A P By John Updike And Where Are You Going, Where Have...

In the short stories â€Å"AP† by John Updike and â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?† by Joyce Carol Oates, both authors tell of story of transitioning from childhood to adulthood. Sammy, from Updike’s story, is a nineteen year old boy whose parents got him a job as a cashier at the local AP. Connie, from Oates’ story, is a pretty, blonde, fifteen year old girl who has an almost narcissistic attitude as she has a habit of constantly checking herself and comparing herself to others. Both of these teenagers are in the similar position of growing up, however, they are doing so in very different ways. Sammy faces the decision of staying at his job or leaving. His parents are friends with the manager of the store, Lengel. One day three girls walk into the store wearing nothing but bathing suits. Seeing it is a slow day, Sammy observes the girls as they go through the store and to his luck come to his check out station. Lengel then sees them at chec kout and confronts the girls to tell them about the store’s policy that they should be dressed decently upon entering the store, â€Å"‘Girls, I don’t want to argue with you. After this come in here with your shoulders covered. It’s our policy’† (Updike). This is where Sammy has his transitioning experience. Upon hearing this conversation, Sammy tries be a hero for the girls by making the decision to quit his job, â€Å"The girls, and who’d blame, them are in a hurry to get out, so I say ‘I quit’ to Lengel quick enough for them to hear,Show MoreRelatedComparing A P And Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been By Joyce Carol Oates Essay1224 Words   |  5 PagesStories Throughout the short stories, â€Å"AP† by John Updike and â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been† by Joyce Carol Oates there are a various number of similarities and differences between the two. Both Updike and Oates short stories focused on the sexuality of younger girls and force the main characters to make a life changing decision. Leaving their innocence behind, whether they like it or not, by the end of the stories, Sammy and Connie have come into adulthood. Throughout comparing andRead MoreJohn Updike’s AP1429 Words   |  6 Pagesgeneration. In John Updike’s â€Å"A P†, a teenage boy named Sammy works at a local store called AP. Sammy is a young casher, that stands up to his boss and he stands up for three girls who are dressed in bathing suits. Sammy lives in a small town, where nothing really happens. There is a struggle within every teenager. Sammy doesn’t like his job at the store or the store itself, and he finds the customers to be like sheep. â€Å"All this while, the customers had been showing up with their carts, you know, sheepRead More The American Male in John Updikes AP Essay918 Words   |  4 PagesThe American Male John Updike’s â€Å"AP†, is a short story that relates an episode in the life of a teenage (male) grocery store employee, circa 1961. Many critics suggest that this story is told through the eyes of the main character Sammy, and not through those of the author, John Updike. The label placed upon teenage males in modern society is often that of an à ¼ber sexist that views the female entity in only sexual lights. This assessment is supported in Updike’s story by means of diction andRead More Conformity and Individuality in a Small Town Essay1443 Words   |  6 Pages Conformity and Individuality in a Small Town John Updike was born in Shillington, Pennsylvania on March 18, 1932. His father was a high school math teacher who supported the entire family, including his grandparents on his mothers side. As a child, Updike wanted to become a cartoonist because of The New Yorker magazine. He wrote articles and poems and kept a journal. John was an exceptional student and received a full scholarship to Harvard University. At Harvard he majored in English and becameRead MoreFiction Analysis of aP and the Lesson Essay examples1168 Words   |  5 PagesThe theme of desire has been portrayed in many novels and stories. Perhaps the most well-known depiction of desire can be found in the Bible. In the Book of Genesis, a snake tempts Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge after he convinces them that they will gain God’s knowledge of good and evil and be protected from death. Despite God’s word to not eat of the fruit, Adam and Eve did so anyway. Surely, this stor y portrays temptation; however, beyond the theme of temptationRead MoreFinding Identity in John Updike ´s AP1354 Words   |  6 Pagesindividual in society. The protagonist in John Updike’s â€Å"AP† is a young man working in a supermarket, who judges all the customers and see’s all the conformity that the store encompasses all while searching to be outside the conformist’s that exist there. John Updike uses Sammy to show through Symbolism the journey to self-identity. This coming of age story stands as a message of empowerment to all future generations. Updike uses the older generation in AP to symbolize what Sammy does not identifyRead MoreViews of Women in The Necklace by Guy De Maupassant AP by John Updike848 Words   |  4 PagesViews of Women in The Necklace by Guy De Maupassant AP by John Updike The Necklace by Guy De Maupassant, and AP by John Updike were written in two different centuries by two authors of very different backgrounds. However, each story expresses very similar views about women. The women in these stories are self-centered creatures who control men with their sexuality, and end up damaging the mens life. The main character in The Necklace is a lady named Mathilde who is extremely prettyRead MoreAnalysis Of John Updikes AP Essay1544 Words   |  7 PagesJohn Updikes story AP talks about a 19-year old lad, Sammy, who has a job at the local grocery store, the AP. Sammy works at the register in the store and is always observing the people who walk in and out each day. On this particular day that the story takes place, Sammy is caught off guard when a cluster of girls walk into the store wearing just their bathing suits. This caught Sammys attention because the nearest beach is five miles away and he could not figure out why they would still beRead MoreJohn Updike s A P, As A Reflector Of Our Society1270 Words   |  6 Pagesin our realm of awareness that has not been labelled or ranked. These practices originated from the basic human conditioning for survival and understanding. However, they soon developed into numerous attitudes, behaviors, judgments and systems of policies that have constrained and segregated our population (Kadi). Heeding the ominous effects of these systems of classification, John Updike utilizes his short story â€Å"AP†, as a reflector of our society. Updike exercises the literary elements of a condescendingRead MoreJohn Updikes aP : Sammys Growth1545 Words   |  7 PagesJohn Updikes AP : Sammys Growth John Updikes story AP is about a nineteen year old boy, Sammy, who has a job at the local grocery store, the AP. Sammy works at the register in the store and is always observing the people who walk in and out each day. On this particular day that the story takes place, Sammy is caught off guard when a cluster of girls walk into the store wearing just their bathing suits. This caught Sammys attention because the nearest beach is five miles away and he could