Sammy in Updikes AP Essay - 772 Words

The main character in John Updikes short story â€Å"AP† is Sammy. The storys first-person context gives the reader a unique insight toward the main characters own feelings and choices, as well as the reasons for the choices. The reader is allowed to closely observe Sammys observations and first impressions of the three girls who come to the grocery store on a summer afternoon in the early 1960s. In order to understand this short story, one must first recognize the social climate of the era, the age of the main character, and the temptation this individual faces. Sammy is a product of his generation. In the 1960s the social climate was changing. The new ideas of the youth were taking over the traditions of their parents. Music and the†¦show more content†¦This seems almost ridiculous as far as todays standards, where in the grocery store, people wear garments that vary from business suits to skimpy pajamas and bedroom slippers wandering the produce section. One has to wonder what Sammy would do if he worked in a grocery store today! The other side of the culture of the time is the rebellious attitude that Sammy has toward his boss. â€Å"So I say I quit to Lengel quick enough for them to hear, hoping theyll stop and watch me, their unsuspected hero†(81). He quits because the manager has embarrassed the girls. He throws caution to the wind and walks away from his job, but remembering his manners, politely leaves his bow tie and apron behind. He wants to throw off all his responsibilities and follow these girls wherever they are going, and instead of listening to the good reasoning of his manager, he does as he pleases. Some of this rebellious attitude can certainly be chalked up to age. Sammy is a teenage boy who is confronted with three nearly unclothed girls on a hot day in the summer. Instead of being outside having fun, hes stuck inside working at a menial job. These girls are a carrot dangling on a stick, just out of his reach. He d ecides to take matters into his own hands and cut the string holding the carrot, even though the girls are gone by the time he gets outside. It is characteristic of teenagers to do as theyShow MoreRelatedSammy and the Setting in John Updikes AP Essay672 Words   |  3 PagesJohn Updikes AP is about a boy named Sammy, who lives a simple life while working in a supermarket he seems to despise. As he is following his daily routine, three girls in bathing suits enter the store. The girls affect everyones monotonous lives, especially Sammys. Because the girls disrupt the routines of the store, Sammy becomes aware of his life and decides to change himself. Before the girls enter the store, Sammy is unaware that the setting he is so judgmental of reflects his ownRead MoreCharacter Analysis of Sammy in John Updikes AP1168 Words   |  5 PagesSammy: Campbells heroic journey transposed into suburban New England On the surface, the hero of John Updikes much-anthologized short story AP does not seem like a hero on the level of an Odysseus or a Hercules. Sammy is a cashier at a local grocery store. However, when three girls wearing bathing suits enter the AP, Sammy begins to experience a call to action. For the first time in his life, he takes a stand when he feels as if the pretty girls are being treated with a lack of respect. 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Updike’s characterization of Lengel is strongly representative of a conservative era that has set this standard and preserved its formalities at the threat of social ostracization. Updike’s use of symbolism and defiant ending shines light upon