In the year 1961, John Updike wrote the A&P short story. It exemplifies a customer-conditioned culture by depicting the basic denominator of the middle class. Sammy, a 19-year-old clerk at a grocery store, narrates the plot. By rebelling against the consumer-conditioned culture, the main character decides to live an ethical and meaningful life. The core focus of the novel is Sammy's coming of age as he grows from infancy to adulthood.
The author accurately depicts facets of most cultures, especially those affecting children (Updike). While some people strive to campaign for change, others are comfortable in maintaining the status quo. In this tale, the author utilizes various literary devices to make it enticing as well as emphasize the central theme. Therefore, the paper will strive to identify the different literary tools as they apply to the story.
Symbolism
Symbolism is one of the prominent devices utilized in this tale. When the girls came into the store wearing bathing suits, they appear different from the other clients. Amazed by their uniqueness, Sammy uses the word "sheep" to describe the store regulars. The word sheep defines people who only follow the flock without reasoning or asking queries. In this case, the regular customers are entangled in the society's customs; hence, instead of seeing the distinctiveness of these three girls, they perceive them as ill-mannered (Sustana). They epitomize blind conformity; an aspect that is quite common in the society.
Imagery
The author also utilizes imagery that is depicted by the herring snacks and beer glasses. Sammy was able to align people with their social status by just monitoring what they purchased. The herring snacks were fancy and expensive; hence, people who purchased them were wealthy (Updike). On the other hand, Sammy compares this with the conditions surrounding his family, where beer glasses exemplified fancy.
Allegory
The entire story is an allegory of life, particularly the childhood to adulthood transition. As a child one has less freedom to make decisions. The A&P story revolves around the coming of age of Sammy as he strives to move from normal aspects of the society. One aspect that illustrates this is boredom. Sammy believed he could make a rational decision by himself and wanted to quit the store because he was bored. It is worth noting that his parents helped him to get the job as they were friends with the store manager (Sustana). As such, he was there because of his parents; an element that portrayed him as a child. Even in the practical world when one is bored by his/her job, the idea of quitting rings in mind.Sammy's coming of age is also demonstrated by his desire to defend the three girls. To him, these girls represented change. They wore unique clothing that did conform to the traditional cultures. When everyone acts in the same manner, it is hard to see an element of progress. The regular customers are typical examples of individuals who imitate one another without observing uniqueness. However, as a matured individual, Sammy knew these girls had the right to wear what they want. Sammy also wanted to break the restricting traditions and embrace life in another perspective.Overall, the life of Sammy is illustrative of many youths in the current society. As they emerge from childhood to adulthood, they are forced to break from the traditions. Sometimes conforming to the cultures of the community inhibits change and prevents progress and the only way of breaking the same is by embracing change. The author rightly uses the transition of Sammy to demonstrate real facets of the society.
Works Cited
Sustana, Catherine. “The Plot of the Updike’s “A&P”.” 8 September 2017. 13 October 2017.
Updike, John. A&P. n.d.
