Essay on John Updikes AP - 865 Words

John Updikes AP Many of the events that take place in John Updikes AP would not have happened had the town lived under a Marxist society. Marxism is a socio-economic ideal where all people work for the good of the community and is characterized by not having any social class distinctions. The division of Classes in AP is very apparent, especially between Sammy, the protagonist and first person narrator, and the three girls, one of the three antagonists, who walk into the store during the exposition. There is also a cast disparity between Sammy and Lengel, the store manager and another antagonist (along with society, who complete the three). A distinction is also noticeable between the three girls and the rest of the†¦show more content†¦Another class disparity is noticed between Sammy and Lengel. Not only is Lengel the store manager, and by definition in a class above Sammy, but he is also part of the group that makes the policy for the store. Sammy goes as far as grouping him with the kingpins. Again, in a Marxist government, where everyone works for the good of the community, there is no need for these rules; or policies as Lengel calls them. Sammy is then left with a choice between trying to be above the kingpins-by being accepted into a group who he describes as being in a place from which the crowd that runs the AP must look pretty crummy-or working for the policy makers. Sammys decision to quit, the climax in the story, also symbolizes his coming of age leaving his childhood behind-symbolized by the apron-knowing he can never return to it. The last line in the resolution when Sammy realizes how hard the world was going to be from then on is his loss of innocence and entry into adulthood, thus making him the only dynamic, although flat, character in a story where every other character is flat and static. The last line also conveys the theme of the story: hasty decisions often lead to disappointment. There is also a class difference between the three girls and the other patrons in the store. Simply by usingShow MoreRelatedJohn Updike’s AP1429 Words   |  6 Pageseven in usage of language. The new generations try to express themselves as something different from the old, embracing new slang, trying to form a separation between themselves and the previous generation. In John Updike’s â€Å"A P†, a teenage boy named Sammy works at a local store called AP. Sammy is a young casher, that stands up to his boss and he stands up for three girls who are dressed in bathing suits. Sammy lives in a small town, where nothing really happens. There is a struggle within everyRead MoreSymbolism in John Updikes A P1440 Words   |  6 PagesJohn Updikes short story A P recounts how an adolescent supermarket cashier named Sammy has his life changed forever when three girls in bathing suits shop in the store where he works. He is the first person narrator who shapes the tale with his descriptions, attitudes and opinions. He is the protagonist who grows up quickly in a single day and the only round, fully developed character in the tale. As you proceed through the story and become acquainted with Sammys opinions and ideas, it becomesRead MoreJohn Updikes AP Essay767 Words   |  4 PagesIn John Updike’s short story, AP the writer takes you o n a youths memory that involves the choices and consequences that life can deal to anyone who has not had time to test a rash decision. The narrator is an immature nineteen-year-old cashier who is about to make a giant leap from adolescence to manhood. Sammy narrates with opinions of not only his life, but also the people in the town. Sammy opposes with the way these people live their lives, and is determined to set a different course for hisRead More John Updikes A P Essay1471 Words   |  6 PagesJohn Updikes A P At first read, John Updikes A P contrasts old and new; the old manager in his settled life conflicting with the new age of girls wearing bathing suits in buildings. All the while, the narrator stuck in the middle, finally deciding to join the side of new, or youth. Instead of old vs. new, an observation closer to the heart of the story is conflict between the worlds of the rich and the middle class. ?A P? is the setting for one man to decide in which way he will seekRead MoreJohn Updikes AP Essay1355 Words   |  6 Pages Winners Sometimes Quit Try and remember what it was like to be a teenager. The short story â€Å"Aamp;P† tells the coming of age story of a nineteen year old boy named Sammy. Sammy has unknowingly placed himself into a situation that many small town adolescents often fall victim to. Sammy has a dead end job, and he feels as though he will be stuck working at the local â€Å"Aamp;P† while life passes him by. This is until a chance encounter with three young female customers changes his course from miniRead MoreEssay on Personality in John Updikes AP1275 Words   |  6 Pagescharacter to make them stand out in a story.nbsp; In A amp; P by John Updike, Sammy starts off as a young man discontent with his ordinary adult surroundings and moves to his need to change it. Throughout the story, Sammy describes and interprets the scenes around him, consequently revealing his own character, by which can be related through the use of Thomas Chous Ennegram, to distinguish his personality type. nbsp; John Updike gives the reader an inside look into the adolescent mindRead MoreAnalysis Of John Updikes AP Essay1544 Words   |  7 PagesJohn Updikes story AP talks about a 19-year old lad, Sammy, who has a job at the local grocery store, the AP. Sammy works at the register in the store and is always observing the people who walk in and out each day. On this particular day that the story takes place, Sammy is caught off guard when a cluster of girls walk into the store wearing just their bathing suits. This caught Sammys attention because the nearest beach is five miles away and he could not figure out why they would still beRead MoreChanges (John Updikes AP) Essay914 Words   |  4 PagesEnglish 1302.2E1 Changes Breaking away from the traditional is a struggle that contains several sacrifices and consequences. In John Updike’s â€Å"AP,† Sammy is a young teenager who transforms his wishes into reality. At first glance, he seems like a normal teenage boy, but instead he is an observational character who is trying to find a way to stand up for himself. Throughout the story, he undergoes changes toRead MoreJohn Updikes aP : Sammys Growth1545 Words   |  7 PagesJohn Updikes AP : Sammys Growth John Updikes story AP is about a nineteen year old boy, Sammy, who has a job at the local grocery store, the AP. Sammy works at the register in the store and is always observing the people who walk in and out each day. On this particular day that the story takes place, Sammy is caught off guard when a cluster of girls walk into the store wearing just their bathing suits. This caught Sammys attention because the nearest beach is five miles away and he couldRead MoreRebellion And Symbolism In John Updikes A P1842 Words   |  8 PagesThe short story â€Å"A P,† tells the story of a nineteen-year-old boy named Sammy who works in the local town grocery store. Sammy is the narrator of the story; one day while he was working at the cash register, three girls wearing nothing but bathing suits walk in. He instantaneously notices the girls, one in particular. He named her Queenie and she is seen as the leader or ‘queen bee’ of the three girls. As these girls walk th rough the grocery store they start to create a scene and get the attention