Confronted
Our society has social values, which often are thought to be normal, these social values are
not questioned until confronted by someone that does not fit into the norms of society . In John
Updike’s short story “A&P”,one must look at the combination of the significance of the three
girls in bikinis,There is the one with the “chubby berry-face” (Regitano 113), another that has a
“belly [that is] still pale”(Regitano 113) and then there is the queen “with long white prima-
donna legs”(Regitano 113). Also the personal realization of Sammy of his real place in the
world. It is with the understanding of these two crucial elements that Sammy’s final decision will
be understood.Sammy’s town is a small sized town. It is a small town for simple people. His
“town is only five miles from a beach” (Regitano 115) yet there are “people in this town [that]
haven’t seen the ocean for twenty years” (Regitano 115). This shows the complacency of the
people who have not gone more then five miles in one direction for more than twenty years. In
terms of structure and business’ there are “two banks and the Congregational church and the
newspaper store and three real-estate offices” (Regitano 115). It reads small town with the
three real-estate offices. The only thing to do in this town is live there. The church brings to mind
a faithful and republican society.... [continues]
Our society has social values, which often are thought to be normal, these social values are
not questioned until confronted by someone that does not fit into the norms of society . In John
Updike’s short story “A&P”,one must look at the combination of the significance of the three
girls in bikinis,There is the one with the “chubby berry-face” (Regitano 113), another that has a
“belly [that is] still pale”(Regitano 113) and then there is the queen “with long white prima-
donna legs”(Regitano 113). Also the personal realization of Sammy of his real place in the
world. It is with the understanding of these two crucial elements that Sammy’s final decision will
be understood.Sammy’s town is a small sized town. It is a small town for simple people. His
“town is only five miles from a beach” (Regitano 115) yet there are “people in this town [that]
haven’t seen the ocean for twenty years” (Regitano 115). This shows the complacency of the
people who have not gone more then five miles in one direction for more than twenty years. In
terms of structure and business’ there are “two banks and the Congregational church and the
newspaper store and three real-estate offices” (Regitano 115). It reads small town with the
three real-estate offices. The only thing to do in this town is live there. The church brings to mind
a faithful and republican society.... [continues]
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