A & P Characterization

Characterization- “A & P”

A & P is a short story by a famous American literary figure, John Updike. Known for his “Rabbit” series, Updike is able to bag Pulitzer Prize more than once. He is well recognized for the unique portrayal of the passion, concerns, and the sufferings of the average Americans in his fiction. His short story “A & P” is also about a young boy who tries to set himself apart from the average people and wants recognition in sophisticated world. Working as a cashier in check-out counter in A & P store, Sammy once encounters three girls in their swim suits. He then makes inferences about their lifestyle, habit, and personality by neatly observing their dresses, behavior, voice, and their activities. He then gets attracted towards the care free and sophisticated life the girls, which he imagines they had. He quits his average job in a quest to be recognized by the girls and to become unique rather than being average like his co-workers.

The story of “A & P” revolves around a nineteen years old boy named Sammy and the three girls who appear in swim suit. This whole story is about Sammy’s interpretation about his life and others’ lives especially, the girl whom he calls Queenie. Queenie seems to be the leader of the girls who puts in performance of independence and sexual power. He is a young boy with keen observing skill as he notices every single thing around him, even the seam on a girl’s bra and the boundaries of the tan lines in her body. He is also equally opinionated and sarcastic and have interest in the opposite sex. He goes deep into the insights of people he observes. For example, he refers to one of the girls as Queenie as he interprets her care free style, her behavior, and even her voice belonging to a rich and sophisticated family. Sammy’s focus on the girls and his description about them clearly reveals his profound interest in opposite sex.

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