A P Short Story Analysis - 952 Words

The short story â€Å"AP† by John Updike is told through first person narration and is about a teenage male who works at a local supermarket in New England, â€Å"AP†, observing young girls as he is checking out customers in line. The girls have no idea that this young man is privately making judgements of them. The judgements transpire with the lines â€Å"there was this chunky one† (438), â€Å"there was this one, with one of those chubby berry faces† (438), and â€Å"this wasn’t quite so tall† (438), all relating to the three girls he has seen from across his cashier stand. This story is made primarily of commercial fiction, to reach a bigger audience from its captivating story line, to keep one hooked and not want to stop reading. The ways in which in â€Å"AP†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦The suspense begins from when the girls arrive at the supermarket and are seen wearing bathing suits, in a place where it is not socially accep table, causing uproar. The first line is when Updike lets the reader into the mind of what is happening at the current moment at the supermarket, â€Å"In walks these three girls in nothing but bathing suits. I’m in the third checkout slot, with my back to the door, so I don’t see them until they’re over by the bread† (437). The suspense unfolds when as stated previously that wearing that sort of attire is frowned upon, â€Å"You know, it’s one thing to have a girl in a bathing suit down on the beach, where what with the glare nobody can look at each other much anyway, and another thing in the cool of the AP, under the fluorescent lights, against all those stacked packages, with her feet paddling along naked over our checkerboard green-and-cream rubber-tile floor.† (439) These lines create a whole other dynamic that the girls do not follow the rules, rebelling against what is considered correct and makes Sammy more physically vulnerable to them. Now, the girls were solely in this store to pick up snacks after one of their mothers asked them, having Sammy to infer on how they must live. â€Å"Men [must be] standing around in ice-cream coats and bow ties and the women were in sandals picking up herring snacks on toothpicks off a big glass plate and they were allShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Short Stories A P By John Updike977 Words   |  4 PagesThe short stories AP by John Updike and How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, Halfie by Junot Diaz both discuss women through classification and symbolism. The short stories are The young ladies in the short stories are judged throughout the story based on their race, ethnicity, and physical features. They are also described in a symbolic aspect, as the young ladies are continuously described by certain features and actions. The short stories are both examples of how men have differentRead MoreA Brief Note On Gender And Communication Effectiveness1403 Words   |  6 PagesApparatus Short story scenarios using different communication strategies were used in this study and the participants answered questions about the short story and the effectiveness of the strategies. Participants were asked to give the gender they perceived each character in the short story to be, as well as state their own gender. A 4-point Likert Scale was used in this experiment. Design This study used a within subject design in which the same participants read over the same short story and answeredRead MoreHills Like White Elephants : A Critical Analysis1708 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Hills Like White Elephants†: A Critical Analysis Introduction: One of the many themes in his stories for which Ernest Heming way is known, includes feminism. 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One of the mot important similaritiesRead MoreA P By John Updike1441 Words   |  6 Pagesshown in three of his short stories: â€Å"AP†, â€Å"Ace in the Hole†, and â€Å"Pigeon Feathers†. Updike’s narrative technique is explored through the analysis of plot structure, thematic patterning, and irony in these three short stories. The plot in each of these short stories focuses on normal American, middle-class life. â€Å"AP† is about a young man that does not want to conform to society and what others want him to do. Sammy deviates from the social norm by quitting his job at the AP while attempting toRead MoreHills Like White Elephants By Ernest Hemingway1446 Words   |  6 PagesErnest Hemingway’s short story â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† explores the topics of abortion, sex before marriage, and feelings of separation. There are many different points of view one can take on Hemingway’s work. 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