Comparing The Secretary Chant And A & P

Although Marge Piercy and John Updike write different types of literature, “The Secretary Chant” and “A&P” share similarities. The use of figures of speech in both pieces of literature allows the narrators to describe their job and workspace. The use of metaphors in “The Secretary Chant”, by Marge Piercy, and “A&P”, by John Updike, illustrate the monotonous environment and work the narrators dread. The poem “The Secretary Chant” uses metaphors to describe how inhuman a secretary feels in the workplace. By comparing their body parts to inanimate objects such as “My hips are a desk” (Piercy 1) and “My head is a badly organized file” (8) the narrator relates themselves to the responsibilities of a secretary. Their job became their identity.