.
However, i really liked the metaphor of how the a & p was like a pinball game, the girls bouncing around not sure where they would go next. I also liked the ending, how he feels the hardship of the world after his few seconds of heroism. It shows how quick reactions can truly affect life after that one moment.
The situation is ironic because the main character quits his job to impress the group of girls who are in trouble, but they do not notice that he was trying to be an "unsuspected hero". The irony is relatable to the reader because this is a common situation. People often try to impress others by breaking out of the normal, and these efforts are usually unnoticed. By observing the descriptions, the reader can tell that this is a common man that wants to impress a group of girls. The irony is enhanced when he leaves the store in a dramatic exodus and sees the girls just leaving. It seems that in real life, when people try to break out of the conventional, they are shut down and end up with less than what they started with. The character losses his job and the girls that he liked, he then expresses how he can predict how hard the world will be after this event because he lost his job.
Updike uses great imagry to portray his story to his readers. The details he uses make the reader feel like they are part of the moment right alongside the characters. I like the way he took somthing rather ordinary like three girls in bathing suits and placed them in a setting which made it provocative and unexpected. The way he describes queenie's movement gives the reader an insight into her character. Also the details such as the "Fancy Herring Snacks" let the reader know what kind of background she must have come from. I ageee with Izzy that somtimes the details were a bit over the top, however over all the detail added a nice element to the story.
I did not particularly like the plot of the the story at all but i really liked his use of detail and imagery. Updike tuned in to human emotions in this story and how different people react to the same scenario. The part if this story that affected me the most was the use of imagery which is truly brilliant. I could imagine the three girls walking in nonchalant as if they were fully clothed with their pale skin and untied bikini tops. Also, how Updike conveyed how much time they spent in the store and it became sort of a game, guessing which aisle they would come out of. His imagery was incredibly powerful and I could even imagine the entire store with the girls' bare and naked feet padding along the floor. One of the things that conveyed the time period and which i found very strange was when the cashier listed the total products in one isle, which was quite a lot, and a huge variety for one isle. It gave me the feeling that there were less food companies and there was less of a selection in that time. The amount of products in one isle and the price of the products displayed a different time. Another thing that struck me was the use of human emotion; how the manager got angry, how "the queen" blushed, and how the cashier impulsively quit his job over a small issue. The use of imagery and human emotion really struck me in this strange but entertaining story.
Also, in reply to izzy, i agree, the details were sometimes pretty excessive. Some were definitely uneeded but the isle one in some way explained the time period. These days, you do not see that many things in one isle because we have so much more selection now. But i do agree, the details were a little excessive and his judgements of the girls.
I like the realistic mind frame approach, as if we were reading the thoughts of sammy, and Updike does this through his poradic use of detail. feet paddling along naked over our checkerboard ruber tile florr. It's as if you can hear the sound yourself. Its the precision in the word choice that conveys the images so clearly. Though at times the details seemed out of order or random, which I think inhibited a natural flow in the reading. Yet, the informal flow of the text also makes it more appealing, because it seemed to make it more personal. I also enjoyed Updike's use of metaphor when refering to the other shoppers ( the sheep). The image rings so true when I imagine the slow mindless flow of people in the supermarket. It's also clear that sammy is attracted to the confidence the Queen has. As well as her delibrate movements and body language, which calls his attention over her friends.
I share in Jana's enthusiasm about going against policy. I hate beaurocracy and irrational guidelines that people mindlessly follow and enforce " just because thats how its done." examles of this is where the girls fluster the flock of sheep ( the shoppers) and go in the opposite flow of traffic, as well as when sammy quits his job in pursuit of his beliefs
I too was impressed with the clarity and precision of Updike's imagery, but since everyone so far has commented on it I will digress to other aspects of the story.
The syntax of this story was interesting. Many of Updike's sentences were very long and complex. The sentence beginning "There was a chunky one..." (300) was almost so extensive that you could get lost in all the description going on. But overall the sentence structure as well as imagery combine to create a very vivid and fluid story.
Another thing I noticed was the diction that the narrator used. The words he uses to describe the girls tend to objectify them, such as when he compares Queenie's breasts to "scoops of vanilla" (304), and then goes on to The narrator goes on to personify the plastic bag he places Queenie's purchase in, saying that he twists "its neck" (304). It is almost like Updike completely changes up the roles of humans, namely women, and inanimate objects.
I agree with Jana when she says that Updike is not only telling a touching story, but is also slyly commenting on the confining expectations of society. Sammie takes a huge risk by quitting his job and standing up for something he believes in. Although we would all like to believe that our little acts of kindness and heroism are appreciated, many of them go unnoticed and unappreciated. From the moment that Sammie takes off his apron he know that his life is going to get hard pretty darn fast, yet he still stands up for those three strange girls, and they will probably never know it.
Updike's story is relevant to the time it was written. The late 1950's and early 1960's were a time where many people lived conservative lives, but teenagers were starting to push the limits and rebel. This story is true to that, for, the main character Sammy decides to rebel and quit his job after encountering a few girls who obviously push being conservative aside. The reader is able to deduce that the girls do not fit into the mold of the time, for when the Sunday School teaching manager sees them, he is furious that the girls would come to a public store wearing solely bikinis. I agree with Michelle, in that Updike's imagery makes it easier to visualize the story, and become engrossed in it. However, I also agree with Izzy that at times it became excessive. "the cat-and-dog-food-breakfast-cereal" etc. In conclusion, A&P, is a very well written story, and therefore it is easy for the reader to become immersed in it.
Like many other students have said before me, Updike's imagery brings the story to life and allows the reader to be fully immersed in the scene at hand. I especially liked the authors detailed explanation of the three girls bare skin, "Bare as God made them" (Updike 303). This description is something most males would notice, and it gives the girls an air of power and seduction. The publication date of this story is 1961, a time of cultural revolution and change, especially for women. These three girls walking into a small town grocery, in nothing more than bikinis, demonstrates this assertion of power for women. There is no doubt that these three young girls hold the attention of every person in the grocery through their dress and youth. I agree with Jana, in that Updike's comments of Policy are very true, even today, thirty years later. How authority loves Policy because it is power, when the rest of the population just wants have fun and be "juvenile" delinquents. This story is a great refection of the assertion of power for females, a change that was finally being accepted in the 1960s, and i thoroughly enjoyed it.
PS
Seabury Hall email not working. Next time. :)
I agree with Morgan’s comment when she said that our little acts of kindness or heroism are rarely unnoticed. Sammie was brave enough to stand up for the girls and they didn’t acknowledge him at all (either that or he didn’t say it loud enough). That part got me a little worked up and I felt sorry for Sammie. Earlier today in D block we discussed about Sammie being sexist. In the beginning of the story you see Sammie judging the way the girls look and you can hear the sarcasm in Sammie’s voice when he talked about Queenie. Allison in our class thought that Sammie was being sexist because of the offensive imagery that he gave them but then as you read on the story unfolds and you can see why Sammie was talking so lowly about them in the first place. I didn’t really like the ending of the story because I felt that Sammie had made that whole scene for them for no reason. I had a little sympathy for the girls at first when they were being described as chunky sheep but then when I finished the story the imagery made up for what had happened in the end. I also liked Jana’s comment about going against policy and that it is inevitable that no matter what you will lose if you go against it. Kind of like here at Seabury; you can break the rules and wear a regular t-shirt but the odds are the policy (Mr. Turbeville) will end up giving you Friday detention anyway.
(THIS IS KENDALL'S POST):
One aspect of the book that I found interesting and a tad annoying was Sammie's oblivious sexist view of women. That's not to say that he is sexist, but that his opinions on some of the aspects of the woman gender would defiantly be considered degrading. Then, even though he has these rather high on the horse views, he still goes out of his way to impress the girls in the store, going far enough to even quit his job. I think that Sammie's subjective views of the woman gender are degrading, but they also add to the story. The reader can get dragged into this story, following the mental and outward conflict caused by Sammie's actions and opinion on women.
When Updike is describing the female characters, he uses many interesting words that can come across as derogatory. He describes the shoppers as houseslaves and sheep all bunched up in a herd. This lead me to first believe that the his tone was negative but as i read further i realized that Sammy did not think lowly of women. He was brave enough to stand up for them and quit his job when his boss scolded them.
This story seems like it fits with the 60's era because teenagers were starting to question the rules and question policy. The girls show this when they wear their two piece bathingsuits into the supermarket. They push the rules and question authority. Sammy is affected by this and decides to follow them knowing that it is not a wise decision. I liked the ending because Sammy was not afraid to do what he believed was right, but i also agree with Ashley because the girls did not deserve Sammy's sympathy. He quit for those girls who did not even thank him. In the end the girls just caused him more trouble than they were worth.
I also agree with Michelle in saying that Updike's use of imagery helps the reader visualize the scene. But i think that imagery in this story served another purpose as well. It really puts the reader inside the mind of the main character Sammy and helps us see the the world in a similar manner. For example, in Sammy's description of the tall girl, the reader is able to see that she is not really pretty, just the type of girl that other girls would say was pretty to make themselves feel more confident. I really enjoyed this because i was able to reflect on myself in this way and wonder, have i ever judged another girl in that way?
The irony in the story also reveals something about the time period. The fact that Sammy quits is job because he is offended that the manager could be so rude to who he calls his girls is almost a chivalrous act. In today's economy no man would quit their job in defense of stranger. It is ironic because no one notices his chivalrous deed and in the end of the story he is left jobless and knowing that his life will take a turn for the worst. finally, i disagree with michelle when she says that you can tell the time period by the reactions of the other customers. I think that even today, (not in hawaii), shoppers would turn and look if three girls walked into a grocery store in only bathing suits. fin.
One of the ironies of the story is when Sammy quits his job. He does it because he thinks he will be the girls’ “unsuspected hero”. The irony is that they don’t care at all about him, don’t pay attention when he says he quits, and are not even around when he leaves the store. This shows the dangers of idealism and naivety often found in teenagers. It is apparent that Sammy learns from this that reacting without thinking wont always easily get you the girl when he says, “I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter”. This is an example of an important coming of age lesson. I agree with Austin that sometimes people try to impress others by acting different than their normal behavior only to find that it doesn't work. The reader can easily relate to this situation in that everyone has tried at some time to impress someone and then fell flat on their face when the person they’re trying to impress doesn’t notice or fails to be enthused.
Updike's imagery and detail in his writing makes his story very easy to see and visualize the scenes as you read the story. "She was a chunky kid, with a good tan and a sweet broad soft-looking can with those two crescents of white just under it, where the sun never seems to hit, at the top of the backs of her legs." Just as Nathan said, Updike uses very simple word choices to create a clear image in the readers head. The term "can," known as a butt seems to be an older term, most likely the word they used to refer to a butt the majority of the time in the 1960s when the story was written. One thing that i found pretty funny was that the girls in the story and in our school always claim they are properly dressed or in dress code and then try to argue that they are appropriately dressed.
Updike's story is mentally invigorating due to the amounts of detail he pours into every little sentence. The flood of details make the events that are happening much easier to visualize and as a result, gives you a much clearer mental picture of the setting and plot events. As Izzy said however, the amounts of words sometimes make the stories hard to read. The excess of words can also make the story quite droll at points because of the pace of the progression of the plot. Detail is good but when used too often it can make a story seem to drag on a bit too long. I also think that it is interesting that so many people in our class hate policy. I guess it is just something that teenagers feel is unimportant, and unnecessary because like in the story we all want to rebel against what is established and accepted as proper, because proper is sometimes ridiculous.
I agree with with Nathan. Updike's use of imagery and language is such that the reader feels as if he is watching everything take place. Another aspect of the story that I really appreciated is that it told from the perspective of a nineteen year-old boy which makes the situation even more realistic. Because of the narrator's age this story appeals to both male and female teenagers who I am sure at one point or another have had some experience similar to this one. I also really like how Updike distinguishes between the girls and the rest of the people in the store, who he refers to as the sheep. It's as if these three girls are some type of newly discovered exotic creatures entering into a pasture of farm animals who stop stare for a moment and then continue on their normal routine of grass and hay. What I enjoyed the most about this story is that living on Maui we see these sexy girls in bikinis every day whether they're strutting around Mana Foods or wandering around Front Street.
I agree with with Nathan. Updike's use of imagery and language is such that the reader feels as if he is watching everything take place. Another aspect of the story that I really appreciated is that it told from the perspective of a nineteen year-old boy which makes the situation even more realistic. Because of the narrator's age this story appeals to both male and female teenagers who I am sure at one point or another have had some experience similar to this one. I also really like how Updike distinguishes between the girls and the rest of the people in the store, who he refers to as the sheep. It's as if these three girls are some type of newly discovered exotic creatures entering into a pasture of farm animals who stop stare for a moment and then continue on their normal routine of grass and hay. What I enjoyed the most about this story is that living on Maui we see these sexy girls in bikinis every day whether they're strutting around Mana Foods or wandering around Front Street.
I agree with with Nathan. Updike's use of imagery and language is such that the reader feels as if he is watching everything take place. Another aspect of the story that I really appreciated is that it told from the perspective of a nineteen year-old boy which makes the situation even more realistic. Because of the narrator's age this story appeals to both male and female teenagers who I am sure at one point or another have had some experience similar to this one. I also really like how Updike distinguishes between the girls and the rest of the people in the store, who he refers to as the sheep. It's as if these three girls are some type of newly discovered exotic creatures entering into a pasture of farm animals who stop stare for a moment and then continue on their normal routine of grass and hay. What I enjoyed the most about this story is that living on Maui we see these sexy girls in bikinis every day whether they're strutting around Mana Foods or wandering around Front Street so we can really relate to what is being described here.
I found that the most interesting aspect of the story was the contrast between traditional conceptions of acceptability, and realistic behaviors of youth. As Allison and some other people said, this story is from 1961, which was the beginning of an era in America where it became acceptable to challenge traditions. And although the young characters in this story decide to flout the stuffy regulations of old-timers, they still feel the pull of adhering to societal expectations. Sammy does begin to regret his decision as he is in the process of quitting (despite his contempt for the sheeplike people he so mocks), and the girls blush when the boss scolds them for their indiscretion. The setting in the A&P supermarket is perfect, because it give such an image of conformity, with the "houseslaves" all selecting their items from the pristinely organized shelves and paying while standing in orderly lines while the cashier goes through his robotic rituals. And so Sammy quits his job, not just as a chivalrous act to defend the girls, or to try to impress them, but as a rejection of the whole structured system that so disgusted him.
The imagery in this book was pretty self explainable i thought. It seemed to me that this whole story was talking about how we as boys see girls in our minds. My favorite part in this short story towards the end, when Sammy says he quits knoing that the job was needed just because he embarased the girls. This was my favorite part because i can relate,being that us boys will say things without thinking when it is about girls somtimes because i did that a couple times myself. The publication date for this story was in the 1961, which makes it even more easier to understand whats going on. I just thought that this story was funny because we still do that till this day. And also i would like to tell Hodara that this is pretty sick, and we should do our journal entries on here..... lol :) thats for u Dane!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Updike used enough imagery to fuel a small country, but instead of just throwing it in there as fluff like most b-rate authors would (not saying he is one), he utilized the flood of adjectives to suit a purpose. That purpose turned out to be just the overall feel of the story. Updike combined his knowledge of the female mind/physique with a sense of humor and an adequate grasp of the english language to portray quite the colorful scene. As Kendal said, through Morgan, Updike's portrayal of women is somewhat controversial..she went as far as to say degrading, but honestly, I thought it was funny. It really did capture the aura of a teenage girl in her prime. Updike even managed to get some Salem witch trial reference in there with regard to the elderly woman, I thought that was accurate. There's always those cat lady's who wait around trying to catch someone making a mistake at a register. I've seen it! I do not agree with Pono! We shouldn't do all our journal entries on here, that's scary.
Updike's use of imagery helped bring his story to life. When Queenie was at the register and the manager came out and told them they were dressed inappropriatly, Updike Describes how her blush looked like a sunburn under her eyes. when he said this i could picture a person just from the beach with a little blush that could be hidden with the appearance of a sunburn. i agree with Sam with how Updike used his adjectives carefuly so that his fluff was made useful in making his story able to sneak into our imagination.
The use of imagery that I responded to the most was the descriptions of the supermarket at which the main character works. The descriptions of the many different products for sale at the supermarket, and also of the single minded attitude of the shoppers, is a statement about our consumerist culture. In the 1960's, many people began to look at the supermarket culture that had developed as being unnatural and ugly. I really like Jana's response to the idea of "Policy," and that along with the image of shoppers ignoring an explosion in the middle of the grocery store while taking oatmeal off the shelf really show us what John Updike was trying to say not only about the complascency of society and about the rebelliousness and frankness of the youth at that time.
This story is very much of its time becasue of the swim suit incident. It is apparent that it is not the norm to be walking around half naked as we do on maui. It is a more modest time and if you did come from the beach, you would take the time to cover up. Even in stores now days thre are "no shirt, no shoes, no service" rules, you must be mostly decent to even buy something from them. Life is ironic. An irony tht I found in the story was the same as Roxy's. It was that the cashier thought he would be thier saviors for quitting on their behalf. But they dont even give and thank you or even look at him after they leave. completely dissed even though he just gave up his job for some girls he didnt even know.
Izzy put it perfectly when she concluded about sammy's feelings of how "he felt the hardship of the world after a few seconds of heroism." i think that this ending was what the story was building up to through the entire text. The build up comes as fairly natural and then sammy seems to be filled with an emotion that causes him to act impulsivly, thus is life. This story has great symbolism behind it but wasn't my favorite style of writing. The way updike uses descriptions almost feels like he judges his own characters in his writing. Otherwise the plot and setting was quite exceptional. i shall rate this story 6\10
Thank you Isabella for bringing up the pinball comment. I was able to reflect more on Updike's metaphors and think about what it was trying to tell me about the way life is. Life is like pinball machine and everyone is bouncing around just trying to make it to whatever their goal is.
Updike’s use of imagery created a much stronger story. It helped create a strong picture of what this young man was actually watching. The way he would describe the “sheep” made it very easy to understand what he was observing as this sort of odd sight was moving around him. Another example of this was when he was describing the “register watcher”. It almost made you sympathetic to him for what he has to deal with. I think the main irony is the fact that the young man quit his job to make him seem like he was “the man” but the girls didn’t even give him the time of day. I am still unsure about the time.
In updikes story he is very descriptive. Every single sentence is constructed with the utmost descriptive words and puts the reader inside of the story.As the reader goes on he still encounters Updikes descriptive language which gets repetitive after awhile. So on that part i agree with Jana on how it is repetitive but also could be enjoyable to a person who likes that style of writing.the girls in the store are way ahead of their time also. During the sixties it was still a modest society but these girls are dressing more for todays world rather than the sixties.
I think that Updike is a very visual and descriptive writer. He uses a lot of comparisons and analogies to bring the characters into a clearer focus that brings a richer depth to the plot. I liked how he describes all of the girls' skin being very pale and their swimsuit tan lines and mannerisms. I think that his perspective on the girls is very typical of the 1960's and his scrutiny of girls in general is not only humorous but also very accurate. I agree with Michelle when she points out the irony that Sammy vainly tries to impress the girls who he really doesn't care about and who don't notice this effort anyways.
Like Morgan, I find it interesting how Updike objectifies the girls that are being described. The way he used imagery of different inanimate objects to describe them added to the objectification. From the first sentence, when he comments on the chubby girls 'can,' Updike displays the girls as little more than the items on the shelves.
I also, like Austin, find the story very ironic. It is ironic that Sammy, a seemingly average young man, gives up his livelyhood to impress the girls, only to find that they had already left. However, unlike Austin's feeling that Updike is showing the stupidity of trying to breach the social norm, I think that there is a different point he is trying to get across. Though the exact reason is never said, there is something about Queenie that draws Sammy in. I think this short story shows that, despite the hardships that may befall you, sometimes you have to spontaneously take risks and hope they work out. However, by not ending the story with the textbook definition of a 'happy ending,' Updike displays that with risk their is usually also consequences.
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