Consuming Women in the “A&P”
John Updike’s short story “A&P” details the inner-workings of mass consumerism through the perspective of his protagonist Sammy that works as a cashier in the A&P. In creating this microcosm, Updike demonstrates not only the nature but also the ramifications of mass consumerism on all parties involved such as the customers of the A&P and Sammy. Moreover, Updike’s “A&P” also points out a significant relationship between gender and consumerism.
Within the story, the relationship between gender and consumerism does not appear to be consumeristic in terms of monetary benefits. Instead, there is a focus on women within the story as being the “goods” to which other characters, particularly the men within the story act as the ‘consumer. For instance, after the girls ask McMahon a question, Sammy notices that McMahon was, “patting his mouth and looking after them sizing up their joints.” (Updike 4) in this moment, McMahon is visually consuming the three women as they walking away from him. Moreover, Updike situates the women near a meat counter which harkens to girls being actually consumption. Sammy is also a participant within the consumption of the girls. He references that there others can perceive the women as just girls on the beach or “in the cool of the A&P, under the fluorescent lights, against all those stacked packages…” (Updike 3) Sammy situates the girls underneath an spotlights against the backdrop of stacked packages which signals others to consume the girls either for beauty or sexual purposes. He particularly consumes Queenie as she is the considered ‘Alpha’ of the group. In essence, Queenie is represents the expected “profits” that a consumer expects to gain from their participation. However, Sammy is faced with the reality that consumers do not always win in the game of consumerism after Queenie and her friends are not to be found after he stands up for them. His realization comes as he notes his final words to the reader, “how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter.” (Updike 8)
Hi there everyone who is reading this. Anyways I agree with the directional purpose you were trying to inline the essay to be; however the story dug far deeper than what was shown from surface, You mention Sammy was consumed; very much so yes he was partially consumed, but the majority of the people in the story were consumed all entirely. From the non present consumers that were in the story ( the extras in the background within the store and out of the store ) they all played a important role on what lead Sammy to that pivotal point, that was to have the decency on pursuing what he been consuming in his head all along. How by staying booby trapped in the store till the end he witness a series set "box Changes", that had not changed one bit. Even till resign he still felt consumed stagnant. The author displayed through Sammy's high analysis on the girls, that a sense of urgency was to be made there in the A & P. To have the strength and courage on wanting more from his life, to challenge that the typical norm within the store, the recurrences as well motivated his overall judgement on resigning. Within the store there was only two sense of directions Sammy could have gone: One, to challenging the unprecedent road he has taken, by resigning from his job, or last but not least leaving his job so that he can challenge his overall life on his integrity and his actions of what he wants out from life socio criticism of social confinement.
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