John Updike Ap Essay Example

their lack of awareness regarding the consequences. They were not anticipating being reprimanded by the manager for wearing their bathing suits in the store; had they been aware, they would have refrained from doing so. According to Abrams (294), a narrative or dramatic work's overall setting encompasses its general locale, historical time, and social circumstances. By narrating in first person, a nineteen-year-old boy employed at a grocery store in a small New England town establishes the setting of A;P. This setting immerses readers into an environment typical of teenagers and aids in comprehending Sammy and the motivations behind the young girls' actions. "Plot," as defined by The Elements of Fiction (1044), refers to the sequence of events in a story and how conflicts develop and ultimately resolve.

The main plot of A&P revolves around Sammy's decision to quit his job after the three young girls are asked to leave the store for wearing bathing suits. Sammy's choice to resign surprises me as I didn't expect him to go to such extremes. The events that unfold after the girls' departure also influence Sammy's decisions. The style of the story, as defined by Elements of Fiction, refers to the author's use of language techniques such as sentence length, word choice, punctuation, and narration. This style, particularly Sammy's first-person narration, allows me to better understand the story.

In the story, Updike's use of colloquial and intimate language creates an informal tone that emphasizes the protagonist's decisions and judgments. The first person narrator effectively allows readers to delve into Sammy's thoughts and understand his motivations, even though he was unaware of the future consequences.