A&P Critica Analysis

A&P Critica Analysis

English 1302
29 September 2009
The Nail that Sticks Out
Even liberty comes at a price. Rebellion against a repressing establishment is a provocative thought, but one must have the strength of character to realize and attest for the consequences of becoming one's own master. It would be easier to follow the leader than to take the road less traveled by. But in John Updike's short story “A&P”, the protagonist shows a deep resentment for the conformity found all around him and instead honors and defends the expression of individuality. Updike's story focuses on the appeal of individuality even in the face of adversity.
“A&P”‘s focus is on Sammy, a teenage boy, and three girls who in spite of society’s focus on modesty, walk into a store boldly exposed wearing only bathing suits. Sammy, the cashier at that time, watches as Queenie, the girls' leader, struts around proudly defying the image society expects her to uphold. Sammy is instantly infatuated with Queenie’s demonstration and when she is reprimanded for her audaciousness, he becomes inspired to defend her actions against the system that tries to tie them down. He quits his job as a symbol of his breaking from a society that demands conformity. Instead of filling the mold, Sammy wants to behave in the way he believes is right. His impulsive decision shifts his allegiance from the store onto himself. Rebellion is attractive and powerful but it's not long before Sammy realizes that life will be much harder going against the grain than with it.
Even before Sammy decides to cut himself from the A&P establishment, his total contempt for the customers is illustrated in the dehumanizing roles in which he places them and the glorified position in which he places Queenie. As Sammy watches the girls take their time going around the aisles, long enough for everyone to get a good look at them, he notices the leader and identifies her as, “the queen” (Updike, 98), referring to her as “Queenie”...