Tuesday 7 September 2021

Assignment 1: A&P by John Updike, DEADLINE: Friday 24-09-2021



The first short story you are going to write a blog-post about can be found here:

Read the story and answer at least one of the following questions in about 150 words:



1. Explain how this story argues for what we call "freedom of dress". Do you agree with this argument? Do people need to be told what to wear? If so, who gets to decide? 
2.  Why do you think Sammy quit his job? Explain.
3. Discuss (a) possible theme(s) of the story. 
4.  What does the story tell us about the time period in which it was written (the 60s)? Explain. Would the story have been different had it taken place today?




34 comments:

  1. Cem Hellings.
    Sammy quit his job because he didn’t like the way his manager Lengel treated the girls in bikinis. In the end of the story when the girls just left Sammy said to his manager: “You didn’t have to embarrass them.” In that time, 1960, it was usual that men and women wore the same kind of clothes. It was ‘normal’. In the shops’ policy also stands that you atleast have to cover you shoulders. So, it isn’t wrong that Lengel said something about it. Though, the way he warned the girls wasn’t very nice. But I can imagine he didn’t like that three almost naked girls just walk in his store. So he wanted them to leave. I mean, what would the other people have thought? Atleast Sammy thought it was wrong. He liked the girls and stood up for them by quitting his job. If you were Sammy, what would you have done?

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  3. Thijmen Romeijn cv3tb


    Sammy quit his job, because he felt sorry for the girls. The story stated that Sammy said to Lengel(the manager) you did not have to embarrass them. So he felt sorry for those girls and to drive the attention away from them he said he quitted his job, even though he did not want to quit his job. Because if he quits he will disappoint his parents. This is stated as: you don’t want too do this to your mom and dad Sammy. It’s true, I don’t. At last Sammy said: I look around for my girls, but they are gone, of course. From this the conclusion can be made that he wanted to see them, probably because he thought they would praise and thank him because of what he did. Which makes it even more likely he quit his job for them. So to conclude Sammy quit his job, because he felt sorry for the girls. Because he thought Lengel shouldn’t have embarrassed them that much.

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    1. Great opinion, next time try using quotation marks to show that you are referring to a statement from the story.

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  5. James Edwards

    blog A and P John Updike question 2

    In the story A and P written by John Updike Sammy the protagonist quits his job when the manager kicks the girls out of the store, but why does Sammy quit his job. I myself think that he quit his job, because he wanted to impress the girls. I think this is the case, because the girls really catch his attention throughout the story A and P and because in the story they say so in this sentence ‘’ The girls, and who'd blame them, are in a hurry to get out, so I say "I quit" to Lengel quick enough for them to hear, hoping they'll stop and watch me, their unsuspected hero.’’ here it is clearly shown that Sammy thought’’ if I quit, they will see me as their unsuspected hero.’’ Which shows that he wanted them to have a good impression of him and since it’s a sentence directly from the story itself it proves my point wonderfully.

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  6. Hugo Whitehouse, Cv3tb.

    So, I recently read a story called “A&P” By John Updyke. It was about three girls walking into a supermarket, but they’re all wearing bathing suits.
    In the time this was written, that was un-acceptable. Women were supposed to dress by wearing clothing on their whole body, other than head, so to see three girls in bathing suits, was practically spectacular.
    And the main character and manager’s reaction truely show that too, because they are absolutely flabbergasted by them. It just shows how women were treated in the 60’s. If this’d happen in the present day, The girls would’ve still been frowned upon, but they would definetely not get kicked out, like what happened in the story. Because today we have freedom of dress, which allows anyone to wear anything they like. But in the past this was not ok, because women were only there to help a man, and give birth to childeren to further their family’s lineage. But, in summary, A&P is a reasonably good look into how women were treated in the past, and it also shows the immense difference in how women are treated now compared tot he 60’s.

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  7. It's me hugo because my brain doesn't work I have to use James golgle because I forgot my own.

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  8. ~Christi Ligeon

    I think that Sammy quit his job so that he could impress the “Queenie” who I think he fancied, would notice him. Sadly he had quit his job and she did not even notice. He for example quoted ‘With the straps pushed off, there was nothing between the top of the suit and the top of her head except just her, this clean bare plane of the top of her chest down from the shoulder bones lie a dented sheet of metal tilted in the light. I mean, it was more than pretty.’ Especially the last sentence showed that he found this girl attractive, and then at the end of this story he had described this girl so much that I’m pretty sure he liked her. His mindset in the end was probably something like: If I want her attention, I quit. And so that’s what he did. At the end of all of this he had left his job to impress a girl that was already gone and never noticed his heroic deed.

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  9. Tom Rijken cv3tb

    Nowadays everyone should be able to wear anything they want to because it’s your own choice and not others how you like to dress in front of other people . You can wear anything you want because it’s your own opinion what you like to wear and everyone has a different taste in clothing style. For example, if you would like to wear a onesie you could, because maybe you think it’s fun, chill or it looks good on you, but other people don’t like it and there is a chance people will take a weird look at you or laugh. In the case of A&P I think the girls should wear normal clothes because you should also think about the people around you that maybe don’t find it comfortable that you walk around like this in public. So you can wear whatever you want, but do think about you environment.

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  10. elisa okur
    In the story, 'A&P' by John Updike the protagonist, Sammy the cashier quits his job. Everything starts when three girls enter the store, wearing nothing but bathing suits. When his manager, Lengel finds out that girls entered the store with inefficient clothing, he confronted them and asked them to leave. Just when the girls were about to walk out the door, Sammy told his manager: ''I quit!'' His reason behind quitting his job was because he thought that his manager had embarrassed the girls. So, Sammy felt sorry for the girls, which caused him to quit his job as a cashier in the shop. It also shows that he didn’t agree with his manager on the way that the girls were confronted nor treated. if they hadn’t walked into the store, nothing would've happened and he would’ve still had his job.

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    1. Carsten van der Kleij25 September 2021 at 22:00

      I really like how you used the conditional in this blogpost.

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  11. Wouter Timmermans

    First of all I think that Sammy left the store because the manager did not allow “Freedom of dress”. When the girls first came into the store Sammy did not think that the girls where doing something wrong, he even started explaining what they looked like and what they were doing. But almost none of it is said as if it was wrong. When the manager came in and told the girls about the “dress code” and how they were wrong, Sammy got angry and whispered “I quit”. If the manager did not tell them that, Sammy would not have gotten angry and left. Sammy just wanted to do his job but the girls distracted him and put his guard down, so when the manager told off the girls it was an direct attack to Sammy. This is the reason why I think Sammy left because the managers opinion.

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  12. Emma Peredo

    Why does the time period matter that much in this kinda story's?
    First of all, society. Society changes very much in just a little amount of time. Just like fashion. But most importantly people.

    In this story you can just tell by the way it's written that it's not out of this time.The most remarkable characteristic would be the context and how the characters react to the actions happening in the story.

    Back to the point, we know this story took place a long time ago, because what would happen if the girl walked into a grocery store now a days in their bikinis? Probably nothing, maybe people would look at them, but nothing extreme like it happens in the story, that they get kicked out of the store by the own manager.

    Even tho they hadn't done anything bad, the manager kicked them out, and it wasn't that friendly either. He even said that they should come with their shoulders covered next time. Since it is their "policy".
    As if they were going to come back after being kicked out of the place for something like that.

    Now, talking about my own opinion, I kinda get both points. If you go to a grocery store in your bikini in the middle of a city. I would say it is kinda weird. But that doesn't give them the right to kick those girls out. They are still costumers besides girls in binikis, right?

    Changing a bit the topic...

    Since it changed like this with the time, could it be that in a few years it will be normal to walk naked down the street? Or will we go back in time again, covering ourselves even more?

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  13. Elwin de kok CV3tb
    The story ‘A&P’ by john Updike tells us that in the time period this story was written, a lot of Unequal things where the norm, mostly with woman. In the story this is shown by the manager getting mad at three girls with bikinis entering his shop without any clothes. This is because the manager still feels like the man are superior to woman. In the present this does not happen a lot anymore and woman almost have the same number of rights as men. But in the 1960 a lot of men still thought they were superior and did not like when the woman’s showed their bodies. If this story had been in the present, a lot of people would get upset and the manager probably would have lost his job. So the story shows that the time period of this story was set in the 1960 due to the unequal things happening against woman. It would have been a different story if the situation happened in the present.

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  14. Hidde Aarsbergen, CV3tb
    “freedom of dress’’, it plays a big role in de story A&P by John Updike. It means that you can wear what you want, wherever you want. I personally do not fully agree with this statement. In my opinion there are a few exceptions. Places like a church, at a funeral or a wedding. Because these events do not happen every single day. So I think you should respect for example the person who is having the wedding. But I also do not think one person or a group of people should decide what to wear at certain places. If it’s not discriminating anyone, I think it is not a problem at all. if you are in your own house for example I think you should wear what you want to wear. I just don’t think freedom of dress is the best word to say that someone should not be ashamed of what they are wearing.

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  15. Hello, my name is Szabolcs Sorban.

    Blog 1

    What is the theme in the story? For example this story was written in the 1960s so that means that this story has happend around that time, also the story in a supermarket close to the beach. In the story they say” our town is five miles from a beach” If it wouldn’t have been near to the beach, they probably wouldnt have worn swimming suits, but since they are wearing swimming suits it probably is near the beach, the protagonist is sammy and the girls who walk in the store. so in conclusion there is a store at the beach around the 1960 woman with swimming suits walk in there,sammy gets annoyed so at the end he quits his job

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    1. I like how you started with a question, maybe try to take another look at your punctuation, furthermore, nicely done.

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  16. Rosalie Koole,

    First of all, this story gives a pretty good viewpoint on how in the 1960’s they thought about, especially women, dressing a certain way. If this had been a man dressed in swim trunks, it would’ve been less of a problem for sure, but that aside. The story states that “normally women go to the store with at least a shirt and shorts”, some kind of coverage aside from swim clothes. Their reaction would be pretty normal given the situation and the time of it taking place I am sure that if a women did that know, especially in summer, there would have been a less serious reaction because it has been kind of normalised. In warmer countries especially it’s not more than normal to go from the beach to the store to get lunch real quick. However you won’t escape some wolf whisteling. Summerised: I think there’s a big difference between then and now especially in how people react.

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    1. I like how you said, “If this had been a man dressed in swim trunks, it would've been less of a problem for sure, but that aside,” good job!

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  17. caitlin jones
    In the story A&P by John Updike, 3 girls walk into a store with only bathing suits. In the 1960's this wasn’t normal. Because of this the manager of the store kicks them out. But we should be able to wear what we want. I mean, if you see someone on the streets in pink and you don’t like pink are you going to say that they can’t wear it? No you’re not. It’s is their choice what they wear and where they wear it. You are free to wear what you want because than it is your choice to deal with what other people are hoping to say about it. So the girls can wear the bikinis but they have had to deal with the consequences because the manger kicked them out of the store. So if they had worn normal clothes they would have been able to stay in the store

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  18. Thijs van Wijngaarden24 September 2021 at 17:01

    Thijs van Wijngaarden,

    Sammy has quit his job because he didn't like how Lengel (the manager) treated the girls differently because they wore bikinis. Of course, the store policy was different in 1960, but Sammy still didn't like how the manager talked to the girls. Sammy thinks his manager should have treated them differently and more politely. This is why he loudly shouted: I quit!'. Sammy probably did this to show the girls that he disagreed with his manager sending them out of the store the way he did. He had enough of his manager and wanted to make a point and stand up for the three girls. Even though Sammy did not get the girl's attention, he still wanted to quit his job. This is why Sammy has left his job because his manager was not treating the girls nicely and was very mean towards them.

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  19. Hello, my name is Jesse van Vugt.
    Blog post #1
    Why did the cashier Sammy quit his job? The story starts of with a casual cashier, Sammy. But with three girls in bathing suits entering the A & P, that would change rather soon. after watching the girls for quite a while, Sammy sees and hears Lengel tell them: ''Girls, this isn't the beach.'' Its our policy to be decently dressed, Lengel says. Though, in my opinion, it shouldn't matter how anyone is dressed. Sammy disagrees and says: I quit! Hoping to get the atention of the girls. Also, I think Sammy made this decision because he didn't agree with the way Lengel was treating the girls. If Sammy would have gone up tot hem, he would have gotten their atention. He could also have tried to change Lengel’s mind about this situation by simply suggesting another way of treating customers about their clothing choice. Im not saying it would work for sure, but its something he could have tried. So quiting your job because you disagree with store policy is deffinitly a way, I just don’t thinks its the best one.

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  20. Xanthe Hough,
    I believe everybody should be able to wear what they want. For instance, if a woman wears a dress, she is classed as pretty. If a man wears a dress, he can be labelled as undignified. In my opinion, anyone should have the liberty to dress however they want, seeing that it is not improper or is showing body parts that should be covered. When it comes to the girls described in the short story, A&P by John Updike, they chose to wear bikinis to the shops. In the present day, you can take this as a common sighting, but that's not how it went in the 1960s. Lengel, the manager of the shop, portrays this nicely by kicking the girls out. If these girls came back to the shop today, they would get strange looks, but that's it. The protagonist, Sammy, helps show that people should be able to wear what they like.

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    1. Carsten van der Kleij25 September 2021 at 22:05

      The way you worded your blogpost is great.

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    2. Your statement and the way of wording it is really great!

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  21. Carsten van der Kleij24 September 2021 at 22:12

    Carsten van der Kleij

    I believe Sammy quit his job because he felt the way the girls were treated was unfair. Therefore, he wanted to show the girls that he felt the same way by acting heroic and quitting his job. In this story, A&P by John Updike, the following text is written, “The girls, and who’d blame them, are in a hurry to get out, so I say, “I quit” to Lengel in the hope they’ll stop and watch me, their unsuspected hero.” The preceding text clearly states that Sammy had the mindset that if he were to quit, the girls would stop and watch him take a stand for them. Unfortunately, that was not the case, and when Sammy walked out to the middle of the town, he could not see the girls anywhere. To conclude, I believe Sammy resigned from his job, hoping he would find the girls and have a future with them.

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  22. Taco Hensema

    I believe that it would have been different had it taken place today, but not completely.
    The manager addressed them, “Girls this isn’t the beach”, and told them to dress decently before entering the store. However the girls made clear they did not agree. The manager replies, “That’s policy for you.”
    In the 1960’s it was not common to show much skin in public. However the three girls entered the store in bathing suits. The women that usually came into the store were dressed decently. So a lot of people in the store were shocked when they noticed, especially the men who worked in the shop. Nowadays it is more common to wear clothes that show some skin. On the other hand, to wear a bathing suit in the grocery store is still a bit extreme, but a manager would address you differently these days. If a girl disagrees and talks back, they will not be treated as in the 60’s.

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    1. Carsten van der Kleij25 September 2021 at 22:09

      I found your blogpost very interesting and I quite enjoyed it. I also really liked your usage of the conditional.

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