Yes, that is a map and a list of every single A & P in existence. The self description that can be found on their website is also very telling, "A&P stores in Metro New York are delighting customers with aisle after aisle of outstanding products, including the finest array of fruits, vegetables, deli, and other fresh foods available anywhere."
Myself never having been inside an A&P, I can't confirm or deny the truth of that description, but the tone it gives off meshes quite well with the atmosphere of the A&P portrayed in A&P, by John Updike. Personally, this is one of the stories I have found most enjoyable this year, not only because of its humorous moments, but because of how easy it is to relate to the main character's thoughts and feelings.
Humor in this piece is vital to its "survival" as a short story, because that's what keeps it from people simply reading about a kind of creepy, slightly judgmental teenager who seemingly quits his job despite the fact that he will regret it. An example of this can be found in the very first paragraph, "I ring it up again and the customer starts giving me hell. She's one of these Cash-register-watchers, WITCH about fifty with rouge on her cheekbones and no eyebrows, and I know it made her day to trip me up." Seriously: hahahaha. What also helps retain the humor's value is the fact that the boy is Sammy is a young 19, and his friend Stokesie is only 22, allowing for their immaturity to run free.
Another interesting feature of this story is Sammy's description of the girls. When thinking about the one later labeled, "Queenie," the girl seemingly in charge, he justifies her entering the A&P with a "prim," face, for, "Walking into the A&P with your straps down, I suppose that's the only kind of face you can have."
I understand the boy's fascination with these girls. It comes mostly from the strict environmental contrast. At the beach, there would be nothing that special about these girls to make them stand out. Yet, here, in the stuffy environment of the A&P, with a bunch of "sheep," customers and the occasional cash-register-watcher, any female with a bit of skin showing would probably have the focus of the entire store. So it is only natural, after working register for possibly many straight hours, that our boy Sammy is tired, on edge, and in need of some excitement that isn't someone yelling at him.
Lastly, there is a quitting scene. In the last sentence, Sammy recognizes how hard the world will become after quitting, yet he still goes through with it, even when his boss Lengel urges him not to. But the best part of this scene, (let's go back to the humor!) is when Sammy describes how the customers react to his public quitting after Lengel speaks to the girls walking around HIS store in bikinis. "A couple customers that had been heading for my slot begin to knock against each other, like scared pigs in a chute. Hahaha. I love Updike's style.
Alex Beller
9/21/08
521
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Bellerophon--Good job pointing out the appropriateness of the humor and noting the use of the "pigs in a chute" image during the final scene. My idea is that there's a strong connection between the image and Sammy's impulse to quit; on some level, he knows he doesn't want to become one of the pigs or sheep or witches or any of the other drab characters he sees in the store. How he's going to get there is another question, but I think he senses what he DOESN'T want his life to be.
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