Jason Griggs
ENG 1102
[ 29 October 2012 ]
Conformity versus Individualism
In life, there ar multiple paths that cease be taken. No matter what direction, a purpose must always be made: Whether to conform and bestow a life that others deem appropriate, or to break the hammer and strike a new path. This conflict is shown in tail end Updikes short story A&P. Through the eyes of an observant teenager named Sammy, the audience is shown that the channel being traveled can sometimes be a dead end and that through a personal revealing a different and more exciting life can be discovered. This story explores the time tested question deference versus individualism. It is shown that though life is filled with choices and consequences, ultimately people boast the power to choose which direction to go.
The story opens with Sammys watch out of his monot iodine world. He seems to be surrounded by these characters coast to their boring lives. Sammy uses different names to describe the people he sees in his conformist town. He calls the customers in the store sheep, (Updike, 20) because of how blindly they follow their usual routine and domicileslaves, (Updike, 20) are what he calls the house wives with pin curlers puttering around the store.
He goes on to say that the customers are so enveloped in their grey lives that if someone were to set off-key a bomb in the center of the store that they would go wrong to even notice. One customer, the witch, (Updike, 18) as Sammy calls her, is described as a serious looking woman one who diligently watches the register he is on, eagerly waiting for him to slip up and make an error. Not only does Sammy see the customers as hint a dead end life, he also sees this in his co-workers. His fellow clerk Stokesie, (Updike, 20) a twenty two grade old, married father of two whos biggest dream is to one day be set the manager of the A&P grocery store. Sammy sees this as an unfulfilling dream and predicts that it will never come true....If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website: Orderessay
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